Ben Carey
ben carey is a sydney-based musician specialising in the performance of contemporary music. in addition to the performance of 20th and 21st century solo and chamber repertoire for the saxophone, ben works regularly with young composers in premiering new works for the saxophone in a variety of contexts (solo, chamber and mixed works with live electronics), and in parallel is developing techniques and environments in the area of electro-acoustic performance.
Nathan Henshaw
Nathan Henshaw a renowned Australian saxophonist who is known for his musical diversity. He studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and graduated with Honours in 2006. As a jazz and rock saxophonist, Nathan has had the fortune to play and record with many of Australia's leading musicians. Highlights included performances at the Manly, Newcastle, Jazz at the Vines, Mt. Gambia, Morpeth, Merimbula Jazz Festivals in Australia and the Whangarei Jazz & Blues Festival in New Zealand. He was also a member of Judy Bailey's Jazz Connection - a Sydney big band which plays regularly throughout Sydney. Nathan currently works regularly as a free-lance musician, playing and recording with Sydney based bands/musicians such as: Sax Summit, Sax Appeal, Swing Dogs, Carlotta Centanni, Rivers and Roads, Wonderbrass, Elaphunk and Funknukle.
As well as being a jazz performer, Nathan is also one of Australia's leading classical saxophonists and has had the opportunity to perform internationally both as a chamber musician and soloist. In 2003, Nathan gave a 2 weeks solo concert tour of Hokkadate, Japan for the Lake Macquarie City Council and was awarded an Australian Federal Music Award upon his return. He has also performed in France (2005 International Saxophone Summer University), United Kingdom and New Zealand. He has won many awards and competition, most recently he was a finalist for the 2006 2MBS Young Performers Award (performing a live-to-air recital) and a finalist at the 2005 Australasian Saxophone Competition. In 2006 Nathan was accepted to do a Masters of Saxophone at the Royal College of Music in London. He politely declined the offer to continue his musical projects here in Australia.
As chamber musician, Nathan is a founding member of the award winning Nexas Saxophone Quartet whom perform and workshop regularly both here in Australia and internationally. He has also performed with the following orchestras: Sydney Youth Orchestra (Paul Hindemith's Symphony in Bb, Artie Shaw's Clarinet Concerto and various new Australian works), SBS Radio and Television Orchestra (performances with James Morrison), Sydney Conservatorium Orchestra (John Harbison's Music for 18 Winds and Ravel's Bolero) and various smaller chamber ensembles and saxophone quartets.
Nathan is also a performer of new works and free improvisation music. Notable improvisation projects include collaborations with the PACT Theatre company during their productions of Song Of Ghosts and Toxic Dreams. Also improvisation sessions with saxophonist Ben Carey.
Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith has been awarded both an A.Mus.A with distinction, and an L.Mus.A on saxophone. He also holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Whilst at the Conservatorium, he received both a Margaret Henderson and a Reuben F. Scarf scholarship. Andrew also furthered his saxophone studies with sojourns to Europe including attendance at the European University for Saxophone in Gap, France. As a finalist of the 2005 Australian Clarinet and Saxophone Society saxophone competition, Andrew has also had the opportunity to play in a masterclass with Kenneth Tse (Professor of Saxophone at Iowa State University). Andrew has written articles for the Australian Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine, and is a tutor and performer for the Yamaha Music Connect program. Andrew is also active in the promotion of new Australian music, having had compositions written for him by composers such as Paul Castles, Tristan Coelho, Mark Oliverio, David Slater and Stephen Yates. Andrew is currently active with the following ensembles: Chronology Arts, Duo Plunge, Nexas Saxophone Quartet, The eXa Project and Sydney Sinfonia. In 2008 Andrew has returned to the Sydney Conservatorium to undertake a Masters of Music and has been awarded the prestigious Henderson Postgraduate Award.
Jay Byrnes
Jay Byrnes an international performer and educator in both Classical and Commercial music has performed in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Holland Portugal, Venezuela and Slovenia. After completing his Bachelor of Music Degree at the ‘Sydney Conservatorium’ Jay spent 2 years performing, teaching and lecturing throughout Europe at such venues as The Long Acre(London West End) Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester), Royal Scottish College of Music (Edinburgh), Sweedlink Conservatory (Amsterdam), Torino Town Hall (Torino, Italy), Saxophone World Congress (Slovenia), Gap Cathedral (Gap, France) along with many others.
In Sydney Jay was regularly performing with such groups as ‘The Enormous Horns’, ‘Wonderbrass’, ‘Sax Summit’ and ‘Blow Big Band’ as well as working on many smaller ventures with musicians Eduoard Bronson, Harry White and Alana Blackburn.
Jay spent 3 months in 2009 as a guest professor of saxophone at El Sistema in Caracas, Venezuela.
Jay is currently in Porto, Portugal where he is undertaking his Masters of Music with Henk Van Twillert at the Escola superiere do Musica e Artes Espectaculo (ESMAE)
Nick Russoniello
Nick Russoniello was born in Wollongong and commenced saxophone lessons at the age of ten. Showing an early love for Jazz, growing up Nick performed regularly in many bands and groups across the Illawarra. At the end of high school Nick was selected to perform solo at the Sydney Opera house and toured New Zealand as a soloist with the BHP Youth Orchestra.
In 2003 Nick commenced a Bachelor of Music (performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium studying classical saxophone under Christina Leonard. During his time at the Conservatorium Nick was the recipient of a number of scholarships including the Reuben F. Scard Memorial Foundation Award and the Felix Switzer Memorial Award. Nick was included on the Conservatorium’s 2006 Dean’s honours role for academic excellence. In 2006 Nick completed his Bachelor degree with first class honours.
In 2004 and 2006 Nick attended the European Summer Saxophone University in Gap, France. This internationally renowned summer school is run by Professor Claude Delangle (Professor of saxophone at the Paris Conservatoire National Superior de Musique) and at this course Nick had lessons and performed for some of the world’s finest saxophone players. In 2007 Nick was awarded a BBM award to return to London and France to have lessons with some of Europe’s finest classical saxophonists including John Harle, Jean Denis Michat, Christian Wirth, Marie Bernadette Charrier and Kyle Horche.
Nick has performed a solo recital on 2MBS radio and performs regularly with a number of ensembles outside of the Duo Histoire including the Nexas Saxophone quartet, who recently toured NSW with renowned pianist David Miller AM, sax and electronics acts T-schema, and the Gap Quartet who were finalists in the 2006 Music Viva Chamber Music award. With the assistance of the Ian Potter Cultural Trust Nick is currently persuing postgraduate studies at the Conservatorio di Musica "G.Verdi" di Milano, Italy.
