Our prestigious adjudicators or “judges” will listen and evaluate the performances. They will be looking for stage presence, accuracy, musical proficiency, interpretation and other musical technicalities.
Steven Hillinger
Steven is a versatile conductor and educator who is widely recognised for his work in both the orchestral and symphonic band fields. He has taught conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music High School and at the University of NSW and has adjudicated at various eisteddfods and competitions, including the 2MBS-FM Young Virtuoso Award which he has adjudicated since 2011.
Steven has guest conducted many orchestras including the Willoughby, Penrith and Mosman Symphony Orchestras, the Ku-ring-gai and East-West Philharmonic Orchestras, the Cove Chamber Orchestra, The Occasional Performing Sinfonia, the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Wind Symphony and the NSW Youth Orchestra and Medical Students’ Orchestra. Steven has also worked with the Australian Youth Orchestra and was shortlisted to audition for the position of Assistant Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Steven has worked extensively with the Sydney Youth Orchestra’s Association and was Musical Director of the City of Sydney Wind Ensemble (2001-2006), Musical Director of the University of NSW Wind Symphony (2006-2012), Associate Conductor of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Wind Symphony (2013-2014) and from 2016 to 2018, held the position of Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra. Steven has also worked as Assistant Conductor with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
As well as a large amount of guest conducting, at present, Steven holds the position of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the North Sydney Symphony Orchestra, as well as conducting the Chatswood High School Wind Orchestra and the North Sydney Girls High School Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra. Steven is also Conductor of the University of NSW Symphony Orchestra.
Lyndon Terracini AM OSI
Lyndon Terracini is the former Artistic Director of Opera Australia (2009–2022), and has also enjoyed a highly successful international opera career as well as a successful career as an actor, director and writer.
Lyndon Terracini was appointed Artistic Director and CEO of the Queensland Music Festival in July 2000 and directed the 2001, 2003 and 2005 festivals. He was appointed Artistic Director/CEO of Brisbane Festival in 2005 and Artistic Director/CEO of Major Brisbane Festivals in November 2007.
In June 1999 Lyndon Terracini was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Music Theatre by Central Queensland University. In February 2000 he was awarded a Fellowship by the Music Fund of the Australia Council for the Arts. In 2001 he was awarded an Honorary D. Univ. from Southern Cross University and in July 2005 he was awarded the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award by Australian Business Arts Foundation (AbaF). In 2005 Lyndon Terracini was also appointed Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland. In 2007 he was awarded a D.Univ. from Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
He was also a member of the International Jury for the Venice Biennale for Music and Savonlinna Opera Festival, and delivered the 2011 Peggy Glanville-Hicks address.
In 2014 Lyndon’s service to the performing arts as an opera performer, director and administrator was recognised with a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
In 2018 Lyndon was awarded one of the highest civilian honours in Italy, Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy (Commendatore dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia).