To read the introductory information and FAQ and book your place using TryBooking link, go to the Post on this website click here.
This workshop offers two programs, both occur on the same evening. Full Participating Conductors are able to choose which program suits them.
The choice of repertoire they wish to conduct will determine which program they select.
- In the One-On-One program, conductors will choose a few excerpts from one work to study with their mentor and conduct. They choose their own work, but must supply a full set of parts and an extra score. Have a recording for the tutorial will be helpful.
- In the Class program conductors will conduct two or three excerpts that are set. Your mentor would be Roland Yeung, Music Director of The Grainger Wind Symphony.
CONDUCTING MENTORS
Full Conducting Participants may choose a mentor on a first come-first choice basis. They can discuss their choice with Roland Yeung, the convenor of the workshops as soon as they have submitted their application form. Below are all the conducting mentors – most are for the One-on-One Program.
Lynette Bridgland
Stephen Carpenter
Andrew van Gemert
Andrew Mathers
Shane Walterfang
Roland Yeung – mentor for Class Program
See below for their musical biographies.
Lynette Bridgland mentor
Lynette has studied extensively in music, having gained her Bachelor of Education in Music at Victoria College, her A. Mus. A. Piano and a Post Graduate Diploma in Music – Conducting at the University of Surrey, England, where she studied under Professor Sebastian Forbes and Nicholas Conran. During her time in England she held the position of Conductor of the University of Surrey Symphonic Wind Band and also conducted the University Symphony Orchestra and Choir.
Lynette completed the Conductors Graduate Seminar with Jerry Nowak and the Advanced Conductors Seminar with Professor Larry Wagner and was selected to participate in the Symphony Australia Conducting course, under the direction of the Finnish conductor Maestro Jorma Panula.
Lynette has a long career in music education, firstly as Music Coordinator at Canterbury Girls Secondary College. As well as teaching classroom music she conducted the Concert Band, which culminated in an invitation for the Band to participate in the 1989 International Youth Music Festival for the 2000th year celebrations for the City of Bonn (Germany), followed by an accompanying concert tour of Europe.
From 1992 to 2003 Lynette was Director of Music at Fintona Girls’ School and from 2008 to 2017 taught music at Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School, where she conducted the Symphonic and Stage Bands.
Lynette’s involvement in music includes the Associate Conductor of the Eastern Youth Laureate Wind Symphony in 1992 and guest conductor in 2000. For six years Lynette conducted the Alexander Concert Band at the Border Music Camp, Albury. She was the Musical Director of the Western Region Concert Band and has been Musical Director of Theatre Productions, including Cabaret, Damn Yankees, Annie, Jesus Christ Superstar and the awards night for the Victorian Theatre Guild. Lynette is often invited to be a guest conductor for schools and community groups and to adjudicate at music festivals.
In 2000 Lynette received an Excellence Award from the Australian Band and Orchestra Director’s Association, Victorian Branch.
Lynette is currently the conductor of the South Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, a position she has held since 1993. She is very proud of her long association with the South Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. During her time with the orchestra she has conducted works from all styles and forms of orchestral music and is delighted to rehearse and perform with the regular members of the orchestra and the special guests who have appeared with the orchestra over the years.
Andrew van Gemert
Andrew was presented with an Excellence Award by the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association. This award celebrates Andrew’s contribution over many decades to “outstanding work as an ensemble director” in the school and wider community and his mentoring throughout the state of Victoria especially in the field of conducting ensembles and rehearsal techniques.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Education degree from The University of Melbourne Institute of Education and is a member of the Association of Music Educators and a Friend of the Percy Grainger Museum. Through the Australian Band and Orchestra Association, he has been involved with teacher education, organising and presenting workshops on conducting technique and band literature. For many years, he has worked closely with many overseas conductors whilst in Australia such as Dr. Craig Kirchhoff, University of Minnesota and Dr. David Waybright, University of Florida.
He is also in demand as a conducting teacher and guest conductor of camps and workshops. He has been one of the adjudicators for the Royal South Street Society Concert Band Eisteddfod and conducting mentor for the Victorian Schools Music Festival in the past few years.
