Artistic Staff

BMus, GradDipEd, LMusA, FTCL. 

Artistic & Administrative Director

Andrew began his musical training as a boy chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne at the age of seven. He began piano lessons, and later studied the organ under Dr June Nixon and John O’Donnell. His piano teachers included Margaret Schofield and Mack Jost. After finishing school he went on to Melbourne University where he studied piano, organ, composition and voice. Andrew worked as a freelance soloist, teacher and keyboard player for several years, including three years as principal guest organist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He held the positions of Organist and Choirmaster at St John’s Church, Toorak and Camberwell Presbyterian Church, and in 1994 was appointed Choral Director and Head of Keyboard at Scotch College in Hawthorn, and Acting Musical Director of The Tudor Choristers.

In 2005 Andrew moved to Hobart where he worked as a teacher at several schools. He held the positions of Organist and Director of Music at each of the Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals, and was Assistant Chorusmaster of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Chorus for nearly 10 years, repetiteur for five years, and an occasional keyboard and continuo player. He was accompanist of the Australian Rosny Children’s Choir  and Accompanist and Assistant Director of the UTAS Conservatorium Vocal Ensemble. For 10 years he was Musical Director of the Tasmanian Youth Choirs, and founding Musical Director of Tasmania’s leading chamber choir, Allegri Ensemble, from 2013. He also performed on several occasions as a continuo player with Van Diemen’s Band, Tasmania’s world-renowned Baroque chamber orchestra.

Andrew returned to Melbourne in April 2019 to take up his appointment as Artistic & Administrative Director of the National Boys’ Choir of Australia.

BMusEd

Director of Training Choirs

A graduate of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Jacquie holds degrees in both Music (Classical Voice) and Education. With over 35 years of experience, she is a passionate and respected music educator who has inspired generations of young musicians across Australia. Her extensive repertoire knowledge and dedication to fostering musicianship, confidence, and a love of singing have made a lasting impact.

Jacquie has held music coordinator roles at Camberwell Grammar, Glamorgan (Geelong Grammar), PLC, and since 2008, at Tintern Grammar as Boys Music Coordinator. She also worked with various boys’ choirs and was a beloved tutor with the Australian Girls’ Choir for over two decades.

She has directed countless choral concerts, musicals, and school events, earning recognition for her creativity and leadership. With a background in musical theatre, she brings artistic flair and heartfelt mentorship to her work.

Jacquie began her career by founding early childhood music classes and has taught in Gifted and Talented Programs at the Victorian College of the Arts and several Melbourne primary schools.

Outside of teaching, she enjoys sewing costumes, creating props, swimming, beach time, and her family—especially her new grandson.

Jacquie is the new Director of Training Choirs at NBCA (July 2025) and is very excited to bring her experience, creativity and warmth, guiding the next generation of choristers. 

BMus (Hons)

Senior  Accompanist

Jane is an accomplished and versatile Melbourne-based pianist. She completed B-MUS(Piano)/BA(French/Linguistics) at The University of Melbourne and has studied further as a répétiteur with The Opera Studio Melbourne and The Centre for Opera Studies in Italy. 

Jane has been a répétiteur/performer with Opera Australia, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra chorus, Melbourne Opera, Victorian Opera, Gertrude Opera and Lyric Opera. She has toured in China several times with the Australian International Opera Company. 

Jane has extensive experience as a performer and accompanist, chamber musician, educator and entertainer. She has been the organist at the Immaculate Conception Church in Hawthorn for 20 years. She regularly plays for musical theatre companies and cabarets and has worked as a cocktail pianist for Norwegian Cruise Lines. 

Jane has been awarded scholarships which have allowed her to pursue her love of languages and the opera repertoire in France, Italy and Germany.

Jane is the Senior Accompanist for the National Boys Choir, a role she greatly enjoys. She loves the choral tradition and the joy of young voices joining together and training in this life-enriching skill and practice. 

