Wind Quintet Plus is a leading ensemble in the West Australian musical landscape, recognised for dynamic performances, eclectic programming, imaginative collaborations and outreach endeavours that connect with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Combining flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn with percussion, WQ+ performs music from diverse styles with colour, texture, drive and groove. Wind Quintet Plus are committed to performing new works and reimagined repertoire by both established and emerging composers and arrangers.
Musical outreach for all is at the core of the Wind Quintet Plus mission. During 2020 when it was not possible to perform in regular concert venues, WQ+ took live music to the people, presenting house concerts and street performances in local communities to an enthusiastic response.
The musicians of WQ+ are all experienced educators and the ensemble regularly performs engaging and interactive education concerts for primary and secondary school students. WQ+ received outstanding reviews for their musical contributions to the children’s ballets Peter and the Wolf (2019) and The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (2020), performed by West Australian Ballet at the AWESOME Festival.
In 2021 Wind Quintet Plus collaborated with renowned Australian soprano Sara Macliver for the fine music concert series One and Many for Perth Festival under the magnificent blue whale skeleton at WA Museum Boola Bardip. Here, WQ+ presented reimagined works from over nine centuries of music curated by Artistic Director Iain Grandage, and a new work, Black Giants, by Rebecca Erin Smith, commissioned by Tura New Music for the festival.
Wind Quintet Plus respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and emerging. WQ+ acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of First Nations Peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together. WQ+ are honoured to perform on the ancestral lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people.
Wind Quintet Plus is a leading ensemble in the West Australian musical landscape, recognised for dynamic performances, eclectic programming, imaginative collaborations and outreach endeavours that connect with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Combining flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn with percussion, WQ+ performs music from diverse styles with colour, texture, drive and groove. Wind Quintet Plus are committed to performing new works and reimagined repertoire by both established and emerging composers and arrangers.
Musical outreach for all is at the core of the Wind Quintet Plus mission. During 2020 when it was not possible to perform in regular concert venues, WQ+ took live music to the people, presenting house concerts and street performances in local communities to an enthusiastic response. The musicians of WQ+ are all experienced educators and the ensemble regularly performs engaging and interactive education concerts for primary and secondary school students. WQ+ received outstanding reviews for their musical contributions to the children’s ballets Peter and the Wolf (2019) and The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (2020), performed by West Australian Ballet at the AWESOME Festival.
In 2021 Wind Quintet Plus collaborated with renowned Australian soprano Sara Macliver for the fine music concert series One and Many for Perth Festival under the magnificent blue whale skeleton at WA Museum Boola Bardip. Here, WQ+ presented reimagined works from over nine centuries of music curated by Artistic Director Iain Grandage, and a new work, Black Giants, by Rebecca Erin Smith, commissioned by Tura New Music for the festival.
Wind Quintet Plus respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and emerging. WQ+ acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of First Nations Peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together. WQ+ are honoured to perform on the ancestral lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people.
MUSICIANS
FLUTE
DIANE RIDDELL
Diane Riddell started her specialist music studies on the flute when she entered the Victorian College of the Arts High School. She went on to complete her Bachelor of Arts (Music Performance) at the Victorian College of the Arts. After a year of postgraduate studies, she was appointed Principal Flute with the West Australian Arts Orchestra at the age of 21, making her the youngest principal flautist in Australia. During her time with the WA Arts Orchestra, she was granted leave to play Principal Flute with the Australian Youth Orchestra on their 1988 tour of Europe.
Diane has since gone on to play regularly as a principal and section flautist with the WA Symphony Orchestra as a contract and casual player and has appeared as Guest Principal Flute with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. She regularly plays principal flute with Perth Symphony Orchestra.
Diane has lectured in flute at both the UWA Conservatorium of Music and WAAPA for over 15 years and taught at two of Perth’s specialist music program high schools for 30 years. Many of Diane’s past students are working nationally and internationally as performers and teachers.
Diane has played for international artists such as Sir James Galway, Trevor Wye, Michel Debost, Walfrid Kujala and William Bennett, and has studied with many of Australia’s leading teachers including Margaret Crawford, Prue Davis, Vernon Hill and David Cubbin. Diane has also organised master classes and concerts for international flute players including Paul Edmund-Davies, Emily Beynon, Trevor Wye and Katherine Kemler.
