Betty Anderson
Betty Anderson
Betty Anderson began to play the tenor horn at the age of eight. She won numerous contests on this instrument, twice becoming English tenor horn champion. She began to conduct when still only fourteen. At first brass quartets, then various jobs as sub-conductor in brass bands.
After Betty Anderson had played solo horn for several years in various top-class bands, where she had also gained a good reputation as a soloist, she decided to go in for conducting full-time. In six years she took the Rathby Band from the fourth section to the top section (championship section). Only recently she won the Belle Vue Spring Festival in Manchester with her band.
Betty Anderson is also a brass teacher and has trained countless young musicians. She is currently chairman of the English National Youth Brass Band and an adjudicator for various contests. Betty Anderson is of the opinion that it is important for a woman to accept and go along with a movement which is essentially dominated by men. She says, however, that in her work she has always got on well with her male colleagues and always received encouragement from them. Betty Anderson is now rated as one of the most successful female conductors in England.
Kate Kamminga
Kate Kamminga
Kate Kamminga began to play the cornet at the age of eight. At that time she played in the Geerkesklooster (Holland) Band which was conducted by her father. Later she also learned to play the organ and trained as a music teacher in piano, organ and trumpet/cornet. At the age of 17 she took her first steps as a conductor with the Vita Nova Niezijt Youth Band.
Miss Kamminga has now been conducting various local choirs and brass bands for several years and taking part in countless successful concerts, broadcasts and contests with them.