Winsa Daffa Daniswara

Guitar, Violin

Winsa is an experienced musician and performer with a Bachelor of Music from ANU.

He performs and teaches both guitar and violin. He is a dedicated and caring teacher who loves meeting new learners – whether they are adults or children – and always keeps lessons productive and enjoyable.

Stephen Young

Clarinet, Recorder, Saxophone

Stephen has been teaching at BMS Academy since 2018. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium, as well as postgraduate qualifications in both performance and education.

Stephen has taught and performed throughout the world, most recently for several years at international schools in Germany. Stephen is a multi-instrumentalist, playing clarinet and other woodwinds, as well as tabla and didgeridoo.

Stephen’s energy and passion for music ensure his students thrive in their musical development.

Sean (Zhixiong) Luan

Piano

Sean is a registered AMEB piano teacher with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Teaching. Sean pioneered the use of his ‘Four Steps Learning Method’ in piano teaching, which is inspired by the development of western music and is committed to developing the student’s independent learning ability. The method has proven hugely successful in practice.

Sean received the international Bastian piano teacher qualification certificate in 2016. Sean offers a highly-professional unique and dynamic teaching style that ensures his students get the most from their music journey.

Rachel Thorne

Voice

Rachel is a highly experienced singer, songwriter and teacher. Born and raised in Canberra, Rachel enlisted into the Army as a clarinet player in the Band Corps and was posted to the Royal Military College Band, Duntroon. Rachel was also regularly featured as a solo singer for the Band.

As well as performing and recording regularly, Rachel has taught singing for many years, and empowers her students to feel confident in their ability.

Rachel understands that music lessons should be designed specifically to fit individual student’s needs and align with their goals as a musician. She works with students, and their families to reach those goals while providing a fun and supportive experience.

Oliver Campbell

Drums

Oliver started his musical journey at BMS Academy at age 3 and has continued to play, crossing over multiple instruments. Originally learning piano before moving onto trumpet, he spent years yearning to play the drums. One day, Oliver picked up a pair of drumsticks and never looked back.

Oliver has played in several concert bands, performing at Floriade and band competitions around the ACT.

Oliver believes the best way to learn is through playing while having fun and ensures that his lessons are engaging, practical and an all round enjoyable experience week after week.

Ngaire Hosking

Early Childhood, Flute, Piano, Adult Piano Group

Ngaire is a highly respected and cherished teacher who has been with BMS Academy since 2016.

Ngaire studied in Sydney at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music gaining a Bachelor of Music and A.Mus.A before moving to Canberra.

Ngaire discovered a love of working with children and believes all children are innately musical and have the capacity to learn and enjoy music.

Ngaire has undertaken further studies in primary school education and is thrilled to teach children and adults at BMS Academy.

Michelle Klemke

Voice

Michelle has been with BMS Academy since 1994. She is an immensely talented and dedicated teacher and performer and is experienced in most genres of singing.

Michelle is a regular performer and assists backstage with many of Canberra’s wonderful amateur theatre groups such as Supa Productions, Free Rain Theatre Company, Phoenix Players, Queanbeyan Players, Canberra Philharmonic Society. She has been nominated for and awarded a number of Canberra Area Theatre awards.

Many of Michelle’s students are veteran performers, and she is constantly introducing upcoming singers to the music theatre scene. She always goes the extra mile for her students as she prepares them to meet their goals such as performances, examinations and auditions.

Matthew Tennant

Drums

Matt first picked up a pair of drumsticks at age 14, while in high school. His love for music was stoked and went on to study composition and performance at Canberra Institute of Technology.

Since then, Matt has been teaching full time. He also plays in local bands Escape Syndrome and TONK, as well as a number of small duos and trios that can regularly be heard on the club and wedding circuits.

Music and the art of drumming has been a major force in Matt’s life. He’s proud and honoured to pass his knowledge on to students all across the ACT’.