OBOE
STEPHANIE NICHOLLS
Stephanie Nicholls is a musician based on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar, where she proudly maintains an active performance profile as an oboist, pianist, arranger, and musical director. With over three decades of experience, Stephanie has made significant contributions to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, including her tenure as Associate Principal Oboe in 2013-2014 and 2023. She has also recorded two award-winning albums with the Johannes Luebbers Dectet, appearing at both the Perth International and Wangaratta Jazz Festivals and the Australian Art Awards, and regularly plays principal oboe with Perth Symphony Orchestra.
In 2017, Stephanie’s expertise led to her appointment as a consultant for the oboe syllabus of the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB). She successfully launched the syllabus in Melbourne in 2018 through a national webcast and continues to serve as an examiner for the AMEB, as well as an esteemed adjudicator for festivals and eisteddfods.
As one of Perth’s sought-after collaborative pianists and coaches, Stephanie excels in diverse genres. Her passion for music education has been exemplified through lecturing and teaching roles at UWA’s Conservatorium of Music, WAAPA, and various Perth schools.
Stephanie’s latest venture, Mirabilis Collective, is a chamber music ensemble that celebrates the contributions of women musicians and composers. Founded in 2023, Mirabilis Collective serves as a nurturing space for mentorship, skill-sharing, and creative collaboration, fostering emerging talents and providing invaluable exposure and experience. Stephanie is honoured to lead this growing organisation.
MUSICIANS
FLUTE
DIANE RIDDELL
Diane Riddell started her specialist music studies on the flute when she entered the Victorian College of the Arts High School. She went on to complete her Bachelor of Arts (Music Performance) at the Victorian College of the Arts. After a year of postgraduate studies, she was appointed Principal Flute with the West Australian Arts Orchestra at the age of 21, making her the youngest principal flautist in Australia. During her time with the WA Arts Orchestra, she was granted leave to play Principal Flute with the Australian Youth Orchestra on their 1988 tour of Europe.
Diane has since gone on to play regularly as a principal and section flautist with the WA Symphony Orchestra as a contract and casual player and has appeared as Guest Principal Flute with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. She regularly plays principal flute with Perth Symphony Orchestra.
Diane has lectured in flute at both the UWA Conservatorium of Music and WAAPA for over 15 years and taught at two of Perth’s specialist music program high schools for 30 years. Many of Diane’s past students are working nationally and internationally as performers and teachers.
Diane has played for international artists such as Sir James Galway, Trevor Wye, Michel Debost, Walfrid Kujala and William Bennett, and has studied with many of Australia’s leading teachers including Margaret Crawford, Prue Davis, Vernon Hill and David Cubbin. Diane has also organised masterclasses and concerts for international flute players including Paul Edmund-Davies, Emily Beynon, Trevor Wye and Katherine Kemler.
OBOE
STEPHANIE NICHOLLS
Stephanie Nicholls is a musician based on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar, where she proudly maintains an active performance profile as an oboist, pianist, arranger, and musical director. With over three decades of experience, Stephanie has made significant contributions to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, including her tenure as Associate Principal Oboe in 2013-2014 and 2023. She has also recorded two award-winning albums with the Johannes Luebbers Dectet, appearing at both the Perth International and Wangaratta Jazz Festivals and the Australian Art Awards, and regularly plays principal oboe with Perth Symphony Orchestra.
In 2017, Stephanie’s expertise led to her appointment as a consultant for the oboe syllabus of the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB). She successfully launched the syllabus in Melbourne in 2018 through a national webcast and continues to serve as an examiner for the AMEB, as well as an esteemed adjudicator for festivals and eisteddfods.
As one of Perth’s sought-after collaborative pianists and coaches, Stephanie excels in diverse genres. Her passion for music education has been exemplified through lecturing and teaching roles at UWA’s Conservatorium of Music, WAAPA, and various Perth schools.
Stephanie’s latest venture, Mirabilis Collective, is a chamber music ensemble that celebrates the contributions of women musicians and composers. Founded in 2023, Mirabilis Collective serves as a nurturing space for mentorship, skill-sharing, and creative collaboration, fostering emerging talents and providing invaluable exposure and experience. Stephanie is honoured to lead this growing organisation.