Our Team

Evan Jenkin – Director of Music

Michael Purtle – Concert Bands, Stage Band, Brass Tutor

Michael Purtle graduated from QUT with a double degree in Music and Education in 2007.  Whilst there he was the Principal Trombone of the Big Band, Principal Trombone and Euphonium of the Wind Symphony and also conducted the Wind Symphony on occasions.  Since then he has been working as the Music Coordinator at Park Ridge SHS.  Michael has toured to Japan, England, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Solomon Islands with his music and currently plays with Brisbane XLCR Brass Band. Michael is the current conductor of Windsor Brass, the top B grade brass band in Brisbane.  Lately Michael has been recognised by being nominated for a Pride of Australia medal for inspiration, receiving an ASH Inspirational Teaching Award under the auspices of NEiTA and also was named as the Logan West Leader’s My Favourite Teacher.  Michael’s extremely passionate about teaching music and hopes to inspire young students to take up music at every opportunity.

Lee Norrell – Concert Bands and Woodwind Tutor

Lee Norrell is a native of the Mid-west of the United States.  He immigrated to Australia in 1991 to work for Education Queensland.  He is currently the woodwind teacher at MacGregor State High School and MacGregor Primary.  As part of his teaching duties he conducts 4 ensembles with those schools.  As a flautist, Lee has studied with Alta Collins, Albert Tipton, George Pope, Frances Shelley and Wissam Boustany.  He has performed in master’s classes with Jeanne Baxtresser.  

While in the US Lee played with several orchestras, and chamber groups, in Brisbane he is currently playing principal flute with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra, and 2nd flute/piccolo with the Queensland Pops Orchestra. He has been a soloist with both orchestras on several occasions. He has performed over 25 solo recitals. In 2010 he gave a recital to celebrate forty years of flute playing.  2011 saw him performing in recital for the Branson Missouri Arts Council. 

Lee has been a guest conductor and adjudicator with many groups in Queensland.  In his spare time he has been the musical director for many community musicals.  He is the founding conductor of the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts from the School of the Ozarks and a Masters’ Degree from the University of Akron.   He has attended the Aspen Festival of Music and his education qualifications were gained at Emporia State University. 

The College of the Ozarks, the Branson community and the Branson Presbyterian Church hold a special place in Lee’s life because of the opportunities given to him and the generosity shown him by so many. 

Jared Proellocks – Concert Bands and Lower Brass Tutor

Jared Proellocks completed his Bachelor of Music – majoring in performance – from QUT in 2010, and is currently studying his Graduate Diploma in Education. He currently teaches Brass at Mount Gravatt High School, tutors brass at various school workshops and camps, and teaches private students. He is also actively involved in community music camps, including conducting and tutoring at Bel Canto Music, and the Queensland Performing Arts School. Over the years he has played tuba and bass trombone for many ensembles, including the Queensland Medical School Orchestra, QUT Big Band, Redlands Big Band, Brisbane Symphony, Wellington South Band, Windsor Brass, and five times (including current) national brass band champions Brisbane Excelsior.

Jared has also conducted many ensembles, such as the Carina Youth Band, QUT Wind Symphony, Gold Coast Band, QPAS Big Band, and is currently deputy bandmaster of the Carindale Salvation Army Band. In his spare time he enjoys composing and arranging music, and his music can be heard by bands in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Rockhampton, Maryborough, Wellington (NZ), Hamilton (NZ), and Christchurch (NZ).

Helen Lowe – Concert Band C, Flute Tutor

Helen graduated from the Qld Conservatorium of Music in 1995 with a Bachelor Of Arts – Music degree, majoring in Flute and Baroque Flute, and in 2005 with a Graduate Diploma of Music in Instrumental Teaching.  She has been teaching Instrumental Music in Brisbane schools for 15 years, and is currently at Sunnybank Hills SS, Sunnybank SS and Sunnybank SHS four days a week.  She also teaches at Scots PGC College, Warwick, for a half day a week.  In 2007, she was nominated by St Peter’s Primary School for a National Award Of Excellence in Music Education through the Australian Society of Music Education.  Helen teaches privately, and rehearses and performs regularly at weddings and functions with two musical groups – “Celtic Raven” (Flute & Harp) and “The Cantare Duo” (Flute & Guitar).  Her weekends are spent at her property South-West of Brisbane absorbing the fresh country air.              

