Directors

Advisory Committee

Tim Munro

Tim Munro is a Brisbane-based, triple-Grammy-winning musician. He is Associate Professor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.

Tim was the flautist and co-Artistic Director of Eighth Blackbird from 2006-2015. He toured the US and internationally, premiering more than 100 works, co-curating festivals, playing as a concerto soloist, collaborating with artists and winning three Grammy Awards.

As a teacher, Tim brings students into collaborative environments, giving them agency. He has worked at music schools in more than forty American states, including the Curtis Institute, the University of Michigan, Manhattan School of Music, University of Southern California and Oberlin College. In Australia, he was the inaugural Kinnane Musician in Residence at the University of Queensland and led a two-week residency at the Australian National Academy of Music.

Tim’s playing has been called “captivating,” “bravura” and “charismatic” (The New York Times). His album, Liminal Highway, with music by Pulitzer Prize finalist Christopher Cerrone, exploited Tim’s “expansive artistry” (The Wire).

Tim lives in Brisbane with his wife Julie, an innovative theatre artist, and their son Ellis.

Paula Rae

Paula Rae is an Australian flautist, teacher, examiner and adjudicator whose career spans international performance and music education. A founding member of ELISION Ensemble, she has performed at major concert halls and festivals across Europe, Asia and Australia and recorded numerous CDs for international labels. Her work champions contemporary music through close collaboration with leading composers and performers. Formerly Associate Principal Flute with Orchestra Victoria for sixteen years, she has performed extensively with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and played with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Opera Australia Orchestra.

An accomplished teacher, Paula brings a wealth of professional experience to music education. Her extensive examining experience encompasses the University of Melbourne, VCE music and AMEB examinations. She served on the jury of the 2023 Australian International Flute Competition. As President of the Victorian Flute Guild, she promotes performance opportunities, professional development and community engagement, bringing this commitment to her Australian Flute Festival advisory role.

James Kortum

James Kortum is Lecturer in Flute at the Sydney Conservatorium.  James studied flute at DePaul University, Chicago, with Donald Peck, Principal Flute Emeritus of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and former Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra flutist, Philip Sieburg.  At the completion of his studies, James was offered the position of Principal Flute with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and has subsequently been Principal Flute with the Opera AustraliaOrchestra and Second Flute with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He has also been guest flutist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra,Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, Hunter Sinfonia and Pacific Opera Orchestra. Prior to his current position, James was Lecturer in Flute at the University of Newcastle Conservatorium of Music.

Kathryn Moorhead

Kathryn Moorhead is an Australian flautist and educator, currently teaching flute at the Elder Conservatorium of Music and freelancing with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. She was the Associate Principal Flautist of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and an Artist Teacher at the University of Auckland.

Kathryn has performed with the Melbourne, Queensland, Tasmanian and Netherlands Symphony Orchestras, the Hong Kong and Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestras, and Orchestra Victoria. As a chamber musician, she has toured with the Koru Quintet and NZTrio, and performed at festivals in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Highlights include solo recitals at the National Flute Association Convention in the USA and the Australian Flute Festival. Her recordings include Shifting Landscapes and Unearthly Music: Music by Australian Women Composers. Kathryn holds a PhD in Music from the University of Adelaide where she received the Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence.

Sonia Croucher

MCM Artistic Partner

Catherine Gregory

Australian flautist Catherine Gregory enjoys an international career as a soloist, chamber musician and educator. A recipient of the Pro Musicis International Award, she has been praised by The New York Times for her “magically mysterious” playing and “rich and fully present sound”.

Catherine has performed at Carnegie Hall, with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Camerata Pacifica, toured with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and appeared as Guest Principal Flute with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. She is Co-Artistic Director of Decoda, Carnegie Hall’s Affiliate Ensemble, whose debut recording received a 2025 GRAMMY Award nomination.

Her debut album, Vent, brings works by Schubert and Prokofiev into conversation with music by Gabriela Lena Frank, Timo Andres and David Lang. She has created Just Breathe, an artistic initiative exploring resilience through newly commissioned works.

A Fulbright Scholar and alumna of Ensemble Connect, Catherine is Senior Lecturer in Flute at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, following faculty appointments at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and The Colburn School Conservatory in Los Angeles.