Brad Esbensen : Executive Member (Queensland), MAGA National Executive
Brad Esbensen is a Brisbane-based trumpet player, arranger, composer, copyist and educator. After graduating from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor's degree in Music Education, he spent the next few years touring Australia with a seven piece rock band backing a variety of acts such as The Drifters, Little Patti, Normie Rowe, D.J. Fontana,The Moscow Circus andThe Blues Brothers in Concept Show. He has worked in backing bands for artists such as Kenny Rogers, James Morrison, Grace Knight, Pippa Wilson, Max Miller and many others. He is currently working as musical director with Herb Armstrong and the Royal Street Krewe, performing a show paying tribute to the music of New Orleans, and the Brisbane Big Band, resident big band for the Brisbane Jazz Club. He also works regularly with local bands such as Decahedron (a 10-piece jazz group), Jeff Usher Band, Swing Chronicles, Brisbane Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Glenn Miller Tribute Band and the Queensland Pops Orchestra.
His compositions have featured regularly as test pieces for the Jazz Ensemble sections in the Australian Academy Festival of Music since 2001. Many of his compositions and arrangements have been performed with a variety of groups including the Australian All Star Youth Big Band, Queensland Youth Orchestra Big Band, Brisbane All Star Youth Big Band and the Queensland Pops Orchestra. He has been engaged as a copyist by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and various local and touring shows. He was the recipient of first place in the 1994 Perth Jazz Orchestra Composition Awards with an original arrangement of There Will Never Be Another You.
As a teacher he is currently working as an instrumental music tutor, classroom music teacher and arranger/composer for the Arts faculty at St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, Brisbane. He holds an Associate in Composition from the Australian Society of Musicology and Composition, a member of the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) and recently retired webmaster for Australian Band and Orchestra Director's Association - Queensland (ABODAQ).
Brad's work as an accomplished composer and performer may be heard in the performance of his original composition, On the Bus.
| 13 April 1992 | Joined MAGA (NSW Division/QLD Chapter) |
| 2009-2010 | National Executive Member |