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.

PresidentDene Olding AM
Vice-PresidentJudy Hunter
SecretaryJanet 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

Annette Elliss

Life member since June 2020

Annette Elliss had the role of Treasurer from 2004 until 2015. In that time she …


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 …

Warwick Potter

Conductor

Dr Warwick Potter has conducted many of Australia’s major orchestras…

Mark Eager

Conductor

Mark Eager is an exciting and passionate conductor with extensive knowledge …

Richard Davis

Conductor

Richard Davis regularly conducts orchestras such as Queensland Symphony and BBC Philharmon

Carolyn Watson

Conductor

Originally from Sydney, Carolyn Watson is Music Director at the La Porte …

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…

Andrew Ryder

Conductor

Andrew has conducted the Barrier Reef Orchestra for several concerts, …

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 …

Gwyn Roberts

Conductor

Gwyn Roberts has had a very active career as a cellist, conductor and music educator…


Guest Artists

Ji Won Kim

Violin

Ji Won Kim has performed extensively as a soloist in Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy…

Oksana Hretchyn

Violin

Oksana Hretchyn is one of Ukraine’s most accomplished violinists.

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.

Jennifer Bradstreet

Flute

Jennifer Bradstreet won the Instrumental section of the 2014 ACVC…

Jeremy Sun

Piano

Pianist Jeremy Sun has won numerous Australian and international competitions…

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…

Emma Pask

Vocalist

Award winning vocalist Emma Pask is one of Australia’s favourite voices in Jazz…

Alex Thomas

Tenor

Alex Thomas has been performing in Townsville for many years…

Leah Li

Harp

Townsville-based Leah Li enjoys a diverse career as an orchestral and chamber musician…

Siobhan Patrick

Soprano

Siobhan has performed lead roles across opera, oratorio and music theatre…

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…

Gregory Moore

Singer

Gregory, a graduate of the QLD Conservatorium of Music, is in high demand …

Cassandra Wright

Soprano

Cassandra Wright is a versatile soprano with diverse performance experience…

Ruby Luck

Piano

Ruby performs frequently, both as a soloist and collaborative pianist.

Stefan Cassomenos

Piano

Melbourne-based Stefan Cassomenos is a pianist, conductor and composer…

Jade Moffat

Mezzo-Soprano

At 21 years of age, Jade Moffat’s career is just beginning…

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.

Justin Ankus

Organist

Playing the organ and directing and singing in choirs are hobbies for Justin…

James Dong

Violin

James Dong won 1st prize in the Instrumental Section of the ACVC in 2016…

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…

Cherin Lee

Violin

Cherin Lee performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in the Back in 2021 concert…

Nicholas Kennedy

Piano

Dr Nicholas Kennedy won the Open Instrumental section of the ACVC…

Suzanne Kompass

Soprano

Suzanne Kompass is a versatile performer across all genres of music….

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…

Arthur Athan

Piano

Arthur Athan is a pianist and teacher from Melbourne, Australia…

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.

Hannah Kim

Violin

Hannah won 1st prize at the Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition in 2024.

David Hudson

Guitar & Vocal

David Hudson is a renowned musician, composer, actor, artist and entertainer…


Our Sponsors & Partners