MUSIC DIRECTORS

Glenorchy City Community Brass Music Director, Martin Smith

Marty is a trombone player and graduate from the University of Tasmania and University of Melbourne. As well as teaching brass, performing, and conducting locally here in Tasmania and in Melbourne with a variety of different ensembles, Marty has spent several years overseas performing, directing, and teaching music. He was head of music at a prestigious international school in Bangkok, performing regularly with local orchestras, brass quintets and contemporary bands, and then later moved to Hawaii, taking up a job as music teacher and band director at a small pre-college IB school in Kailua. Returning to Australia at the start of 2017, Marty is now back in Hobart playing tenor and bass trombone, working on a master’s degree in education, teaching music and developing a band program at Dominic College.

Glenorchy City Concert Brass Music Director, Simon Reade

Simon has been the Musical Director of Hobart City Band Inc. since 1997 and is the conductor of the Hobart Wind Symphony, who he led to the 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017 National 'A' Grade Concert Band titles. Since 2014 the Wind Symphony have presented an annual workshop for composers, presenting works by over 20 composers from across Australia. In October of 2020 he took up the role of conductor with Glenorchy City Concert Brass, having previously worked with them at national contests in 2017 and 2019. In March of 2020 he took on the position of conductor with the Conservatorium Orchestra and in 2021 added the UTAS Wind Ensemble to his growing association with the University of Tasmania.

He is a respected freelance conductor having worked extensively for the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra in the years 2005-2012, 2016-2020. In June 2019 he was guest Chorus Master of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Chorus for their performance of Riceboy Sleeps as part of Dark MOFO. In November 2020, conducted the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for the Composing Women workshop and in March 2021 he again worked with the TSO, workshopping new works by Angus Davison and Benjamin Cannings. In 2016 he began presenting concerts with Michael Kieran Harvey under the title Forum, premiering Concerti for Piano and Chamber Orchestra by Scott McIntyre, Andrián Pertout, Colin Spiers and Don Kay, alongside a great array of other new music.

Very involved in community music, he has conducted most community bands and orchestras in Hobart over the past two decades, including as the conductor of the Tasmania University Musical Society (2001-2009) and founding Music Director of the Hobart Theatre Summer School (2005-2012). Simon is a past President of the Tasmanian Bands League (2013-2016) and in 2019 was one of the four finalists in the 2020 Australian of the Year Awards, Local Hero Category (Tasmania).

Simon completed his Bachelor of Education in 2005, having worked for the Tasmanian Department of Education since 2000. He is currently employed as a Brass/Woodwind specialist teacher and conductor at Bellerive, Howrah, Ogilvie, Sorell and South Hobart schools.

Simon is an accomplished Trumpet player. Most recently he has performed in recital with pianist, Michael Kieran Harvey, premiering works by Harvey and Barber. In May 2019 he gave the world premiere of Don Kay's Concerto for Trumpet with Winds and Percussion, accompanied by his Hobart Wind Symphony. He won the Open Trumpet section at the 2010 Australian National Band Championships, and from 2003-2011 was Principal Cornet with the Hobart Brass Band.

Simon is also a composer, having filled commissions from the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra, the Festival of Voices (Tasmania), IHOS opera, the Hobart Chamber Orchestra, the Derwent Valley Band and the Tasmanian Composer's Festival, amongst others.

He lives in Campania, just out of Hobart, with his wife Claire and sons Owen, Callum and Elliott.