Adjudicators

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Christopher Latham

G.R.S.M., L.R.A.M., A.R.C.M., M.I.M.T.

 

Christopher was born in England in 1935 and moved to Australia in 1978 to become Director of Music at Scotch College, Melbourne. He took their orchestra of seventy-two boys on a tour of China in 1986, then moved to Perth in 1987 to become Director of Music at St. Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls. He took their musicians on tours of Japan and England.

 

Christopher studied clarinet, violin and piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He taught music in England before moving  to Australia in 1978.

Christopher was director of Music at Scotch College in Melbourne and Deputy Chairman of the V.I.S.E Music Committee. Since 1980 he has been an Examiner for the AMEB and has also been a member of the State Committees of Victoria and Western Australia. He was Director of Music at St. Hilda's in WA until his retirement and still enjoys his examining and adjudicating commitments.

 

He retired from full-time teaching in 1998 but still enjoys his connections with several Eisteddfods and Music Festivals, especially Bunbury, Joondalup (where he lives) and the Catholic Arts Festival. He says he must have looked up ‘retirement’ in the wrong dictionary.

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Penny Black

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Penny Black has been involved in music for the major part of her life - first as  a solo performer and also as an accompanist for soloists and choirs.

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Over the years she has been a regular examiner for the AMEB and has adjudicated in most of the the major Eisteddfods in Perth including Fremantle,

North Perth, Kwinana, Joondalup, the W.A. Pianists' Competition, the Catholic Arts Festival and also in country Festivals.

 

Penny has enjoyed considerable success in her teaching with a number of her students having won high rewards in many Eisteddfods and competitions. However, she considers her greatest triumph is to pass on her own love and passion for music to her students.

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Ruth Lenz

 

​Ruth Lenz was born in Mt. Isa, Queensland and began learning the guitar at a very young age with guitarist Tim Andrew. During her early studies, she won several first prizes in eisteddfods and competitions and appeared on National Television as a solo artist.

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In 1989 Ruth started her studies at the University of Western Australia with influential teacher John Casey. During and after her studies she played in numerous concerts and built up a fine reputation as both a soloist and chamber musician.

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In 1994 Ruth received a Churchill Fellowship to study in London with guitarist Richard Wright. Three years later she traveled to Wales to work with other musicians and undertake further study with John Mills at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

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Ruth and her husband Richard have established themselves as one of Australia's leading classical guitar duos, Duo Lenz, and have performed worldwide with a broad and exciting repertoire.

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Ruth maintains a busy performance and tuition schedule and is much in demand as an adjudicator. She has also been an examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Edith Cowan University).

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Donna Markovic

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For the past 18 years Donna has been a Vocal and Performance Coach, teaching individuals, small to large ensembles, male and female, of all age groups and levels of experience. Donna specializes in voice, expression, visual and emotive delivery. She has been the Vocal and Performance Coach for Capture the Audience (individuals and ensembles), Belridge Secondary College, Northside School of Music, and Joondalup Entertainers Theatre School. She has Tutored the Australian Girls Choir WA Branch and coached Sweet Adeline's Australia.

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Donna is currently employed as a vocal teacher at Great Southern Grammar, Albany, Western Australia. She has performed with the Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company, in musicals and variety shows. Donna is a committee member, and recently co-directed a show called The Magic of Musicals.

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Donna is very aware of the time, dedication and practice it takes to prepare for any performance opportunity, such as the Eisteddfod, and respects every performer who crosses the stage.

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Paul Sealey

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Paul began his musical training as a scholarship student at Perth Modern School, where he studied viola. He completed a Bachelor of Music (First Class Hon.)

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in which he studied composition and piano performance and received several prizes. Paul was awarded a Commonwealth Postgraduate Scholarship to complete a Masters in composition and concluded his tertiary education with a Diploma of Education.

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Paul conducts The Chapel Choir, which has performed at many Perth churches and currently works at Churchlands Senior High School where he is 2IC and  Instrumental Co-ordinator. He is an experienced orchestral and choral conductor, piano teacher and accompanist, and has adjudicated at all of Perth's major Eisteddfods.

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Tresna Stampalia

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Tresna is well known in Western Australia as the Director and founding member of the Chamber Ensemble “Tres Classique”. She has had, and continues to have, an active career as a flute and piccolo player, performing in many of Australia’s Symphony Orchestras, including the WA and Perth Symphony Orchestras and top Pop Orchestras in Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney.

 

Tresna has played Principal Flute in National productions of Miss Saigon, Fiddler on the Roof, Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, Wicked and was the Principal Flautist for the Touring Australian Production of Disney’s The Lion King where she performed on the Pan Pipes and traditional Asian & Irish Flutes. She has toured and recorded for Music Viva Australia and additional discography include the CD ‘Paradiso’, featuring arrangements by Perth composer and arranger James Charles.

 

With a string of qualifications to her name, which include a Bachelor of Performance and a Bachelor of Arts, Tresna has studied in London and France, and presented concerts in both Italy and France. She is involved in flute teaching at both tertiary and secondary levels and is an Examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board.

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