About Fendall Hill

Fendall is a New Zealand Australian based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. He has played cornet since he was 7 years old, and taught by his father, legendary trombone player Tom Hill. Fendall moved to his natural instrument, the soprano cornet, at age 18, a baptism of fire into the New Zealand A Grade in 1984.

As a soloist, he has been New Zealand national soprano cornet champion 5 times (as recent as 2021) and the Australian soprano cornet champion twice, as well as gaining Auckland Region open champion brass solo titles. On many occasions, his works have been selected at New Zealand and Australian national contests as set pieces for the Open Soprano Cornet, Open Tenor Horn and Open BBb Bass / Low Tuba, and New Zealand B Grade set test. Most recently, Mind Dances was the A Grade set test for the 2023 Victorian State Championships

Fendall is often called upon to assist bands across Australasia for contests and special events. Over the years, he has belonged to, or contested with:

• Waitakere Auckland Brass (originally New Lynn Citizens Band), NZ

• New Zealand National Youth Band

• New Brighton Silver Band, NZ

• Addington Workshops Band, NZ

• Dalewool Auckland Brass, NZ

• Brass Whanganui, NZ

• K&N Brass, Adelaide

• South Brisbane Federal Brass, Queensland

Brisbane Brass, Queensland

• Glenorchy Brass, Tasmania

• Sunshine Brass, Queensland

• Ascot Hotel Brass, Invercargill, NZ

• Central Coast Brass, New South Wales

Since 2016 years, Fendall has reignited his passion for composition, and has produced a number of brass band works, including commissions for special occasions. 

Other key accomplishments:

• Fendall is the Associate Composer with Sovereign Brass and previously Blidworth Welfare Band (both UK Championship Section)

• His first brass band test piece Temperamental, was selected as the B Grade Set Test Piece at the 2021 New Zealand National Championships.

• His second, Mind Dances, was selected as the A Grade Set Test Piece for the 2023 Victorian State Championships (Australia)

• His tenor horn solo, Humble Hero, was a finalist in the 2023 BrookWright International Brass Band Composition Competition, and came 3rd in the Public Vote Award