Here we find out more about Jonathan, what began his love of music and his background in composition:

JONATHAN Billingham is a musician and composer from the Manning Valley.

While currently living in Beecroft, Sydney, he retains strong links with Taree, which he still thinks of as home and often visits to spend time with family.

His parents, David and Kim Billingham, who are musicians themselves, introduced Jonathan to music at an early age.

Being too young for school but too restless not to be challenged by some academic pursuit, they asked whether he would like to learn an instrument.

That is when, at four and a half years of age, Jonathan commenced learning violin from Juen Van Hand. 

Juen, along with his piano and musicianship teachers, Margery Bonsor, Don Secomb and Pam Archer, instilled in Jonathan a love of 'art music' and a deep appreciation for making music in ensemble.

“Not every country town, or even many regional centres in Australia, offer the range of opportunities for youth to participate in the creative and performing arts as in Taree,” said Jonathan.

“But this is only because of the dedicated teachers and volunteers who work tirelessly in the community to perpetuate a creative culture for the region.”

Growing up, Jonathan was heavily involved in playing music for church and performing with Sinfonia, Taree Arts Council and in the Taree and District Eisteddfod, where he was once the senior instrumental champion.

But it was not performing that so captivated Jonathan that he would go on to study and work professionally in the music industry. 

While in early primary school, Jonathan's first piano teacher, Mrs Bonsor, exclaimed to his parents that, “Jonathan is not progressing particularly well with the pieces I set him to learn. All he wants to do is play me the compositions he has created!”

It was during a private concert for a party on a cattle station by the Manning River at Knorrit Flat, that Jonathan, aged 15, realised he wanted to be a composer as he jotted down musical ideas on manuscript during breaks.

Having scorned being 'made' to study music theory as a young boy, Jonathan soon found how necessary a rigorous musical education was to realising his dream to write music for orchestral and choral forces. 

“I think of writing music as being similar to the role of an architect or a town planner.

“There are conventions and rules you need to know in order to create something that people can engage with and appreciate.

“It's only really once you know the rules that you can begin to break them and map out innovative new plans for others to interpret and build.

“With music it is the members of the orchestra, the choir, or some other instrumental ensemble who become the builders with the task of interpreting and bringing to life the musical score.”

Jonathan went on to study a Bachelor of Music at the University of New South Wales where he graduated in 2009, with first class honours.

He majored in composition under prominent Australian composer, Dr John Peterson.

It was also at UNSW where Jonathan's love of choral singing developed through the a capella ensemble, The Burgundian Consort, of which he has been a member since 2006.

Music by Jonathan Billingham has been performed over the past 10 years at festivals and concerts around Sydney and in Taree.

His output for orchestra, choir and chamber ensembles and his contrasting piano-vocal ballads are presented under the banner of his business, Tallowdale Music.

This takes its name from his parent's beef cattle farm, Tallowdale, located west of Ellenborough Falls on the Bulga Plateau.

Jonathan's music is heavily influenced by pastoral music from English and American composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries as well as by contemporary film music and musical theatre.

“The next task is to continue recording my music, with the hope that more people can listen to, perform and enjoy what I write,” said Jonathan, who collaborates with Taree-based producer, Peter Stevenson and Armidale based Beechwood Studio.

Alongside his musical career, Jonathan works in the tertiary education sector as the public relations and systems manager for New College at The University of New South Wales.

“I enjoy the challenges that come from managing the marketing, office staff and systems that support on-campus residential community for New College's 565 residents.

“But I look forward to the parts of my week that are set apart to write music. I hope this time increases in the future.

“The dream is made easier by having a wonderful partner in my wife, Linda, who is also a musician.”

Linda Billingham works as a high school music teacher at Turramurra and is a French horn player and conductor.

“I couldn't do what I do without my beautiful wife Linda,” said Jonathan.

“We work together on Tallowdale Music Projects. I also get to help Linda with her loose-leaf tea start-up business, Tallowdale Tea. Music and tea go quite well together, really!”

Jonathan has been commissioned to compose a work for the 2016 Manning River Winter Festival.

The new piece, 'From Hidden Valleys to the Open Sea', will be premiered at the opening of the festival at the Manning Regional Art Gallery at 6pm on Friday June 3.

The work for wind, string instruments and piano will be presented by some of the region’s most talented local artists.

'From Hidden Valleys to the Open Sea' will be performed again as part of a concert at 2pm on Sunday June 5 at St John’s Anglican Church, Taree.

The concert titled “The Power of Words and Music” will feature exceptional local talent, including the Manning Valley Concert Band, Valley Voices Choir, Kantabile, and performances by Mary Camphuis, Ronan King-Rose, Don Secomb and Bruce Wiseman and the first public performance of the finale to Ariana Shneider`s musical, “Crystal Dreaming.”