Band farewells conductor Lachlan Foster

In December 2025, Blue Mountains Concert Band sadly farewelled our conductor Lachlan Foster, after two years of service.

Band president, Marion Chapman, thanked Mr Foster at end of year events for Mountains Youth Band and Blue Mountains Concert Band in December and presented him with gifts of gratitude, saying, “Our instrumentalists across both bands have been deeply encouraged by Lachlan to achieve a personal higher standard to contribute to their ensemble experience. He challenged us with sometimes complex compositions and improved us with a new level of technique. Many youth musicians have grown musically and the experiences of band members old and young have been significant. We have all benefited from having Lachlan as our leader for the past 2 years and we wish Lachlan well in his future endeavours and hope to collaborate with him again in the future.”

Mr Foster was the band’s music director and conductor from 2023 – 2025 for concerts, workshops and community performances, including civic events such as Anzac Day services and Glenbrook Carols in the Park, as well as the bands’ annual concerts.

Mountains Youth Band particularly benefited from Foster’s expertise, combining with the adult band to successfully compete in the 2024 Open D grade State Band Championships placing second. Performing under the band’s charter of community service, earlier in the year Mountains Youth Band treated the residents at Buckland (Springwood) to a wonderful well-prepared concert under Mr Foster’s baton.