Our People

Musical Director

Conductor of the Concert Band

Louise grew up in the Redlands, beginning her musical journey on clarinet at the age of nine and soon joining the Redland City Bands organisation. She holds a Master of Music (Conducting) from the University of Queensland and has built a diverse career as a performer, conductor, and educator.

Throughout her long association with Redland City Bands, Louise’s passion for conducting has flourished. After serving as Assistant Conductor and later Conductor of the Wind Ensemble, she was appointed Musical Director and Concert Band Conductor of Redland City Bands in 2025. She has further refined her craft through workshops, masterclasses, and lessons with renowned conductors including Jerry Nowak, Tim Reynish, John Lynch, Ralph Hultgren, and Rob McWilliams.

Beyond her work with Redland City Bands, Louise teaches at a Brisbane high school, where she is a multi-instrumental teacher, classroom music teacher for both junior and senior students, and conductor of the school’s concert band. She has also been the musical director for several school musicals and is deeply committed to fostering a love of music in young musicians.

As a performer, Louise has appeared on stages across Brisbane, including the Powerhouse and Riverstage, and continues to perform with one of Australia’s premier concert bands, the Queensland Wind Orchestra.

In recognition of her dedication and contribution to the organisation, Louise was awarded Life Membership of Redland City Bands in 2021. She was also named one of South East Queensland’s 50 Most Inspirational Women by the Courier Mail in 2023.

Approachable and dedicated, Louise is passionate about creating inclusive, engaging, and musically rewarding experiences for players and audiences alike.

Conductor of the Beginner Concert Band

David worked for more than 25 years as a professional trumpet player and music teacher. After playing in various rock bands in Adelaide during his early years he successfully won his first orchestral position in 1979, with the then named Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra (later amalgamated into the Qld Symphony Orchestra). He played with the orchestra for eight years before becoming a freelance musician.

Over the next 15 years David played all over Australia with various touring shows and orchestras. Shows included ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’, ‘HMS Pinafore’, ‘Disney on Ice’, ‘The Moscow Circus’, ‘Jerry’s Girls’, ‘West Side Story’ and 30 months with the original ‘Phantom of the Opera’ production in Melbourne. He also worked for 18 months at Jupiter’s Casino on the Gold Coast in the showroom band. David has played with many Australian orchestras as a freelancer including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

Along with professional playing, David was also been actively engaged in instrumental teaching and conducting, working for almost 20 years at Wesley College in Melbourne. In the 1980s he also taught at Brisbane Boys College, Brisbane Girls Grammar, The Southport School and St Ita’s. At tertiary level David has worked at the QLD Conservatorium, the Victorian College of the Arts and Melba Conservatorium. Currently David uses his education in psychology to work as a senior data analyst for a non-government-organisation supporting the health workforce in rural and remote QLD, and keeps active in music through involvement in community music making.

Conductor of the Wind Ensemble

Prof Nan Bahr has extensive experience as a university executive.  With respect to her music experience she is a graduate of the Elder Conservatorium of Music in music performance at the University of Adelaide and also holds a Master and Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education from The University of Queensland, Professor Bahr is an Associate of Music, Australia (AMEB) on bass tuba .

 At her core, she is a musician passionate about music education, tuba performance, and community ensembles. She began her career in music education as a Secondary School Music teacher at Sunnybank State High School, managing the music program, instrumental teaching, ensemble leadership, school musicals, music direction, choirs, and international tours. She has performed with numerous local and national ensembles and is often invited to contribute as the principal tuba in high-profile performances. Notably, she has participated in all four invitational and national Women in Brass performances on contrabass tuba.

In recognition of her diverse contributions to higher education and the community, Professor Bahr was a nominee for Australian of the Year in 2022.

Director of the Big Band

David is a graduate from Berklee College of Music in Boston USA. At Berklee he studied with some of the world’s most notable jazz musicians including Herb Pomeroy who played the Stan Kenton band, Phil Wilson a member of the Dorsey Brothers and the Woody Herman band and John La Porta who played with the Bob Chester Big Band and the Woody Herman Orchestra. Additionally, David studied for two years at the Boston Conservatory of music as a composition and saxophone student studying with Chris Roze and Larry Bell, both Julliard graduates, for composition as well as Hugo Norden for Counterpoint and Pasquale Principe for saxophone and clarinet. At Berklee he studied saxophone with George Garzone a founding member of the Fringe Free Jazz ensemble, Joe Viola founding chair of the Berklee woodwind department and Billy Pierce who played with the Jazz Messengers.

In addition to his Bachelor of Music with Honours in Jazz Composition and Arranging he has earned a Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology from San Diego State University, a Graduate Diploma in Secondary education from University of Western Sydney and a PhD in Ethnomusicology from University of New England. For his doctorial studies he conducted fieldwork in West Sumatra recording over 65 traditional ensembles in 1984. As an ethnomusicologist his expertise is in music from Indonesia.

David began his teaching career in 1984 at Berklee College of Music and since then has worked in a number of schools, colleges, TAFE Victoria and New South Wales and university, teaching multi instrumental music tuition, composition, arranging, music technology, film scoring and ethnomusicology. He was the Director of Education for the Peter Britt Festival in Southern Oregon and pioneered a mentoring program that engaged members of the resident orchestra with young students from the region. As Head Teacher Band 2 at Nirimba TAFE of the Western Sydney Institute he initiated a Certificate II program for TVET high school students in music performance and production that gained them a one-year articulation into the TAFE Certificate III program. David also served on the New South Wales TAFE academic board during his tenure there.

David has an extensive performance career working in professional theatre and musical theatre productions such as Three Penny Opera for the internationally renowned Oregon Shakespearean Festival and West Side Story for the Townsville Choral society. In addition, he has performed with the Boston Metropolitan Wind Symphony, Ashland City Band and Oregon Dance Theatre as resident composer and performer. Other performing highlights include opening and support act for US jazz artist Stanley Turrentine, folk pop performer Jim Stafford as well as working with famed bassist of the Bill Evans Trio, Chuck Israel, David Brubeck, Paul Winter and Jon Henricks of Hendricks Lambert and Ross.

David has a long history of directing and conducting ensembles in both the USA and Australia. The Jazz ensemble he directed at Nirimba TAFE performed at the Manly International Jazz Festival and the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. He has had a very high involvement in community music having been the conductor, for three years, of the Townsville Concert Band, winner of the state band competition in 2015 as well as director of the Stokes Nicholson Big Band for five years. David is currently directing the Redland City Big Band.

Coordinator of Smith Street Jazz Band

Ken Chow is a Hong Kong–born saxophonist currently based in Brisbane. After receiving his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance with an Academic Commendation Award and the Brad Rogers Memorial Award from the Jazz Music Institute, he has remained active as both an educator and performer.

Following his graduation, Ken began teaching instrumental music and conducting concert bands and jazz ensembles in Brisbane. He has worked at Carmel College, Clairvaux MacKillop College, Brisbane South State Secondary College, and St. Joseph Primary School. He also holds an Associate Diploma in Jazz Saxophone from the London College of Music, and an Advanced Professional Certificate from Berklee Online, Berklee College of Music (USA).