I am a Kiwi aged 64 who has spent about half of his life here in Australia in two different periods.

 

I was born in a small town called Leeston, near Christchurch, New Zealand in December 1955, and as a child  I spent most of my childhood around the Ashburton area  where I developed a lasting interest in classical music. At this point in my life I met my first oboe teacher,  a remarkable man called Ian Harris who was then the Cor Anglais player with the NZSO (and some of whose music is accessable via my links)   Without his help and mentoring,  I shudder to think where I may be today

At aged 18 I enrolled at Victoria University where I studied and completed a Bachelor of Music in 1977.  My teachers were Ian Harris,  Ron Webb and Luigi Ferletti. During this time I taught and also played in numerous orchestras as a free lance professional player, playing with the NZSO, Wellintgton Regional Orchestra, Scola Musica.  I was also a member of the Wellington Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra at this time.

 

March 1978 to June 1979 saw me in Dunedin,  working as a musician (playing first oboe with the Dunedin Civic Orchestra) ,  and oboe teacher

June 1979 - I went to Adelaide and studied with Jiri Tancibudek  and later to Sydney to play in the ABC Sinfonia, and I studied with Guy Henderson and Josef Hanic.

 

 

In 1989, I returned to New Zealand and resumed some freelance professional playing with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and taught oboe and played chamber music in my spare time.

 

I returned to Australia in 1997,  and worked in non-musical areas .   I have now resumed oboe playing and teaching.

I love teaching and have over 40 years of oboe teaching experience.  To keep myself current,  I also have resumed lessons myself with Josef Hanic.