Marlēné Radice

Clarinet, Flute, Recorder, Saxophone

Marlene is a highly experienced and qualified woodwind teacher, performer and composer, specialising in notated electroacoustic composition by exploring how art and sound complement one another.

She completed a double degree in Music and Arts (Italian) at the Australian National University and Honours in Composition at Monash University

Marlene is an enthusiastic and professional teacher who genuinely loves working with people of all ages and abilities.

Kian Shayan

Piano

Kian holds a Bachelor of Music at ANU majoring in composition and performance, focusing his skills as an accomplished pianist.

He has a thorough understanding of piano and music theory, and is a friendly and compassionate teacher. He strives to cultivate and share his passion for music with his students, believing each individual requires an environment to develop their own love for music while building knowledge and skill.

John McCarthy

Guitar

John started playing the guitar when he was 12 years old and played in ‘garage bands’ with friends until he was 17. In the late 60s and early 70s, John pursued a career as a ‘rock’ guitarist before moving to performing as a solo blues and folk singer, and for a time, studied classical guitar.

John was a founding member of a Canberra based contemporary folk/country rock band which released a CD of original music, and a jazz duo (flute and guitar) which released a CD of jazz standards. He is currently a member of ‘The Mike Lyons Trio’ and ‘The Other Side’.

His performances have taken him around the globe including the Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

John believes learning to play an instrument and perform music should be an enjoyable and fun-filled experience. His passion for teaching stems from his passion for music and the pleasure he gets from passing on his knowledge to others.

Jeffery Yang

Piano, Violin

Jeffery is an accomplished musician. He has performed extensively in numerous countries and has been the concertmaster for multiple orchestras in New Zealand.

He brings a cheerful personality coupled with an optimistic outlook to provide a supportive atmosphere for his students.

Jeffery’s students improve not only their technical skill, but also their musicality and understanding of the repertoire they perform.

Janice Lai

Violin

Janice Lai is an accomplished violin player who is experienced in teaching all levels of individual students and ensembles. Janice is currently studying for a Bachelor of Arts at ANU.

Janice is an adaptable, diligent and patient teacher with an excellent understanding of musicianship and theory. She draws joy from imparting her extensive knowledge onto her students and watching the joy for music emerge.

Jadyn Wang

Piano

Jadyn has been playing the piano for more than 15 years, playing a diverse range of musical styles and genres. He is an accomplished musician and has competed and placed in the Beijing Art and Music Festival, China. He is currently studying a Masters degree at ANU.

Jadyn has experience teaching piano in China, and his warm and caring personality makes him a skilled and trusted piano teacher.

Helena Victoria

Piano, Viola, Violin

Teaching began for Helena in 1998 whilst studying piano at the University of Western Australia. She has always found teaching to be a demanding but very rewarding activity.

Helena loves the variety of teaching. She thrives on the sorts of days where one minute she’s helping a five year-old to find middle C, and the next she’s helping a mature student refine their phrasing of Beethoven’s Sonata.

She’s also proudly raising the fifth generation of pianists and violinists in her own family, with her own daughter a former proud student of BMS Academy – and loving it!

Dr. Rachel Campbell

Piano, Voice, Special Needs, Early Childhood

Dr Rachel Campbell is the Assistant Director of BMS Academy, managing the school’s 700 students and nearly 30 teaching staff. She has a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours and a PhD from the University of New England.

As well as her efforts behind the scenes, Rachel teaches voice, piano and early childhood group classes. She has a particular strength and interest in working with students with special needs.

Rachel is also the face of BMS Academy’s exciting new venture, BMS Beats – an online, streamable music program for early childhood.

Daniel (Chan-Young) Choi

Guitar, Piano

Daniel has completed Bachelor of Music at ANU. He is an accomplished pianist and guitarist. He is a caring and dedicated teacher who strives to share his love for music with his students.

Daniel brings his passion and expertise to his students at BMS Academy. His gift for music education is evident in the development of BMS Academy’s budding musicians.

Claudio Neumann

Piano

Claudio is an experienced pianist and works hard to engage his students in a caring and friendly manner.

