Adjudicators

Paul Jarman is a widely acclaimed Australian composer, performer, musical director and educator. Paul is most well known as a lyricist and composer of choral music, a world music multi instrumentalist, and a facilitator of community inspired collaborations. As a cultural ambassador he has performed extensively throughout Australia, Europe, Asia, North America, the Middle East and the Pacific with theatre productions, dance ensembles, Aboriginal-Anglo Celtic performance groups, choirs and orchestras; in festivals, special events, schools and towns as a conductor and musical director, and a member of Australia’s iconic first ‘world music’ ensemble Sirocco since 1996 representing Australia in Pakistan, India, Taiwan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Musica Viva. Paul plays western instruments including the piano, clarinet, harmonica and saxophone but specialises in ethnic wind instruments including Irish whistle, bagpipes, zurna, Chinese flutes, jaws harps and harmonic singing. He has performed on a variety of Australian feature films, documentaries, commercials and IMAX productions and composed the music for several award winning adventure films with the renowned filmmaker Mike Dillon.

Paul has written over 100 commissioned works for ensembles, festivals and events including Gondwana Voices, Sydney Children’s Choir, Birralee Voices, The Song Company, Boston City Singers, Rafiki Youth Choir, The Australian Boy’s Choir, The Hunter singers, Department of Education, Woden Valley Youth Choir and many more. His unique blend of melody and timeless poetry celebrates the human endeavour and has captured the imagination of singers and audiences worldwide. He has been commissioned to write music about some of the most inspiring people of our time including Jessica Watson, Terry Fox, Helen Keller, Ernest Shackleton, Aung San Suu Kyi, Pemulwuy and Mary MacKillop among countless others. In 2010 his piece for the 40^th Anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jnr was performed for President Barack Obama in the White House. Paul has also written and performed music for events in the Western Front, including a premier under the Menin Gate in Ypres and the D-Day 60^th Anniversary in Normandy. He has toured as a resident conductor/performer with a variety of choirs to France, England, Germany, Austria, Italy, China, Belgium, Czech Republic, Canada, New Zealand, USA and Switzerland and he conducts choral events all over Australia.

Phill was born in Adelaide and began to play the cornet at the age of seven under the tutelage of his late father Des O’Neill, to whom his album “The Operatic Trumpet” is dedicated. Growing up, Phil attended Marryatville High School (special interest music school) on full scholarship. Whilst at school, Phill won many state and national competitions for both full band and solo performances.

Outside of school, Phill has achieved great success as a soloist & Ensemble player. In 2003 and 2004 he won back to back Australian Junior Cornet Championships and went on the win the overall Brass section of both these competitions.

As a senior player Phill has also won many solo and band awards. In 2009 he was Principal Cornet with Gunndah Shire Band when they won the Open A Grade National Championships and in 2009, 2010 and 2011 Phill won the Solo Open Cornet section of the NSW State Championships. In 2009 and 2010 Phill also went on to win the Open Brass Champion of Champion section of the same competition.

For over 10 years Phill has worked full-time with the Australian Defence Force Bands. His career highlights have included playing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, solo performances at numerous National Rugby League and Australian Football League matches and touring Australia as a soloist alongside Guy Sebastian.

As part of his colourful career so far Phill has walked the Kokoda Track to play the Last Post at Kokoda on ANZAC Day 2012.

As a performer, Phill has also worked and played with various musical heavyweights including Gabor Tarkovi, James Morrison, Marina Pryor and Vladimir Ashkenazy as well as with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Sinfonia, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and as a guest soloist performing J.S. Bach’s Branbenburg Concerto II with the Whilloughby Symphony Orchestra.

Today, Phill is still enjoying performing with the Australian Defence Force and Freelance trumpet player around Australia. The Operatic Trumpet is his debut solo Album. Phill is proud to be performing on Stomvi instruments.