// Director of Music

SQNLDR Owen Clarke enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1999. On completion of his basic military training he was posted to Air Staff as the Assistant to the Director of Music with the Central Band. He was commissioned in 2001, and in July that year was appointed Director of Music Royal New Zealand Air Force, taking up conductorship of the Central Band.

After learning the violin from a young age and playing in regional and national level orchestras as a youth, Owen began a music degree at Otago University studying violin. In 1992 he transferred to Victoria University in Wellington and completed a Bachelor of Music majoring in performance trombone. On completion of his degree he worked as a freelance musician and has played trombone with all the professional orchestras in New Zealand as well as many other musical ensembles both classical and jazz.

As a conductor Owen is involved in a range of professional, amateur, tertiary and youth level orchestras and ensembles. These include the Vector Wellington Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, NZ School of Music Orchestra, St Matthews Chamber Orchestra (Auckland) and the Wellington Chamber Orchestra, the Wellington Youth Orchestra and the NZ Secondary Schools’ Orchestra. Owen has developed his conducting in master classes, courses and private instruction in the USA, Europe and here in New Zealand. He has conducted the Auckland Philharmonia and the NZSO in master classes, and has also completed postgraduate study at Victoria University in Wellington.

Owen is passionate about music education, seeing him conducting and presenting public and education concerts with professional Orchestras throughout the country. He is the conductor of the Wellington Secondary Schools’ Symphonic Band and participates in youth music education throughout the country. These include music festivals in Blenheim, Rotorua, Auckland and Wellington. He has also acted as an adjudicator for the National Schools' Chamber Music competition and an examiner at the NZ School of Music.