Claudio strives to tailor his teaching to the individual needs and desires of each student to make the lessons as rewarding as possible. His goal is to ignite others with knowledge and techniques to embody their full potential as musicians.

Christine Van

Piano, Ukulele, Voice

“Be fully self expressed and curious.” – Christine Van

Christine’s passion for music started at a young age. Throughout the years, Christine has developed a love of singing through choirs, theatre and community events. For the past 10 years, Christine has been performing as a session musician at annual Filipino Embassy events, weddings and corporate functions.

Christine’s family band, The Van Dan Band, placed 3rd in Heat 4 at Canbeurovision in 2019. Christine also performs as a drag king/hyper queen, Xenon Revolution, one of the few drag performers who sings live. Xenon has performed at YesFest, Gamma.con, Xmas in July competition (1st runner up), Karaoke at Boardwalk Bar, Drag Takeover and Drag Cabaret.

Christine is committed to music education and believes music has the power to change the world and the skills learned through music are transferable and support every aspect of a person’s life.

Andrew Botha

Guitar

Andrew loves how music changes lives for the better. He holds a Bachelor of Music (Jazz guitar) from ANU. He has an interest in people and a zest for sharing his passion for all things musical.

Andrew tailors his teaching, guided by his students’ age, experience and aspirations. He engages each individual’s creativity, motivating them by instilling a love for playing music.

Alex Unikowski

Early Childhood, Piano

Alex was first introduced to his creativity and passion for music at BMS Academy when he was just four years old. He continued his musical discovery throughout his youth and then went on to study music at university.

He knows his love for music was nurtured by his time at BMS Academy, and he imparts that same joy onto his own students.

Alex wants each of his students, whether through individual lessons, or group classes to draw joy and happiness from their music, whatever role it plays in their lives.

Andrew Kimber

Clarinet, Flute, Piano, Recorder, Saxophone

Andrew is a highly-experienced musician and teacher of numerous instruments who holds a Bachelor of Music from ANU. He is also a music event production professional and artist manager.

Andrew is an exciting teacher with an infectious enthusiasm for music. He plays and teaches across multiple styles including New Orleans brass band, bebop, contemporary jazz, fusion, blues, funk and country.

Angus Ogborne

Drums

Angus holds a Bachelor of Music from ANU. After starting his drumming adventures at just 5 years old, Angus has been drumming in Canberra for more than 15 years. At high school, Angus became somewhat addicted to playing gigs and also began session drumming for bands, playing in acts such as Midnight Cinderella (2014-15), Rubyice (2015-16) and East Row Rabble (2016-17).

Angus is passionate about drum teaching. He has fond memories of his own learning and the gateway it built to pursue a professional drumming career. He focuses on developing drumming techniques, playing to various charts with accompaniment (playing in time), ability to drum with diversification (different genres and grooves) and building a respectful relationship with his students.

Ariana Odermatt

Piano

Ariana is a highly experienced musician and teacher who holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Music and German from the University of Waikato (NZ). She also has a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Music from ANU.

Ariana performs both internationally and nationally on Harpsichord and piano and teaches piano at BMS Academy and Ainslie Primary School.

Ariana loves giving the gift of music, and enjoys watching students of all ages learn and develop their confidence.

Beth Hwang

Early Childhood, Flute, Piano

Beth has been teaching with BMS Academy since 2016 as a teacher of individual lessons and early childhood groups.

Beth is a highly experienced, respected and cherished teacher. She is quick to identify the best approach to get her students to get to the next level of their musical journey. Beth is a joyous teacher who imparts a love for learning and playing music that encourages creativity in all aspects of her students’ lives.

Bronwen Mackenzie

Euphonium, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba

Bronwen Mackenzie is the Director of BMS Academy and also a highly accomplished trombone performer. She has performed throughout Australia and internationally. She holds a Master of Music at Northwestern University, Chicago, USA and a Master of Education from the University of New England.

Bronwen teaches all brass instruments and loves to share her passion and love of music with her students.