Brendan Collins is currently the Chief Brass Examiner of NSW for the Australian Music Examinations Board and the Composer-in-residence at Barker College, Sydney. His compositions are frequently performed and recorded throughout the world by many leading international artists and his music is broadcast regularly on ABC ClassicFM.
Australian composer and performer Brendan Collins grew up in the city of Newcastle (just north of Sydney). He later studied trombone and composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with Ron Prussing, Arthur Hubbard and George Golla. Collins won a scholarship to study in Los Angeles with Ralph Sauer, principal trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
After 11 years as the associate principal trombone with Opera Australia, Brendan was appointed to the position of composer-in-residence at Barker College (Hornsby, NSW) in 2005, a position he still holds. In this capacity he has composed numerous works for a wide range of ensembles which have become very popular among Australia’s finest musicians. He has been commissioned to compose music by many Australian and international artists.
His complete works for trumpet have just been released on the CD ‘Great Southern Land’, recorded in the USA by soloist Phillip Chase Hawkins on the Navona Label. Other works appear on CDs of Alex Wlison, Richard Stoelzel, Jeanell Carigan, Garrett Klein and Matthew Van Emmerik which were recorded in Poland, Spain, USA and Australia.
In 2019 Collins’ Concerto for Eb Soprano Cornet and Brass Band was commissioned and premiered by Chase Hawkins and the Lexington Brass Band at the National Trumpet Competition in Kentucky, USA. The premiere recording of the work was commissioned by the ABC and performed by soloist Chase Hawkins with the Pacific Brass under the direction of Ben Crocker.
He has served as the composer-in-residence with the Sydney Youth Orchestra and in 2010 his composition for concert band, ‘William of Orange March’ won first prize in the NSW School Band Festival composition competition.
