Bruce McComish

Bruce McComish was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Melbourne International Festival of Brass in 2005. He brought to the table a tremendous experience and expertise in the business and finance community and a love of brass, shown by his continued involvement as an administrator and player over the years in community groups around the world.

Bruce was born in New Zealand but, after graduating from University (he has degrees in Commerce, Economics, Economic History and is a chartered accountant), he worked for the international conglomerate, Unilever, in England. His ascendant career saw him posted to senior management positions with that company, and later, others, in Holland, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia.

He has been Finance Director, Managing Director and Executive General Manager of various companies and, latterly, Chief Finance Officer of the National Australia Bank. He also found time to write a book called Antilogic: Why Businesses Fail and Individuals Succeed - required reading, no doubt, for the other MIFB Board members!

While Bruce's business CV speaks for itself, he is modest about his musical achievements. He started, he says, 'in a very bad school band' in Lower Hutt, NZ, on tuba. 'I was late to first practice and all the cornets were gone!'

The high point of his career may have been playing '2nd/2nd trombone as a Territorial' in the very good Royal NZ Air Force Band at Wellington during his university days. For all his modesty though, Bruce obviously loves playing and has been drawn to community groups wherever he has been located.

While working in Holland at the Unilever Manufacturing Plant, he played in the community band at De Rijp village. The shop steward who as also a local coucillor commented publicly on how surprising and good for morale it was to see the Company Finance Director playing 1st trombone in his village band!

But this may be the key. Bruce has a lifelong passion for brass-playing and community involvement in musical groups as a way of bringing people of all ranks together. This is why he gives his support to MIFB.

Through the Trinity College Foundation at Melbourne University, Bruce has sponsored, (in addition to the established McComish Prize for Economic History), the McComish Fund for Brass Music, 'to promote the creation of new music for brass instruments, encourage composers' interest in brass music and enrich the repertoire of brass music.'

The first initiative through the fund was a carol service, with featured brass ensemble, at Trinity College and St Paul's Cathedral. This was wonderfully successful and has become an annual event.

Through this venture, Bruce was introduced to the MIFB, invited to join the Board and consequently, established, through the Trinity College Foundation, the McComish March Composition Award and the sponsorship to the 2006 Festival of the National Brass Band champions, Brisbane Exselsior. Next year, Bruce plans a composition award for The Gallipoli Symphony, a large-scale work that will link brass playing to the increasing community interest in the historical event.

The MIFB Board of Directors is made up largely of names wellknown as brass players and, mostly, nascent administrators. Bruce McComish's worldclass knowledge of finance, management, balance sheets and funding, not to mention his creativity, philanthropy and love of music, make him a most welcome addition to the team.