Ninth Edition

9^th Edition (2024)

Guest Artists

Alan Holley - Comopser (Australia)

Alan Holley is an Australian composer whose works have gained international recognition for their expressive style and innovative writing. Born in Sydney in 1954, he has been featured at major music festivals and composer profile concerts across Australia, Croatia, Serbia, and Albania. His orchestral and chamber compositions have been commissioned and premiered by leading ensembles, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Choir, with performances in Australia and throughout Europe. Holley’s recent works have been premiered by distinguished chamber ensembles at prestigious venues such as the Melbourne Recital Centre. His music, ranging from orchestral concertos to contemporary chamber works, is published by Kookaburra Music and recorded on Hammerings Records, reflecting his significant contribution to contemporary Australian classical music.

Joel Brennan - Trumpet (Australia)

Joel Brennan is an internationally acclaimed trumpeter, educator, and chamber musician with a distinguished career spanning performance, teaching, and contemporary music. He has performed with leading orchestras across Australia, Europe, Asia, and North America, and has served as principal trumpet with the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra in Japan and the Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra. A passionate advocate for new music, Brennan has commissioned and premiered numerous works while collaborating closely with emerging composers. He is a member of the award-winning Ensemble Three and Lyrebird Brass, both recognized for their innovative chamber music performances. Brennan holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Yale School of Music and is Associate Professor of Music Performance at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. He is also a Yamaha Performing Artist.

Ken Murray - Guitar (Australia)

Ken Murray is an Australian guitarist, composer, educator, and researcher recognized for his innovative contributions to contemporary classical music. His work spans performance, composition, and research, with a particular focus on early 20th-century Spanish repertoire, Brazilian and South American music, and collaborations with contemporary composers. Murray has premiered more than 100 new works and has partnered with leading composers to expand the guitar repertoire across solo, chamber, and music theatre settings. His performances and recordings have been featured by major broadcasters and international record labels, while his compositions are performed worldwide and included in the Australian Music Examinations Board syllabus. He is also a member of the award-winning Ensemble Three, whose commitment to commissioning new music has earned international acclaim for its innovative artistic vision.

Gianmario Strappati - Tuba (Italy)

Gianmario Strappati is an internationally acclaimed Italian tubist, educator, and soloist. He graduated with highest honors from the Conservatory of Fermo and further specialized through advanced studies at Harvard University, Berklee College of Music, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), KU Leuven, and Sorbonne University. As a soloist, he has performed across Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia with leading orchestras and at prestigious concert venues and festivals. Strappati is the first tubist to receive the prestigious Nino Rota Award and has been recognized internationally for his artistic achievements, including being named Artist of the Year 2020 by Christopher Magazine. An active clinician, he regularly presents masterclasses worldwide and currently serves as Professor of Tuba at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Ravenna, Italy.

Anna Lang - Cello (Austria)

Anna Lang is an Austrian cellist, pianist, composer, and educator celebrated for her versatility in classical, jazz, and improvised music. Born in Salzburg, she studied at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and the Anton Bruckner Private University, earning degrees in piano pedagogy, cello performance, and jazz improvisation. As a freelance musician, she has appeared as a soloist with orchestras, contributed to radio productions, and performed at internationally renowned concert venues. Her original compositions have been recorded by acclaimed ensembles including Pianofortebrass, WoodAirQuartet, and Sinfonia De Carnaval. Together with trombonist Alois Eberl, she co-founded the award-winning ensemble Sinfonia De Carnaval, which has toured extensively across Europe and Asia, earning recognition for its innovative and genre-crossing performances.

Alois Eberl - Trombone (Austria)

Alois Eberl is an Austrian trombonist, accordionist, composer, and arranger renowned for his versatility across classical, jazz, and contemporary music. Born in Kitzbühel, he studied at the Tyrolean Music Conservatory, Anton Bruckner University, and Mozarteum University Salzburg, earning degrees in jazz trombone, classical accordion, and classical trombone. As co-founder of the award-winning ensemble Sinfonia De Carnaval with Anna Lang, he has gained international recognition for innovative performances that blend classical, jazz, and world music traditions. Eberl has appeared at prestigious venues including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berlin Philharmonic, Cologne Philharmonic, and Konzerthaus Vienna, and has collaborated with renowned artists such as James Morrison, Bob Mintzer, Michel Camilo, Dave Liebman, Ray Anderson, and Martin Grubinger, establishing himself as one of Austria’s leading contemporary brass musicians.