Andrew has been teaching with the Department of Education for 28 years and is currently Assistant Director of Music at Viewbank College where he teaches VCE music, music performance, music technology, general classroom music (Years 7-8) and directs several ensembles including the band for the school musical “Singin’ in the Rain”. He has been Producer and/or Musical Director for school and community musical theatre productions for 34 years.
Andrew has been associated with the Manningham Concert Band for 35 years, initially as a player of various instruments, then for several years as Assistant Conductor. For the last 22 years he has been Musical Director and has received the Menzies Australia Day Community award and the Victorian Bands League Merit award for service to community music.
Stephen Carpenter
STEPHEN CARPENTER: Is a graduate from the University of Melbourne, Faculty of Music with a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Arts (Hons) from Monash University.
He has extensive experience as a conductor: he was the Principal Conductor of the John Antill Youth Band from 1991 to 1995 and 2000 to 2003 and was the founding Musical Director of the Monash University Wind Symphony from 1994-2000.
In 2007 Stephen established the Heidelberg Wind Ensemble, one of the performance ensembles of the Heidelberg Orchestras Inc., where he remains as the Principal Conductor and during 2019 was invited Guest-Conductor of the Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra. The HWE celebrate their 18th season in 2024. Stephen has been the principal or guest conductor of wind band performances internationally in America, New Zealand, Singapore, China and The Netherlands.
His professional activities include adjudication of Band competitions for the Melbourne School Bands Festival, ABODA Level Festivals, the Victorian Bands League, and the VSMA.
He retired from the position as Head of Music: The Ridgeway Campus, Ivanhoe Grammar School, at the end of 2018, where he managed the School’s Music Performance & Classroom Program and was the conductor of the Senior School – Golden Symphony Orchestra.
Andrew Mathers
Andrew Mathers holds a PhD in music from Monash University and a Master of Music
Education degree majoring in instrumental conducting from the Florida State University.
While in Florida, he studied instrumental conducting with James Croft and choral
conducting with Rodney Eichenberger. He has many years of experience as an
Instrumental Music Teacher, both in Private Schools and with the Victorian Department
of Education and Training. In 2002, Andrew also worked for the Southern Region as a
Conducting Consultant. He has served as a lecturer in conducting and Applied Music at
Monash University and also held a position as an adjunct faculty member of the School
of Music-Conservatorium.
Andrew conducted the Melbourne Youth Symphonic Band from 2003-08. He served
three terms as National President of ABODA from 1996-97, 2000-02, and 2009-10, also
serving as Victorian Branch President from 2003-05 and 1988–96. He has also served as
Vice-President of the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Victoria. In 1998, Andrew was
chosen as one of four people to receive the first-ever Honorary Life Memberships to be
awarded by the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association. In 2026, he was
awarded an Excellence Award by the Victorian Branch of ABODA.
Andrew has served as one of the featured clinicians at the ABODA Conducting Summer
School in Melbourne on nine occasions and has conducted at the Melbourne Youth
Orchestra January Music Camp three times.
Andrew has been on the music staff at St. Kevin’s College, Melbourne, for the past 19
years and is the Musical Director of the Southern Area Concert Band.
Shane Walterfang
Shane as been invited by the GWS Committee to return to the role of Associate Conductor 2023 from 2016.
Shane Walterfang is a Melbourne born conductor, trumpeter, and teacher. He received his Master of Education and Grad Cert (TESOL) from Deakin University, Diploma of Education from the University of Melbourne and Bachelor of Arts from the Victorian College of Arts.
As a conductor, Shane has been involved with community music for over 25 years. He believes that performances are unique occasions where audiences and musicians live in, and for the present moment. His aim is to provide innovative performances, which are engaging for both audiences and musicians. His conducting credits outside of Australia include performances in New Zealand, China, India and the USA.
As a trumpeter, Shane has played with 5 of Australia’s professional orchestras including 10 years with the Australian Pops Orchestra. He was introduced to styles ranging from Paul Whiteman to Frank Zappa while playing with the Anne and John Hawker Big Band.
Shane is also a committed educator who aims to provide a range of engaging and stimulating experiences to encourage people to pursue music as a lifelong activity. He has held the positions of Head of Brass, Director of Music and VCE Coordinator. He is also a past Chair of the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME) – Victorian Chapter. Shane is also a qualified Meditation/Mindfulness teacher.
Roland Yeung
For Roland’s biography click here.