'(John is) a joy to work for because there's no ego in the way, at all. He's an absolute conduit for his vision, and the music...you come to OSJ to do the stuff we do, forget all the shattered illusions you've had from other freelance experiences, and just be restored, on all sorts of levels, and John is a brilliant engineer of that.'
JO COLE, Cellist
Classic FM, (29/02/03)

'The combination of John's amazing musicianship, his love of music making in all its forms and the wonderful repertoire he chooses for us makes playing in OSJ a true delight.'
JESSICA O'LEARY, Violinist
Spotlight, Winter 2002

'Great conductors are rare animals that display special qualities: humility before their art; a consummate knowledge of their subject; the ability to communicate with the musicians on an equal footing, not from above; passion for the sake of music and not for show; and the ability to create a musical environment where musical shape, colour and mood take precedence over simply beating time, playing louder or softer or just plain old 'getting it together'! It is always a musical highlight to work with John and OSJ, which is reflected in the calibre of the individual talent displayed within the Orchestra and the loyalty and respect that these fine musicians give to him.'
PAUL ARCHIBALD, Trumpeter
Spotlight, Winter 2002