The following are mentors for the Conducting Workshop on 2nd April 2025. If you prefer to work with a particular mentor, please inform Roland during the application process.
Lynette Bridgland
Andrew van Gemert
Jo Heaton
Shane Walterfang
Roland Yeung convenor
See below for their photo and biography.
Andrew van Gemert mentor
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.
Jo Heaton mentor
Dr. Joanne Heaton’s career encompasses over three decades as a music educator and conductor, with international engagements in Australia, the United States, Asia, and Europe. Her previous appointment was as Band Director at Eastmont Middle School in Utah, where she also earned her Master of Music in Conducting from the University of Utah. She later completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Band Conducting from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Dr. Heaton’s expertise in ensemble direction is in high demand in the music education community, regularly serving as an adjudicator, conductor, and guest lecturer. Currently, Head of Bands at Haileybury College in Melbourne, her mission is to inspire young musicians and support ensemble directors through expert guidance, guest conducting, and international collaborations.
Shane Walterfang mentor
For Shane’s biography click here
Roland Yeung mentor and convenor
For Roland’s biography Click here