About Our Ozwinds Team

Bernard Alexander Sales Consultant

More details to be posted shortly -

Hugh Parsons Sales Consultant

Trumpeter Hugh is alumni of the James Morrison Academy of Music and an Honours graduate of Monash University. He has performed extensively with Morrison, including shows with Kate Ceberano, Darren Percival, Mat Jodrell, Troy Roberts and the One O'Clock Lab Band. A diversely skilled instrumentalist in jazz and commercial playing, Hugh has a wealth of knowledge of instruments and mouthpiece specifications, and finds joy in helping musicians of all levels find their ideal tools.

Mark George Store Manager

MG joined the Ozwinds team in 2017 after over a decade teaching instrumental music at various schools around Victoria. A multi-instrumentalist by trade, specialising in fretted instruments, Mark has carved a nice niche out for himself performing within the professional musical theatre scene. As a multifaceted musician, Marks skills extend beyond the performance realm, with an extensive background in sound engineering, lighting, programming and writing music for the moving image. Mark can often be found scoring for film and television encompassing both professional and personal projects.

Trav Ebert Online Sales

Trav is our online specialist sales person, striving to make your purchase experience the best he can with further support when needed from our professional in store qualified musicians and technician staff.

Mira Sales Consultant

Experimental contemporary saxophonist, Mira, is fascinated with exploring the edges of traditional classical performance. She has developed her skills as a performer, composer, teacher, and administrator through her Bachelor degree at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and has also performed abroad in Europe and Asia. Mira is the Administration Coordinator for Melbourne Saxophone, working to produce the Melbourne International Saxophone Festivals and Summer Academies. Passionate about nurturing the local artistic community through teaching and performing, Mira loves seeing the joy on customers' faces when they get their first note out on an instrument!

Ben Byrne Store Manager

What instruments do you play?

Instruments I play well enough to play in public? Saxophone

What is your musical background?

I picked up the sax because I didn’t want my parents to pay for renting a clarinet, and there was a sax in the house. Played through school, tried my hand a metal bass (which didn’t last). Went to university and did a Bachelor majoring in jazz sax. Joined a number of originals bands, most notably His Merry Men (now known as Nomika), when that band went into hiatus, I joined the corporate/wedding band scene, and here I am now.

What bands/groups do you play with?

I play for an original bands Nomika and Franky Smart, a Steely Dan Tribute band called Night by Night. I also am hired regularly by many corporate/wedding band agencies.

What musician/artist has been your favourite to play with?

Jim Lauderdale!

Who is your celebrity crush?

Saxophonist celebrity? Would have to be between Bob Reynolds, Chris Potter and Ben Wendel. Maybe it could be called Chroen Wreynter?

What are your favourite hobbies?

Favourite winery: Teusner.

Favourite Grape: Grenache

Favourite Coffee Region: Ethiopia

What is your favourite quote?

“Hello and welcome to Ozwinds Brisbane…”

Simon Ward Assistant Store Manager

What instruments do you play?

Trumpet!

What is your musical background?

Growing up/school – all classical/brass band, Uni – Jazz, Present – modern music in all its uniquely weird and wonderful styles

What bands/groups do you play with?

I regularly play for Valtozash, Signature Series, & Golden Sound

What is your favourite gig memory?

Performing on the Woodford Mainstage on New Years Eve to about 10 thousand people

If you could perform with one artist who would it be?

Tigran Hamaysan, Soil and Pimp Sessions, or sitting in an orchestra providing backing for Dream Theater

What hobbies do you have outside of music?

Lego….

What is your favourite quote?

“Squeaks today are notes tomorrow” – Rashawn Ross

Alex Hides Accounts Manager - Education & Ensembles

What instruments do you play?

Oboe/Cor Anglais & Guitar

What is your musical background?

I started playing Piano when I was 5 and then violin when I was 8. I had the opportunity to pick up the oboe as well when I started High School and also taught myself to play the guitar. I have a Bachelor of Music from the Queensland Conservatorium majoring in Oboe and a Graduate Diploma of Education from QUT.

What is your favourite gig memory?

Playing in a Queen Tribute show with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra to around 6000 people.

If you could perform with one artist who would it be?

The Oboe player in me would love to perform with Diana Doherty, but the Rocker in me would love to perform with Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

What hobbies do you have outside of music?

Mountain Biking, Cooking, Writing Music

What is your favourite quote?

‘Music is a higher revelation then all wisdom and philosophy’ – Ludwig van Beethoven

Daniel Byrne Social Media & Events Manager

What instrument(s) do you play?

Clarinet and Bass Clarinet

What is your favourite gig memory?

Getting called to play Frozen the Musical at QPAC with 6 hours notice was really exciting and fun. The most stressful sightread of my life though!

