Our tutor team is confirmed!
International Jazz summer school
Based on the critically acclaimed international jazz summer school, our tutors have over 30 years of experience, now collaborating with the very best of Australian Jazz tutors!
Julian Siegel
Julian Siegel is a BBC jazz award-winning saxophonist on the UK and European jazz scene. His current bands are the Julian Siegel Quartet featuring pianist Liam Noble, bassist Oli Hayhurst and drummer Gene Calderazzo and Partisans whom he co leads with NYC based guitarist Phil Robson.
Simon Purcell
Although best known as an educator, since the mid 1980s, Simon has performed with amongst others Red Rodney, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Henderson, Martin Taylor, Stan Sulzman, Jean Toussaint and Julian Arguelles. His current band “Red Circle” features Julian Siegel, Chris Batchelor, Steve Watts and Gene Calderazzo, recently appearing opposite Archie Shepp at the EFG London Jazz Festival.
Michelle nicolle
Bell Award (2017), Mo Award 2001, 2003 & 2004, National Jazz Award (1998) winner and A.R.I.A Finalist in 2001, 2004, and 2009 Michelle Nicolle is celebrated as one of Australia's finest female jazz singers. Known for her ability to get right to the heart of a song, as well as being an in the moment improviser Michelle has released 9 CDs and toured extensively Australia and internationally including Tokyo Jazz Festival, Jarasum Jazz Festival (Korea), North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Asia Pacific Festival (Russia), Prague Jazz Festival, Sidebar, (New Orleans), Kulak’s Woodshed (LA), The Blue Building (NYC). She has performed with Kurt Elling and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and in Aug/Sep of 2023 will be singing with Wynton Marsalis’ JLCO and the MSO and the SSO’s “All Rise”.
Ronny Ferella
Over the last 20 plus years drummer, composer and educator Ronny Ferella has become an important figure in the Melbourne music community. Highly respected as a performer bandleader & educator he has also become an active organiser and champion of live music in community spaces. Since moving to Melbourne from Adelaide in 1995 Ronny has regularly performed in the jazz, blues and experimental music scene with many of Australia’s leading performers. He is an in demand sideman and very experienced band leader and concert organiser. His performances take him all over the world but much of his activity is in his local community of Brunswick where he performs with his own groups and mentors up and coming young musicians.
Ben Robertson
Based in Melbourne, Australia.
VCA graduate, bassist Ben Robertson has developed a reputation for musical excellence and inventiveness in a wide variety of musical settings, with recording studio credits of over 60 jazz and commercial CD releases and performing experience with well-known Australian performers (Vince Jones, James Morrison, Tony Gould) and international artists (Lee Konitz, Barbara Cooke, Warren Vache, Mark Murphy).
He is a harmonic and listening musician, a great asset to an ensemble as both an improvising soloist and spontaneous arranger. He is also highly regarded as a teacher, with vast experience in secondary and tertiary environments.
