Fendall is already a renowned composer, with his music being performed around the world. He is a multi-national championship winning soprano cornet player in Australia and New Zealand, and in recent years, he embarked on a “late-blooming” career in composition. His music is often selected for national and state set test pieces for bands and soloists. Everything you would want to know about him and his music can be viewed on his website www.fendall.com.au.

Since 2022, Fendall has been assisting BBMAI on soprano cornet at national and state contests with BB1. At the gala concert for the 2024 Queensland State contest, BB1 performed the World Premiere of Fendall’s composition, Beksinski’s Trumpeter, featuring Fendall as the soloist, linked here: https://youtu.be/fW1ONQq466o?si=iBIRM0Zk4sZA-fag

Kerry Thomas is a horn player, pianist, arranger, and composer.  He has been Solo Horn of BB1 since 2005 and composing and arranging for brass ensembles and brass band for over 20 years.  He has had great success in composition competitions both nationally and internationally - winning the inaugural South Brisbane Federal Band Composition Competition in 2012 with Heroic Overture and again in 2015 with A Joyful Toccata, and the Bunbury City Band Composition Competition in 2014 with Black Swan's Flight.  He was also runner up in the 2017 World Projects/ABODA NSW Wind Band Composition Competition with his composition Uprising! and finalist in the 2017 Wind Band Association of Singapore Composition Contest with The Witch's Brew.

Kerry was commissioned and composed A Summer Rhapsody for the C Grade Set Test at the 2019 National Band Championships in Brisbane, and has had this work and others set as test pieces or performed as own choice selections in both state and national contests. Kerry composed his test piece Relentless Advance for BB2 to perform at the 2014 Nationals, and has produced numerous other compositions and arrangements for Brisbane Brass ensembles and musicians to perform at contests and concerts over the last decade, including at the 2016 Beijing International Youth Art Week Wind Music Carnival which Brisbane Brass attended. Kerry also has several published works for solo trumpet and french horn in the AMEB brass syllabuses.

As a long term member of Brisbane Brass, Kerry is very excited to work more closely with the organisation in the role of composer-in-residence and to see what this partnership will bring for its bands, members, and the organisation as a whole.