Queensland Wind Band Composition Competition

Benjamin Tubb-Hearne, The Kraken Awakens

Benjamin Tubb-Hearne is an Australian composer, arranger and tenor horn player writing for brass and wind ensembles, soloists and community groups. His music includes original works and commissions for brass band, concert band and wind ensemble, with performances across Australia, the UK and Europe.

British born, Benjamin has been a musician for as long as he can remember, beginning piano at the age of five before moving into brass playing soon after. Joining a brass band at 11 helped shape his musical life, and he later found his home on tenor horn, eventually performing with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain on Solo Horn.

Benjamin studied composition and tenor horn at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he was awarded the Sellers Scholarship on entry. During his time in Manchester, he received commissions from soloists and ensembles in the UK and abroad, including YBS Band, Hepworth Band, the RNCM, Matthew White, Glenn Van Looy and David Childs.

His music has been performed internationally and broadcast on BBC Radio 2. Since moving to Australia in 2014, Benjamin has continued to build a career as both a performer and composer, with works selected for performance and contest use across brass and band settings. He is currently Solo Horn with Brisbane Excelsior Brass Band and serves as the band’s composer in residence.

Thom Fletcher, On the Nature of Gulls

Thom is a woodwind specialist, educator, composer, arranger, performer and in desperate need of some career minimalism. Thom’s music journey began with great promise, at age 5, air-conducting his imaginary orchestra before, at age 8, someone finally hand him a musical instrument: a clarinet. Thom cried because he wasn’t immediately good at it. Overcoming this devastating hurdle, he went on to learn Flute, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Piano and Bass Guitar.

Thom studied his Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, majoring in composition under Dr. Nicole Murphy. He is now studying a Masters of Teaching at the University of Queensland, working with high school students. As a composer, Thom has had original and arranged works performed by bands in Australia and internationally. Thom is the conductor of Second Wind Community Band Concert Band and leads their New Beginnings adult beginners program.

Thom holds teaching positions at Hillbrook Anglican School, Mt St Michael’s College and Prince of Peace Lutheran College where he teaches a small army of enthusiastic students, conducts bands, and helps beginners of all ages start their woodwind journey. Thom also leads workshops, masterclasses and music camps with primary and secondary school groups across Brisbane.

Benjamin Lau, The Digital Age

Benjamin Lau is a composer, arranger and music content creator who specialises in concert band works and remixing video game music. He is best known for winning the 2024 Australian National Composition Competition (Wind Band Section) with his piece Guilin’s Majesty, premiered by the Yamaha Wind Orchestra. Currently, Ben aspires to become a full-time composer and is building his dream library of concert band pieces to be purchased and performed by musicians worldwide.