BMus (Hons)

YMC Accompanist

 American born Australian Reuben Johnson has repeatedly proved himself as a versatile and sensitive musician in both collaborative and solo endeavours. In 2024, Reuben graduated from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), studying with Timothy Young. In 2021, Reuben graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University with a Bachelor of Music, under the tutelage of Oleg Stepanov.

Reuben has consistently won awards from national and international events. These include; the Ursala Hoff award for the best performance of a classical work in an ANAM recital (2022), the Minnie May Bussey and Concerto competitions at QCGU (2021), as well as the award for most promising audition in 2019. In 2020, Reuben was awarded first prize in the university category of the Bolder Bach Festival’s Online Bach Competition, an international competition held during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was the only Australian prize-winner. Recent concert highlights include soloist appearances with Queensland Conservatorium (2021) and Melbourne Youth (2023) Orchestra's, keyboard in Victorian Opera’s Production of Strauss’ Capriccio conducted by Simone Young AO (2023), and a concert tour of Japan with the National Boys Choir of Australia (2024).

Singing, and particularly choral singing has been an equally important part of Reuben’s musical life. In his youth, Reuben was a part of several Children’s choirs and opera productions, directed by the likes of Betty Bertaux and Placido Domingo. Reuben was a choral scholar at the Cathedral of St. Stephen’s, Brisbane in 2020 and 2021. As well as his work with the NBCA, Reuben has also accompanied the Melbourne University Choral Society, and is currently the organist for the choir at Newman College, Melbourne. 

BMus (flute)

Performing and Training Choir Tutor

Sam has been teaching music to students in primary school for the past 15 years. Her focus on the Kodaly method of teaching has provided many students with a love and appreciation of music over this time. Her experience covers Government, Catholic and Independent schools. 

Sam’s music speciality is playing the flute, sometimes seen performing with the boys on stage at concerts and on tour. She is involved in the Victorian Flute Ensemble, which performs at various events around Melbourne.

B. Mus (Hons), M. Teach

Training Choirs Accompanist

Ben is a musician and educator who has been accompanist to the Elementary and Junior Choirs since 2015. He occasionally moonlights with the Young Men's Chorus and has traveled with the Performing Choir on tours around Australia. Ben loves helping our youngest choristers during their two years in the Training Choir program, as they build their skills and transform from a gaggle of solo voices into a true ensemble who blend with beautiful tone.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours and a Master of Teaching. Aside from his role with the choir, he works as a performing musician, piano teacher, arts administrator and music theatre MD. He is a classroom music teacher at Tintern Grammar, where he teaches middle school music, accompanies choirs and directs a stage band. As Director of Music at 3d Arts Company, Ben oversees 3d Arts' choir program, trains music teaching staff, teaches music theatre classes, and serves on the company's board. He also composes music for theatre, including several children's musicals which have been performed by 3d Arts' students and in schools throughout Victoria. a Bachelor of Music with Honours at Monash University, studying piano under Darryl Coote. Aside from his position with the Choir, Ben works as a performing musician, piano teacher and freelance accompanist.   As a vocalist, Ben performs as a member of Gian Slater’s ‘Invenio’ – an improvising choir whose recent work includes collaborating on Barney McAll’s ARIA award nominated album, ‘Graft’.

Ben also works as a dramatist, teacher and composer with 3dArts Company, a not-for-profit arts company providing school and community performing arts classes, and staging theatre and dance productions. Recent on-stage roles have included those in The Importance of Being Earnest, and The 39 Steps.

Wardrobe Manager 

Maddy has been responsible for dressing the casts of Musicals, Operas, and Theatre productions across the country and we are proud to have her as part of our team. Her expertise and experience ensure choristers always step onto both the street and stage looking immaculate. 

In addition to her broader theatrical work, Maddy works closely with the National Boys Choir of Australia, overseeing the choristers’ uniforms and costuming with care, precision, and a deep understanding of performance presentation.