ANJO Youth CO-Artistic Director

Combining cinematic sweep, transportive emotion, and rich melodic grandeur, Australian-born trumpeter/composer Nadje Noordhuis possesses one of the most unforgettably lyrical voices in modern music. Her deeply-felt, clarion tone and evocative compositional gift meld classical rigor, jazz expression, and world music accents into a sound that is distinctively her own. Noordhuis was one of ten semi-finalists in the 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition and was selected as a Carnegie Hall Young Artist to undertake a weeklong residency with trumpet great Dave Douglas in 2010. Recent engagements include a yearly week-long run at New York's Village Vanguard with Rudy Royston's 303, performances with the Grammy-winning Maria Schneider Orchestra, performances at jazz festivals in Europe, Canada and Brazil with Grammy-nominated Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, and regular appearances with her group at the historic 55 Bar in Greenwich Village.

ANJO Artistic Director

Educator, Saxophonist, Festival Director, Bandleader, Conductor, Composer and Jazz protagonist, David Theak has enjoyed an exciting and dynamic career at the core of the Australian jazz scene since the mid 1990’s. Motivated, inspired, dedicated and diligent, David cares deeply about music, the music scene and his musical peers. David’s relentless work ethic and commitment to excellence have made him a valuable addition to a variety of educational, musical and non-cultural scenarios.

As Artistic Director of Australia’s most internationally recognised jazz orchestra, The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra, David collaborated, performed and recorded with a who’s who of international and domestic artists including but not limited to:- Maria Schneider, Chris Potter, Darcy James Argue, Jim McNeely, Alex Sipiagin, Bob Sheppard, Mike Nock, Bert Joris, Florian Ross, Ed Partyka, Charles Tolliver, John Hollenbeck, Theo Bleckmann, Dave Lisik, Will Vinson/Steve Newcomb, Kristin Berardi, Dave Panichi, Sean Wayland, Jef Neve, and Quinsin Nachoff.

In 2017, David formed the Australian National Jazz Orchestra and is currently Program Leader of the Jazz Studies Course at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Artistic Director of the Sydney Conservatorium International Jazz Festival.

David is a D’Addario woodwind artist

ANJO Youth Co-Artistic Director

Mace Francis is a passionate advocate of original Australian large ensemble jazz music, forming his own 14-piece ensemble in 2005 – the Mace Francis Orchestra (MFO). MFO have recorded 6 CDs, toured nationally four times and performed with international artists Jim Pugh (USA), Jon Gordon (NY), John Hollenbeck (NY), Satoko Fujii (JAP), Ed Partyka (GER) and Theo Bleckmann (NY). For his compositions Mace has been awarded an APRA Professional Development Award, the Italian international composition prize, "Scrivere in Jazz", was a finalist in the 2010 Freedman Jazz Fellowship, nominated for an Australian Bell Award (2013 & 2016) and was the 2015 winner of the APRA Jazz Work of the Year. Mace has worked as guest composer and conductor with l’Orcehstre des Jeunes Jazzmen de Bourgogne (France), the Graz Composers Ensemble (Austria) and the Showa University of Music Big Band (Japan). Mace currently works as the artistic director of the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra and has recently completed a PhD exploring site-specific composition of which he received the 2015 Faculty Research Medal.

ANJO Youth Education Consultant

Toshi Clinch is a renowned Australian composer and bassist. His arrangements have been performed around the globe including the United States, Asia, Europe and Australia, by performers such as Yo-Yo Ma, Dick Oatts, James Morrison, Danilo Perez, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey Big Band, and finalists from both X Factor and Australian Idol. As a bassist he has performed alongside Ed Soph, Dick Oatts, Richard DeRosa, Vincent Gardner, Pat Coil, Tanya Darby, Jose Aponte and many more.

In 2016, Clinch graduated from the prestigious University of North Texas with a degree in Jazz Arranging. While there he studied under Grammy-nominated composer Richard DeRosa, and Grammy award winning bassist Lynn Seaton. Shortly after he began performing for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and recorded his debut album "Vesuvius".

Currently Clinch is heavily in demand across the world as an arranger, and is the creator and co-director of Jazz Melbourne.