Compass Brass

About the artists

Compass Brass

Trumpets: Yoram Levy, John Foster

Horn: Lisa Holownia

Trombone: Cian Malikides

Tuba: Tim Jones

 

Head of Brass and Trumpet at the Australian National of Academy of Music, Yoram Levy is one of Australia’s leading trumpeters and brass pedagogues. Yoram is featured in numerous ABC Classics recordings as the long-standing Principal Trumpet of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held till 2023.

Yoram has frequently performed with major orchestras in Australia and New Zealand and is in demand nationally and internationally as a recitalist and clinician. Solo appearances include the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Queensland Symphony, and his CD of 20th-century music for trumpet and organ with Christopher Wrench has won great acclaim.

 

John Foster is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading artists on both modern and historical trumpets and is currently artistic director of both the renowned Australian Baroque Brass and Queensland Baroque Orchestra. John was a member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from 2001-2013.

John has appeared as a soloist worldwide performing with leading orchestras and ensembles, such as Norwich Baroque (United Kingdom), Belgium's leading baroque orchestra 'Il Fundamento' and the Chamber Orchestra of Basel, and as an ensemble member of groups such as the Academy of St Martin in the Fields (UK), Concerto Grosso Heidelburg and Kammermusik Potsdam.

 

Lisa Conlan-Holownia is a Brisbane-based freelance French horn professional. During her extensive performing career, she has played with many orchestras and chamber groups including The English Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, London Festival Orchestra and London Brass Ensemble.

She has been a Lecturer in Brass at the Victorian College of Arts, an AMEB examiner and adjudicator, teaches in her private studio and works as a senior Arts teacher at Brisbane School of Distance Education.  Lisa is also an entrepreneur who has invented a product to help brass students with braces, www.buzz-buddy.com.au.

Cian Malikides studied music with Nigel Crocker at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. During this time he travelled to Verona, Italy to attend the Estivo Summer Chamber Music School, the USA for the Aspen Music Festival, and Sweden for the Stockholm Chamber Brass Academy. After further study at the Australian National Academy of Music, Cian has performed as guest principal trombone with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. He is a casual musician with the Adelaide Symphony, Tasmanian Symphony and Queensland Symphony Orchestras.

 

Principal Tuba with the TSO from 1995-2024, Tim Jones began playing the tuba aged eight, which he played in his primary school orchestra. He played with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra and Nunawading brass band before studies at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. He freelanced in Melbourne for 10 years as a tuba player who would play anything anywhere. Notable groups included the MSO, Orchestra Victoria, Cairo Club, The Black Sorrows, the Oxo Cubans and many varied jazz bands. Since moving to Tasmania he has worked with Brian Ritchie, all manner of brass ensembles and community bands. Currently he plays funky sousaphone with the Southside Steppers.