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Photo: Andrew Castles

Born in Launceston, Tasmania in 1977, Simon Reade is a conductor, composer, trumpet player and educator. Simon is passionate about the performance of new music and has given the world premiere of over 100 new works by Tasmanian composers, many of these with the Hobart Wind Symphony which he has directed for over 25 years. Simon also directs both the large ensembles at the University of Tasmania, conducts Tasmania's only A grade Brass Band for Glenorchy City Brass, as well as working freelance with professional and community organisations. He is a fully represented composer at the Australian Music Centre and in 2022 was awarded the APRA/AMCOS State Luminary Award for Tasmania, for his sustained contribution as a conductor and the promotion of Australian Music.

Simon's commitment to the creation of new Tasmanian music is demonstrated by the list of composers he has championed; Simon Barber, Benjamin Cannings, Joe Cook, Steve Crump, Angus Davison, Claire Farrell, Dominic Flynn, Russell Gilmour, Karlin Greenstreet-Love, Maria Grenfell, Michael Kieran Harvey, Michael Sydney Jones, Tim Jones, Don Kay, Jabra Latham, Scott McIntyre, Helgart Mahler, Thomas Misson, Ron Nagorka, Joseph Richards, Dylan Sheridan, Jitrin Sirichang, Nathan Stinton, Helen Wanders and Michael Young. In 2014, Simon instigated an Annual Composer's Workshop, which has featured works by over 20 Australian Composers. Upcoming performances include: Nathan Stinton's Flow with the Hedberg Ensemble on July 28; Recording Steve Crump's works for the Album "Navigating Hope"; works of Barber, Greenstreet-Love, McCunnie and Reade with Glenorchy City Brass on August 5, Don Kay's Concerto for Trumpet with Winds and Percussion (as both soloist and director) alongside the premiere of Scott McIntyre's transcription of Mahler's Symphony no. 7 (First Movement) with Hobart Wind Symphony on August 12; The world premiere of his own String Quartet by Ensemble Mania on August 26; Assorted Colours by Karlin Greenstreet-Love by the UTAS Wind Ensemble on September 15; Compositions and Arrangements of Jabra Latham with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Winds on September 22/23 and Jodie Blackshaw's Symphony no.1, Leunig's Prayerbook with Hobart Wind Symphony in both October and December.

Simon has a special affinity with the work of Tasmanian Icon, Don Kay. He has premiered dozens of Kay's works including Symphony 3 (2011), Concerto for Piano and Small Orchestra (2017), Concerto for Trumpet, Winds and Percussion (as soloist/conductor, 2019) and Symphony 4 (2021). He gave the concert premiere of Kay's opera, The Bushranger's Lover to great critical acclaim (2014) and the premiere of the bushfires cantata, Conflagration, as part of the Festival of Voices (2021). Simon has revived a number of Kay's earlier works, including Northward the Strait at the Intervarsity Choral Festival (2009) and gave the concert premiere of 1992's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra,with Michael Kieran Harvey (2014).

Simon is a sought-after and respected conductor. He has been Musical Director of Hobart City Band Inc. since 1997 and as conductor of Hobart Wind Symphony won the 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017 National 'A' Grade Concert Band titles. He took up the position of conductor with the University of Tasmania's Orchestra and Wind Ensemble in 2020 and was instrumental in the formation of the Hedberg Ensemble in 2022. In 2020-21 he worked with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for new composer workshops, and in 2023 he conducted for the TSO's Live Sessions in April and September. He is the conductor of Glenorchy City Brass, has had a long association with Tasmanian Youth Orchestra, Hobart Chamber Orchestra and from 2016-2019 presented new music concerts with Michael Kieran Harvey under the title FORUM.

Simon is an accomplished Trumpet player. Recent premiere performances include excerpts from Simon Barber' nON Existent crossing for Trumpet with Percussion Quartet and his own Bon Anniversaire for solo Trumpet. In December 2021 he performed Simon Barber's kunanyi and Helgart Mahler's Glass-scapes as part of the Tasmanian New Music Ensemble's Line Tracing event. He has also worked in recital with pianist, Michael Kieran Harvey, premiering works by Harvey and Barber as well as his own unaccompanied Lullaby for Elliott, memorably performed at Michael Kieran Harvey's 60th Birthday concert held in the Nolan Gallery of MONA. In May 2019 he gave the world premiere of Don Kay's Concerto for Trumpet with Winds and Percussion, accompanied by his Hobart Wind Symphony. He won the Open Trumpet section at the 2010 Australian National Band Championships, and from 2003-2011 was principal Cornet with the Hobart Brass Band.

Simon is also a commited educator, working as an instrumental specialist across all diciplines in 7 Southern Tasmanina Schools for over 25 years. He has worked for TSO as a score caller for their live stream on a casual basis and is moving also into contest and festival adjudication. In 2019, Simon was one of the four finalists in the 2020 Australian of the Year Awards, Local Hero Category (Tasmania).

Simon is also a composer, having filled commissions from the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra, the Festival of Voices (Tasmania), IHOS opera, the Hobart Chamber Orchestra, the Derwent Valley Band and the Tasmanian Composer's Festival, amongst others. His music has been performed by such eminent performers as; Michael Kieran Harvey, Jabra Latham, Diego Campagna, Maurizio Barbetti, Duo Porto-Frontini, Luca Ferrini & Joze Kotar, Benjamin Price and Dr Matthew van Emmerik. He has music for band published through Brolga Music Australia, selected chamber works through Musicisti Associati Produzioni of Milan, and he has full representation at the Australian Music Centre. His most recent work is a piano solo for respected pianist, Vanessa Sharman. A selection of his works are available to view on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCmiU7ywYrg

He lives in Campania, just out of Hobart, with his wife Claire and sons Owen, Callum and Elliott.

Simon Reade — current to July 2023