Diane Heine – Strings Ensemble

Diane Heine is a graduate of the QLD Conservatorium of Music, having completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Music. She worked for many years as a private violin, viola and piano teacher and performed regularly with the Serenata Trio and as a freelance musician at wedding and corporate and private functions. After the birth of her daughter, Diane has concentrated on work in the Logan/Albert districts as an Instrumental Instructor with EQ. She is currently developing a ‘Programme of Excellence’ at Shailer Park SHS which includes holding ‘Days of Excellence’ and various camps, tours and motivational lectures which primary school students are invited. Future goals include tutoring an electric string quartet and developing a middle school string concept.

Paul Freer - Percussion Tutor

Paul has worked with four of the major Orchestras in Australia and five international Ballet Dance Companies as a percussionist. Paul served in the Northern Command Band of the Australian Regular Army and conducted 2/14 Light Horse Regimental Band for six years. Paul has been a valued member of Bel Canto over the last decade.

Tegan Allen - Woodwind Tutor

Tegan Allen is a saxophonist who completed a Bachelor of Music through USQ in 2009. Tegan also plays clarinet and flute and has performed in many operas, musicals, and jazz bands performing with such artists as Kate Cebrano and Rhonda Burchmore. She has also toured to Taiwan with the Logan Youth Music Exchange, was awarded her AmusA in 2009 and is preparing to complete her teaching in 2010.

Frank Fodor - Strings Ensembles

Having completed his masters in performance at the University of Queensland in 2008, Frank now works full time for Education Queensland as a Specialists Instrumental Instructor primarily in the Logan district. He is also an active member in the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, and is about to complete his Graduate Diploma in Music Studies at Griffith University.

Cara Taggart - Strings Ensembles

Cara has completed a Bachelor degree from the University of Queensland in music and a Graduate Diploma of Education.  She is currently working towards a Master in Music (Instrumental Pedagogy).  Cara is currently working for Education Queensland teaching strings in the South Brisbane region.  She is currently developing the string program at Faith Lutheran College.

Julie Schmidt - Strings Tutor

Julie is in her fourth year of a dual degree course in Music and Education, studying at the University of Queensland. She is currently studying the violin with Stephen Chin. Julie teaches violin to young students in her local area, and is involved in community ensembles.

CJ Nash - Percussion Tutor

CJ is currently studying at the Griffith Conservatorium of Music, studying a Bachelor of Music, majoring on Classical Percussion. Some of his highlights include winning the New Zealand A Grade Brass Band Championships and the state championships with Windsor Brass, and also travelling to China and Japan with the Logan Youth Music Exchange. Cj has also worked with the BAMS Theatre Group in Beaudesert, with the Beaudesert State High School Stage Band, and various jazz and percussion ensembles. He hopes in the future to play in an American Drum Corp, and become a world renowned percussionist.

Carly Glindemann - Strings Tutor

After attending Bel Canto for many years as a student, this is Carly’s second camp returning as a string tutor.  Carly has recently completed her third year of uni, studying music and education at UQ, and is currently preparing for a summer course specialising in secondary music education.   Outside of uni, Carly teaches violin and piano privately and is also involved in the Kodaly Community Choir and So-la Voce chamber choir, with whom she will travel to England and Europe next July to compete in a choir festival in Switzerland.  Carly also performs at numerous weddings and functions as part of a string quartet, and is a member of the local up-and-coming Indie band Fasttrak Euphoria, who has recently played in Brisbane venues such as the Globe Theatre, the Hi Fi and the Zoo.