Who is your celebrity crush?

Taylor Swift for sure. Her music always hits my core.

What hobbies do you have outside of music?

Bouldering, finding the best specialty coffee in the city, and a cheeky game of Rocket League.

Drew Niemeyer Small Woodwinds Technician

Over the years Drew has travelled the globe expanding his technicians knowledge at numerous factories, including Marigaux, Rigout, Sankyo and Buffet. Drew specialises in smaller woodwinds, particularly oboe, clarinet and flute.

Tanya Campbell Woodwind & Brass Technician

What instrument(s) do you play?

Bassoon – Is there really any other option?!

What age did you start playing?

16 – When you still had to read music from sheets of paper.

What is your musical background?

QLD Con graduate (BMUS music), Newark and Sherwood College graduate (repair)

What is your favourite gig memory?

Playing in the pit orchestra of 42nd street and the percussionist got a little creative with his timpani and a found maniquin. The conductor just did not know where to look.

What hobbies do you have outside of music?

I am a magic reed dust applicator for Bassoon Factory. I enjoy Kayaking, gardening and I basically own a zoo.  

What is your favourite quote?

“The bassoon is one of my favourite instruments. It has a medieval aroma, like the days when everything used to sound like that. Some people crave baseball...I find this unfathomable, but I can easily understand why a person could get excited about playing the bassoon.”  Frank Zappa

Sasha Thiedeke Bassoon Specialist

What instrument(s) do you play?

Bassoon and Flute!

What age did you start playing?

10 years old for Flute and 15/16 years old for Bassoon.

What is your favourite gig memory?

Ohh, I have a fond memory of playing Appalachian Spring with two other fabulous wind players, Phoebe Bognar and Jarrad Linke in some tiny town up north and being absolutely hysterical - partly with exhaustion and partly because we found these funny costumes to dress up in and do some sort of photoshoot with. It certainly helped brighten up a long night and pass the time we weren’t on stage for.

If you could perform with one artist who would it be?

Rebekah Heller. Absolutely fascinating person!

What hobbies do you have outside of music?

I’m quite immersed in visual art, and I also enjoy aquarium keeping, gardening and the occasional woodworking project. I also enjoy bouldering and multi day hiking, I completed the Overland Track + Pine Valley in 9 days in April.

Aichlinn Huang-Ryan Oboe Specialist

What instrument(s) do you play?

I majored on Oboe at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

What age did you start playing?

I started playing flute in grade 5, but oboe in grade 7.

What is your musical background?

I was lucky enough to have great music teachers my whole life. I was playing flute in Bundaberg Youth Orchestra and Barry Davis gave me an oboe reed and I was hooked. At school I always played flute and was lucky enough to have a great band teacher that taught me as many instruments as I was willing to play. I’m a fully qualified instrumental music teacher and I’ve been teaching multi full time for the last 3 years. I now am teaching privately and enjoying for time for my own practice and playing.

What is your favourite gig memory?

Playing with our Quintet Aquillo and recording the Neilson Wing Quintet for 4MBS.

What hobbies do you have outside of music?

CLIMBING. Okay, but anything outside. Canyoning, climbing - lead (sport) and bouldering are my favourites.

Curtis Scibilia Trumpet Specialist

What instrument(s) do you play?

Trumpet and Piano

What age did you start playing?

I started playing when I was 8!

What is your musical background?

My first year of university was on Classical trumpet, I then moved to Jazz Trumpet and completed my Bachelor of Music. Recently, I've found myself among the roots scene playing in original groups, and in the commercial scene playing cover gigs.

What bands/groups do you play with?

Kurilpa Reach and Fat Picnic. I've also done session work with bands including Peach Fur and First Beige

What is your favourite gig memory?

Playing over the New Years countdown at Woodford Folk Festival with Fat Picnic

What is your favourite quote?

“Some days you get up and put the horn to your chops and it sounds pretty good and you win. Some days you try and nothing works and the horn wins. This goes on and on and then you die and the horn wins.” - Dizzy Gillespie

Monique Matthews Woodwind Repair Apprentice

Monique's Info Coming Soon...

Hayden Mears Brasswind Repair Apprentice

Hayden's Info Coming Soon...

Karen Hood Sales Consultant and Accounts

Learnt Piano & Guitar at an early age. Has administrated the Gold Coast Shop since 2002. Specialises in Print Music

Rob Rota Sales and Brass and Woodwind Technician

Since starting clarinet at 11, Rob played in small ensembles until his late teens and composed & recorded popular music. He began studying Brass & Woodwind repairs in late 1999. Since January 2000, Rob has owned and now manages the Ozwinds Gold Coast store.