Our People
Meet some of the people who help make us great…
Patron
Bill Tweddell
Artistic Director
Theodore Kuchar
Management Committee 2025/2026
The following executive and committee was elected at the AGM on 15th May 2025.
President | Dene Olding AM |
Vice-President | Judy Hunter |
Secretary | Janet Askern |
Treasurer | (vacant) |
Committee: | Andrew Ryder |
Ioana Bowden | |
Miles Devlin | |
Neil Renison (Assistant Treasurer) | |
Nita Vasilescu | |
Sally Frewen-Lord | |
Sue Darrigan | |
Logistics Officer: | Noel Price |
Orchestra Manager
Jessica Winton
Life Members
Donna McMahon
Conductor / Life Member
Donna was one of the prime movers in the formation of the BRO…
Stephen Frewen-Lord
Life Member since 2015
Stephen has been involved with the Barrier Reef Orchestra since its inception in 2000…
Jacinta Payne
Life Member
Jacinta has been in BRO since 2000, playing 1st Clarinet at the first performance…
Carol Dall’Osto
Life Member since July 2010
Carol has been a leading figure in music performances in Townsville for many years…
Jenny Carr
Life Member since July 2010
Jenny Carr, a pianist and instrumental music teacher, was BRO’s Orchestra Manager …
Simon McConnell
Life member since June 2020
Simon McConnell agreed to be President in 2006 when the Orchestra was in danger of folding
Suzanne Darrigan
Life member since June 2020
Barrier Reef Orchestra stalwart Suzanne Darrigan was excited to be playing horn with BRO i
Guest Conductors
Craig Johnson
Conductor
Lieutenant Colonel Craig Johnson, born and raised in Sydney, NSW, joined the …
John Hopkins OBE
Conductor
Professor John Hopkins OBE was involved with the Orchestra from its earliest days…
Raymond Yong
Conductor / Piano
Raymond has been a regular guest with the Barrier Reef Orchestra since 2011…
Patrick Pickett
Conductor
Patrick Pickett is owner, Artistic Director/Conductor of the Queensland Pops Orchestra…
Mario Dobernig
Conductor
Mario Dobernig is Conductor in Chief and Artistic Director for the Art of Sound Orchestra.
Peter Morris
Conductor
Professor Peter Morris is a distinguished conductor and educator whose career …
Richard Davis
Conductor
Richard Davis regularly conducts orchestras such as Queensland Symphony and BBC Philharmon
David Lawrence
Conductor
David conducted BRO with the Spirit of the Voice Choirs in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in 201
Richard McIntyre OAM
Conductor
Richard McIntyre has a long and distinguished career as bassoonist, educator, conductor…
Joshua Dos Santos
Conductor
Joshua Dos Santos is a Venezuelan-Portuguese conductor forging a vast international career
Gyula (Jules) Cseszkó
Conductor
Jules studied with the Late Professor John Hopkins and has a lot of conducting experience.
Mark Shiell
Conductor
Mark has guest-conducted ensembles including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra…
Donna McMahon
Conductor / Life Member
Donna was one of the prime movers in the formation of the BRO…
Sean O’Boyle
Conductor
Sean O’Boyle is a composer, arranger and conductor of many Australian and overseas orc..
Theodore Kuchar
Conductor; Viola
The multiple award-winning conductor Theodore Kuchar is the most recorded conductor …
Guest Artists
Ji Won Kim
Violin
Ji Won Kim has performed extensively as a soloist in Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy…
Kim Kirkman
Tenor
Kim has sung with the Victoria State Opera, Opera Queensland and for EssGee Entertainment.
Lyubov Dika
Contralto
Lyubov Dika became a full-time member of the Lviv National Opera of Ukraine in 2004…
Domenico Taraborrelli
Accordian
Domenico is one of Brisbane’s most experienced and versatile multicultural entertainers.
Bronwyn Douglass
Mezzo-Soprano
Bronwyn is a mezzo-soprano who graduated with a Masters in Operatic Performance in 2014..
Megan Billing
Oboe
Megan studied music from an early age, first with the flute, taking up the oboe at 18…
Blair Harris
Cello
Melbourne-based Blair Harris won the 2010 Australian Concerto & Vocal Competition…
Leah Li
Harp
Townsville-based Leah Li enjoys a diverse career as an orchestral and chamber musician…
Matthew Rigby
Violin
Matthew Rigby, born in Townsville in 1985, developed a love of music at an early age…
Sarah Calderwood
Singer
A charismatic solo artist in her own right, Sarah’s vocal style is incredibly varied…
Cassandra Wright
Soprano
Cassandra Wright is a versatile soprano with diverse performance experience…
Rebecca Cassidy
Soprano
Rebecca Cassidy has been the recipient of many prestigious Awards and Prizes including…
Benjamin Martin
Piano
Pianist/composer Benjamin Martin has become known as an artist of exceptional versatility.
Yoshika Masuda
Cello
Yoshika Masuda started to play the cello at age five and won 1st prize at ACVC in 2012…
Tanya Christensen
Mezzo-Soprano
As a professional singer, Tanya has performed nationally and internationally with major…
David Wakeham
Baritone
David has established an international reputation with critically acclaimed performances..
Adam Lopez
Vocal
Adam Lopez has undoubtedly got one of the most fascinating vocal instruments on the planet
James Morrison
Trumpet
James Morrison is a global jazz icon who has performed with many of the legends of jazz…
Bruce Grice
Piper
Bruce Grice discovered his passion for piping at the age of 12. His debut performance…
Kevin Higgins
Irish flute and uilleann pipes
Kevin plays with Irish band Sasta and is regularly seen on the national festival circuit..
Sally Walker
Flute
Sally Walker has been hailed as a master of both the early wooden and the silver flute…
Rebecca Chan
Violin
Rebecca Chan was the winner of the 2009 North Queensland Concerto and Vocal Competition.
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