Mr James Brice OAM
B. Ed (Music), L. Mus A, A. Mus A.
Musical & Artistic Director: Castle Hill RSL Youth Wind Orchestra (YWO) and North West Wind Ensemble (NWWE)
Head of Performing Arts K-12 - Knox Grammar School, Sydney
AMEB NSW Brass Examiner
Life Member of the Band Association of NSW
2021 Hills Shire Council ‘Citizen of the Year’
James Brice OAM has 36 years extensive professional teaching, conducting, performing, examining, strategic and personnel management, together with Regional, State and National adjudicating experience. Since his appointment in 2005, James has served as Musical and Artistic Director of the Castle Hill RSL North West Wind Ensemble and Youth Wind Orchestra, contributing significantly to the development of both ensembles and their role within the local community.
James is currently employed at the Knox Grammar School as the Head of the Knox Academy of Performing Arts K-12, leading a team of 45 dynamic and highly experienced Australian educators and tutors, involving 700+ boys, for which he has built since his appointment in 2007. Since his appointments, James has led the Castle Hill Wind Orchestras and the Knox Grammar School Bands & Orchestras to 84 NSW State and National Championship performances, together with over 60 Award placements in the annual Sydney Eisteddfod featuring ands, Orchestras, Stage Bands and associated ensembles. Furthermore, in the 2021 Australian National Online Festival of Bands, James’ community bands received 8 GOLD and 4 PLATINUM Awards.
James’ professional performance career includes eleven years as Principal Euphonium, Trombone and Tubist with the R.A.A.F. Air Command Band - Sydney (1996-2007). He commenced his musical journey on euphonium in Melbourne, initially through the school band program in 1984, and more extensively through the Victorian Bands League (VBL) Brass Band scene throughout 1986-1995. In addition, James was appointed Musical Director of the Moorabbin City Band (1992-95), following his initial appointments as Assistant MD with Brighton Municipal Band in 1988, and Melbourne Transit Band in 1991-93. As a soloist during these years, James was fortunate to win Victorian Junior Euphonium & Baritone State titles in 1988-89 and the Australian National Open Euphonium championship in 1993 in Launceston.
During his tertiary years (1990-93), James majored in Music Education, Performance and Conducting, where he was fortunate to study conducting with Lt. Col Barry Bignell. Also, during these years, James was successful in receiving his Associate of Music Australia – A Mus A with distinction in 1993, prior to successfully submitting and attaining his Licentiate Diploma – L Mus A, as Australia’s first euphonium candidate in 1994. James also attained his A Mus A on Tuba in 1998.
Abroad, James has led, co-ordinated and showcased the Knox Grammar School Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Knox Symphony Orchestra and the Castle Hill RSL Youth Wind Orchestra on seven separate international performance tours, including a European Tour to Salzburg, Vienna, Hodonin and the Czech Republic (2009), two USA Tours to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego (2010 & 2012), has toured China with performances of ‘original orchestral literature’ in many of China’s most prestigious Concert Halls and Universities in Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Hong Kong (2015), toured the North and South Islands of New Zealand in December 2016, and has led an 8 concert performance tour to Spain and Portugal in December 2018. Furthermore, in December 2023, James proudly showcased the Knox Symphony Orchestra on their European Tour to Croatia, Slovenia and Italy, with performances in the Croatian National Theatre as part of the Zagreb City Advent Festivities, an invitation to perform in the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb in conjunction with Australian Ambassador to Croatia, travelled by private train, 2km underground into the Postonjna Caves (Slovenia) Concert Hall to record a ‘live streamed digital concert’, together with a feature concert in S. Maria della Pieta in Venice, and Final Tour Farewell Concert at the Chapel of St Peter Chanel at Domus Australia.
James has performed, conducted and produced many recordings of note, inclusive of his solo CD, ‘Symphonic Variants for Euphonium’, recitals for 2MBS FM, together with two professional international CD releases ‘Wild Nights’ and ‘No Strings Attached!’ with the North West Wind Ensemble, generously assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts. Further to this, in recent years, James has successfully attained synchronisation/distribution rights for the release of many large-scale recording projects featuring the Knox Grammar School’s extensive Band and Orchestral Program, Castle Hill RSL Youth Wind Orchestra and North West Wind Ensemble throughout 2008-2026.
James is currently the NSW Band Association Chair of NSW Music Advisory Board, having been a member of this team since 2007, with responsibilities in selecting State & National Syllabus selections for bands and soloists. He has written pedagogical feature articles on Adjudication, Recruitment and Retention, Australian Repertoire, and in 2022, James initiated ‘Australian Sounds 2022’ – A Spotlight on Australian Composers, presenting a live and digital concert, showcasing nine Australian Works for Wind Orchestra, inclusive of three World Premiere performances.
In 2023 and again in 2025, ‘Australian Sounds’ explored further opportunities to Showcase Australian Publishers (2023) and composers, focusing attention on the music graded 0.5 to level 5.0 repertoire, the largest portfolio of music composed for developing, aspiring and highly experienced ensembles. In 2025, the new additional chapter of ‘Youthful Voices 2025’ was created in showcasing the compositional voices of our newest, youngest emerging Australian Composers.
James was also appointed Musical Director of the NSW State Youth Concert Band in 2012 and has been a seasonal guest conductor with the Monash University Wind Symphony throughout 2012-2017. James is also a Brass Examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board – AMEB NSW, joining the team in 2017.
In October 2019, James served as a guest international clinician working with Students, Band Directors and School Executive Staff in Shenzhen, Beijing, Wuhan & Zhengzhou
In 2020, James was proudly awarded ‘Life Membership’ of the Band Association of NSW for his distinguished service, professional and voluntary commitment to the NSW Band movement over many years.
In 2021 James was awarded the Hills Shire Council ‘Citizen of the Year Award’ as part of our 2021 Australia Day Awards, being recognised for his exceptional commitment to community music education, performance, well-being and community connection through the pandemic, by creating and providing interactive online rehearsals, innovative rehearsal and motivational strategies for the members of both the Castle Hill RSL Youth Wind Orchestra and North West Wind Ensemble in creating and producing collaborative ‘Audio Visual - AV Isolation Recordings’ performances on the ‘world stage’ throughout April to December 2020.
Finally, on the 26th January 2022, James was exceptionally grateful and immensely humbled to have been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to Music Education and Performance, an honour for which he is tremendously proud to have received.