Examiner 1300

BMus MMus PhD

Jay completed a Bachelor of Music (BMus) at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, followed by a Masters of Music (MMus) at Escola Sup. Música e das Artes do Espectáculo (ESMAE) Portugal. In 2016, he completed his Doctoral Studies in Musical Arts at Sydney University.

As an educator, Jay has held teaching positions in the United Kingdom, Venezuela and Australia. He has given masterclasses in Australia and Argentina, and he was guest tutor for two years at the Conservatorio de Musica Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela.

Jay has performed with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra (Venezuela), the Simon Bolivar Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Penrith Symphony Orchestra, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, SBS Youth Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra, Sydney Conservatorium Orchestra. He also created the Sydney Saxophone Collective and featured in bands such as ‘The Enormous Horns’ and ‘Wonderbrass’.

Dr Byrnes currently teaches and lectures in Saxophone and Music Fundamentals at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and runs the Saxophone Academy Sydney. As well as teaching and performing internationally he has conducted and tutored at many schools in the Sydney region including Sydney Grammar School.

Jay is an advocate of chamber music and has also worked extensively with new and established composers to support and promote new repertoire for the saxophone.