Tony Hicks
Saxophones, flutes, clarinets
Tony Hicks enjoys a high profile reputation as one of Australia's most versatile woodwind artists and teachers, being equally adept on saxophones, flutes and clarinets across a broad spectrum of music genres.
He studied saxophone in Melbourne with Dr Peter Clinch, followed by further study in New York with Joe Allard and Carmine Caruso. In New York he also studied flute with Harold Bennett, and jazz improvisation and composition at the Eastman School of Music.
Since the early 1980s he has been involved in numerous jazz groups, classical and avant-guarde music ensembles, and commercial music projects including over 35 professional theatre productions, recordings for film, television and major events including AFL Grand Finals and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and live performances with international artists including Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Billy Cobham and Randy Brecker.
He has performed throughout Australia, and across Europe, the United States, Japan and China with a number of leading Australian ensembles including the Australian Art Orchestra, Elision Ensemble, and the Peter Clinch Saxophone Quartet.
Career highlights include performing classical saxophone concertos with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and jamming on-stage with Stevie Wonder and his band, and performances in Melbourne with American drumming legend Billy Cobham.
As a jazz artist he has performed and recorded with many of Australia's leading jazz figures including Paul Grabowsky, Joe Chindamo and David Jones, and lead a number of groups playing jazz standards and original music, releasing recordings and performing at local venues and major festivals.
These days, in addition to his mainstream performance activities, Tony likes to explore the boundaries of creative musical expression via improvisational collaborations with cutting-edge Australian artists such as Ren Walters, Niko Schauble, Gary Costello, Adrian Sherriff, David Tolley and Adam Simmons.
Tony is also in high demand as a teacher of both jazz and classical music, with students ranging from beginner to post-tertiary level both privately and at institutions including Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne University, NMIT and Scotch College.
The Band
- Stephen Magnusson
- Carl Dewhurst
- Alex Pertout
- Adrian Sherriff
- Lachlan Davidson
- Julien Wilson
- James Greening
- John O'Donnell
- John Rodgers
- Niko Schauble
- Paul Cutlan
- Paul Grabowsky
- Elliott Dalgleish
- Philip Rex
- Phillip Slater
- Sandy Evans
- Scott Tinkler
- Vanessa Tomlinson
- Simon Barker
- Alister Spence
- Tony Hicks
- Eugene Ball
- Erkki Veltheim
