Adjudicators
The Organising Committee of the National Band Championships 2010 would like the announce that
Johan De Meij is the chief Adjudicator.
Johan de Meij (Voorburg, 1953) studied trombone and conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague. He has earned international fame as a composer and arranger. His catalogue consists of original compositions, symphonic transcriptions and arrangements of film scores and musicals.
His Symphony No. 1, The Lord of the Rings, based on Tolkien's best-selling novels of the same name, was his first composition for wind orchestra. It received the prestigious Sudler Composition Award in 1989. In 2001, the orchestral version was premiered by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. The Lord of the Rings has been recorded by renowned orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the North Netherlands Orchestra, the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and the Amsterdam Wind Orchestra. His cello concerto Casanova was awarded First Prize at the International Composition Competition of Corciano [Italy] in 1999. A year later, De Meij won the Oman International Composition Prize with The Red Tower. His Symphony No. 3, Planet Earth was awarded 2nd Prize in the 2006 edition of the Corciano Competition. He received the Dutch Wind Music Award 2007 for his important role in the worldwide advancement of the genre.
Besides composing and arranging, Johan de Meij is active as a performer, conductor and lecturer. He plays trombone with the acclaimed Amsterdam contemporary wind ensemble “De Volharding” (The Perseverance). He has conducted some of the leading wind orchestras of Europe, Asia, North and South America and has led master classes around the world.
For more information please visit Johan de Meij’s website at www.johandemeij.com.
Johan's adjudication includes the following events:
Flicorno d’Oro – Riva del Garda- Italy
International Trombone Competition, Guebwiller- France
European Brass Band Championships – (top division) - Glasgow-Scotland.
International Band Contest - Altea- Spain
Swiss Open Brass Band Competition - Montreux- Switzerland
Ralph Hultgren
Ralph Hultgren resides in Newmarket, Queensland, withhis wife Julie and two of his five children. His professional music careerhas spanned a number of decades and includes work as a trumpet player,composer, conductor and teacher.
Mr Hultgren is currently Head of Pre Tertiary Studiesat the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University where he provides academicand artistic leadership to the Young Conservatorium, conducts the Queensland Conservatorium Wind Orchestra,and lectures in conducting and instrumental music education at undergraduateand postgraduate levels.
Mr Hultgren’s conducting credits include thedirection of musicals, operettas, studio recordings for radio, television anddisc, and the concert stage. He haspremiered a number of his own works in Australian and internationally and conductedwidely across Australia, the Asia Pacific region and the United States ofAmerica.
Mr Hultgren is a founding member of the Australian Band andOrchestra Directors’ Association, and a member of the World Association forSymphonic Bands and Ensembles. He has lead ABODA as national president andtwice as state president and was awarded life membership of ABODA in 1998. In2000 he became the recipient of the Citationof Excellence, the Australian Band & Orchestra Directors’ Association’shighest honour. He is also the recipient of the 2005 Midwest Clinic International Awardpresented by the Board of Directors of the Midwest Clinic in recognition of hisinternational contributions to music education.
In 2009 Mr Hultgren washonoured by being made ‘Patron of the Maryborough Music Conference’,Australia’s largest music education event. That honour is the most prestigiousaccolade given by Education Queensland for significant contributions to musiceducation in the state.Since commencing hiscomposition life he has written works that span the broad spectrum ofperformance, from educational and amateur performing groups to the professionalstudio and stage. Outside of his musical endeavours, Mr Hultgren is an avid reader and theleader of his church Men’s Fellowship.