Murray Jackson
Band Director
Murray is a saxophonist who has a Graduate Diploma in Jazz Performance from ANU. He also studied composition and arranging at the NSW Conservatorium of Music. He is a regular performer with many of Australia’s best jazz performers at venues throughout NSW.
Murray has had a keen interest in band education for the past decade and continues to seek opportunities to broaden his experience and knowledge in this fascinating area.
Tutors information will be updated here…watch this space
Charles Casson
Tutor – Brass
Qualifications: Bachelor of Music Performance (Jazz Trumpet)
Charles Casson is a Sydney Trumpeter performing freelance across many ensembles in Jazz, Classical, Wind Band, Rock and Improvised/Experimental music. Charles first began playing the Trumpet at age 7, beginning on the classical repertoire before studying Jazz and pursuing his studies into a BMus majoring in Jazz Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Charles has worked with some of Australia’s finest musicians in a diverse range of musical settings, and has performed in some of Australia’s top musical venues and festivals. Charles currently teaches at a number of Primary and High schools throughout the Eastern Suburbs, Inner City and Inner West, along with a busy private studio. He also conducts Jazz based ensembles for a number of local schools.
Holly Conner
Tutor – Drums & Percussion
Bachelor of Music Performance (Honours), Jazz Drum Kit – Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Holly Conner is a versatile Sydney drummer and percussionist, performing in bands, and as a freelance artist in the electronic music, pop and indie-rock, experimental and jazz music scenes.Coming from a diverse musical background, she first studied rock drumming and classical percussion, before completing a BA in Jazz Drum kit from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She has also completed summer courses at the School of Improvised Music Brooklyn, and two Australian Art Orchestra Creative Music Intensives.
As a freelance drummer, Holly has toured nationally and internationally with artists such as Holly Throsby, Microfiche, Lupa J, Marcus Whale and Human Noise. Festival appearances include performances at VIVID Sydney, Sydney Festival, Liveworks, Underbelly Arts, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival and Manly Jazz Festival.
She has also played at venues such as N1Reaktorhallen in Stockholm, Km28 in Berlin, The Sydney Opera House Forecourt, MONA in Tasmania, and The Art Gallery of NSW. Her drumming is featured on several indie film and television soundtracks including the BBC/HBO TV series Top of The Lake: China Girl and the award-winning surf film Beyond the Noise.
In 2019 Holly was a finalist for the Jaan Rutherford Memorial Award, recognising excellence in Australian female jazz instrumentalists.Holly has been teaching private students in the inner west since 2009. She was previously the Resident Percussion Tutor and Percussion Ensemble Director at James Ruse Agricultural High school (2016-2018). For part of 2018, Holly filled in as Resident Percussion Tutor; plus Senior and Junior Percussion Ensemble Director for Fort St High School. The Fort St. Senior Percussion Ensemble was awarded a highly commended for their performance at the annual Sydney Eisteddfod during this time.Holly currently teaches students at Clovelly Public, and in the inner west.
Owen Torr
Tutor – Clarinet
OWEN TORR has been teaching clarinet for over thirty years, starting as a school student he tutored in the band program. He later took up the harp and is a regular performer with The Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. He studied at the Sydney Conservatorium and later at the Salzedo Harp School in the USA, with Alice Chalifoux, Principal Harpist of The Cleveland Orchestra.
He has played guest principal harpist with the Singapore, Tasmanian, Melbourne, and West Australian Symphony orchestras, and made guest appearances with The Australian Chamber Orchestra. Owen has played with international musicians such as Ashkenazy, Yo Yo Ma, Dutoit, Kiri Te Kanawa, and Simmone Young. He has also played on numerous film scores including “Happy Feet” and “Australia”.
Pierre Scala
Tutor – Brass
Pierre began playing the trumpet by joining his school band under the direction of Cliff Goodchild, the tuba player of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the time. He has not put the instrument down since, going on to attain both a Bachelor Of Music Education degree and an Associate Diploma in Jazz Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Pierre has extensive experience as a Band Director and Trumpet Tutor having taught in a number of schools for many years. He has also professionally performed in a wide variety of musical settings including Jazz ensembles, Musicals, Brass Bands, Salsa Bands and Solo Trumpet/Organ performances. Pierre has a passionate commitment towards assisting students to strive for excellence through the implementation of effective learning strategies and values.
Visnja Kosanovic
Tutor – Flute
VISNJA KOSANOVIC received her Bachelor and Master degrees in flute performance at the Academy of Art in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Playing as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician – both flute and piccolo – she performed extensively in the Serbian National Opera and Ballet, M Ex Media, Ambiental Orchestra and New Art Forum chamber ensemble. Visnja also made many recordings for Serbian Radio and Television and has performed in master classes throughout Europe.
In 1999 Visnja moved to the USA and actively performed in the Washington area with groups such as the National Gallery Orchestra, Washington Bach Consort, Southwest Chamber Players and Levine Woodwind Quintet. At the same time, she was teaching at Levine School of Music and International School of Music.
Since moving to Sydney Visnja has joined RHH Symphony Orchestra and continues her work as a freelance musician and flute teacher. Recently she was acknowledged as teacher of the year 2013 at Ebenezer Mission Music School in Burwood for the excellent results that her students achieved.
Matthew Ottignon
Tutor – Clarinet & Saxophone
Matthew Ottignon is a gun sax player/multi-instrumentalist with indisputable musical genes originally from Auckland, New Zealand, and now based in Sydney, Australia. With an enviably busy diary including a mix of performance, composition and education, Matthew is one of Australia’s hardest working musicians. He creates sounds that spring from everywhere he’s been and everything he’s seen… music that’s undoubtedly earning him a place among the key constituents of the contemporary scene.