Guest Conductor

Adrian Tan

Adrian graduated with honours in Theatre Studies from the National University of Singapore. His significant participation in Music and Theatre has distinguished him as a unique multi-disciplinary artist with an impressive repertoire of work and achievements in Singapore and overseas. He studied conducting with Harold Farberman, Robert Gutter and Ovidiu Balan, and also participated in masterclasses with Gunther Herbig, and in wind and choral conducting with Jan Cober and Hans Leenders respectively. A recipient of the prestigious National Arts Council (Singapore) Overseas Scholarship, he is currently completing his Masters in Music Studies (Conducting) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music studying with Imre Pallo, Stephen Mould and Neil McEwan.

Adrian has led wind bands and orchestras at the community as well as professional levels. He actively champions the music of Singaporean composers and has been given the honour to present premieres of compositions by Americ Goh, Zechariah Goh Toh Chai, Ho Chee Kong and Phoon Yew Tien. In 2005 he formed and directed the New Festival Orchestra to perform Rachmaninov’s 2nd and 3rd Piano Concertos with renowned pianist Tedd Joselson for the 30th Anniversary of his professional debut.

Adrian has appeared regularly as a guest conductor with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, the Bradell Heights Symphony Orchestra (Singapore) and the Beecroft Orchestra. In 2010, he was the Assistant Choir Master of the Willoughby Symphony Choir. He also served as assistant conductor to Maestro Pallo in the production of Otto Niclolai’s Merry Wives of Windsor, and as the Musical Director of Darius Milhaud’s Les Malheurs d’Orphee at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Engagements in 2011 include appearances with the Mosman Symphony Orchestra, at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and return engagements with the Filharmonica Mihail Jora di Bacau (Romania), Bradell Heights Symphony Orchestra (Singapore) and the Beecroft Orchestra. He was appointed Music Director of the Sydney University Wind Orchestra for 2011.

Danika Allars

Danika joined Mosman Orchestra as the principal clarinettist in 2005, and has remained a dedicated orchestra member ever since. Conducting is something Danika has always been passionate about, and she is particularly grateful for the opportunity to work with the orchestra for the Peter & the Wolf concert. Aside from appearing as guest conductor with Mosman Orchestra, Danika also conducts the Inner West Community Band (IWCB). IWCB is a group Danika co-founded at the beginning of 2010, in order to provide a much needed community-based ensemble for woodwind, brass & percussion players of all ages. The group has been extremely succesful, as was evident in the band’s result of 2nd place in the Graduate and Community Concert Band section of the Sydney Eiseddfod.

As well as conducting, Danika is involved in music in many ways. In 2008 she achieved her A.Mus.A on clarinet, and she is currently the tutor of 30 budding young clarinet and saxophone players. She also plays trumpet as part of the Sydney University Wind Orchestra, of which she is president this year. Danika greatly enjoys teaching music, and is currently studying a Bachelor of Music (Music Education) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, with a hope to inspire many young musicians.

Mark Brown B Mus (Hons)

Mark is a double graduate of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, having gained both a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in Trombone Performance (1996) and a Certificate of Piano Tuning and Technology (1982). He studied trombone with Arthur Hubbard and Ron Prussing as well as conducting with Henryk Pisarek.

His professional trombone credits include Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, English National Ballet, Sydney Philharmonia, Sydney seasons of Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, Miss Saigon, Crazy For You, My Fair Lady, the Merry Widow, the Mikado, Michael Crawford Australian Tour, NSW Police Band, Tommy Tycho, Ed Wilson Big Band, international contracts with P&O Cruises and club gigs, backing variety artists and rock bands.

In 1994 Mark was awarded the Bellhouse Memorial Conducting Scholarship and in 1995 was selected for the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor in Training program under Maestro Henryk Pisarek. During this time he was also assistant conductor to Steve Williams with the Conservatorium Wind Orchestra. He later travelled to the Czech Republic and attended the International School for Conducting studying under Maestros Kirk Trevor, Tsung Ye and Johannes Schafli.

From 1990-2005 Mark was director of the large band program at St Patrick’s College Sutherland where he also taught low brass and trombone. Mark also directed the stage band at Sydney Technical High School, was Director of Music at Sutherland Shire Brass and conductor of both concert bands at Port Hacking High School. In 2006 Mark was contracted to the NSW Police Band as guest Principal Euphonium and Trombone.

He is currently Director of Ensembles at Manly Selective Campus, Musical Director of Bands at SCEGGS Darlinghurst and Musical Director of the Lane Cove Youth Orchestra’s Wind Orchestra and the Education Department’s Performing Arts Unit Symphonic Wind Orchestra.