We are delighted to announce that Tom Davoren and Mark Ford are the chief adjudicators for the 2023 National Contest in Dunedin.

Tom Davoren (b.1986) is a conductor and composer with a growing international reputation. Tom began his conducting career with the BTM Band from South Wales and has since held positions with Britain's famous Desford Colliery and Fairey Bands, as well as Bristol's Filton Concert Brass, with whom he won a National Brass Band Championship in 2014. He directed Maidstone Wind Symphony to British National Concert Band Championship honours in 2015, served as conductor to the National Youth Brass Band of Wales in 2016, and has appeared as a guest conductor in Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada. He taught the conducting course and directed bands at the University of Salford from 2015 - 2019.

As a composer, Tom's music for band has been premiered, recorded, and commissioned by artists, including 'The President's Own' United States Marine Band, Central Band of the Royal Air Force, Brass Band of Battle Creek, Cory Band, Jens Lindemann, Steven Mead, Hiram Diaz, and Glenn Van Looy. In 2015 and 2016, he was Associate Composer to the Belgian ensemble Brassband Buizingen. He became Composer in Residence with the Band of the Welsh Guards, of the Household Division of the Royal Corps of Army Music, in 2019.

Tom studied tuba with Nigel Seaman at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in composition from Cardiff University School of Music. He was a BASCA British Composer Award nominee in 2011, a prize winner at the EBBA European Composers Competition 2012, recipient of the Harvey Phillips Award for excellence in composition, presented by the International Tuba Euphonium Association in 2014, and winner of the American National Band Association 'Merrill Jones' Composition Contest in 2020 for his work, 'A Midwestern Suite.

In 2021, Tom was appointed Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Benedictine College, a private liberal arts college in central Kansas. He currently lives in Lawrence, Kansas, where he also directs the Free State Brass Band. In 2022 Tom completed a Doctoral degree in Wind Conducting, working at the University of Kansas, USA, with Dr. Paul Popiel.

Joining Tom in the hot seat is Mark Ford from Melbourne, Australia.

Widely known as an energetic, innovative and passionate educator and musician with vision and flair, Mark has considerable experience as a performer, conductor, adjudicator and educator.

Mark has been a dedicated music teacher in Victorian schools for 25 years and is currently employed at St Leonard's College, Brighton East. His previous positions were as Head of Bands and Head of Brass at Wesley College Melbourne and Director of Music of a large music department at Mowbray College in Melbourne's West. An earlier teaching appointment was as Head of Brass and Head of Bands at Westbourne Grammar School before joining the Royal Australian Navy – Melbourne Detachment as a full-time professional musician on euphonium and trombone in 2001, a position he held for five years. During this time he was commissioned as an officer, in 2004.

Mark is an internationally renowned conductor of bands. He was Principal Conductor with Kew Band Melbourne, one of Australasia's premier bands for 16 years, winning Australian National A Grade Championship titles in 1998, 2000 and 2011. In 2009, Mark directed Kew Band Melbourne to its first Australasian Open Championship title. He was appointed conductor of the National Band of Australia for its 2001 and 2004 Seasons. In 2008, Mark was awarded Life Membership of the Victorian Bands' League for his years of service to the community in performing, conducting and adjudicating brass and concert bands throughout Australia at all levels. Then in 2018, Mark was awarded the prestigious 'Frank Wright Medal' by the Royal South Street Society and Victorian Bands' League for his services to music as a conductor, composer, teacher and mentor.