OUR PEOPLE
Strings
Ashley Turner
Bass Teacher
Ash has a Bachelor of Music from the City College of New York and an Assoc. Dip. in Jazz Studies from Sydney Conservatorium. He was awarded Australia Council of The Arts grants to produce his own CD “Beautiful Open Spaces” and for study in New York, where he worked as a freelance bass player for 6 years.
Ash has worked with many of Australia’s leading jazz artists including James Morrison, Vince Jones, Dale Barlow and Bob Barnard. He has also backed mainstream artists such as Marina Pryor, Dave Hobson and Monica Trapaga.
Ashley is available for online lessons only.
Emma Townsend
Violin Teacher, Music Therapist
As a registered music therapist, violinist and chamber musician with a background in early childhood education, Emma Townsend is well-placed to understand the needs of young music students and how to nurture their talents.
“My studies in music therapy and early childhood education have given me a greater understanding of the emotional world of children. This has made me better at adapting to the client/student and their needs as well as building greater connections with students and clients,” said Emma, who is the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music’s Head of Music Therapy and violin tutor.
Fiona Lugg
Double Bass & Electric Bass Teacher
Double bass and electric bass tutor Fiona Lugg has played with some of the best jazz musicians in Australia and was part of Sydney’s buzzing pub rock scene in the 80s. The foundations for her career in music were laid at an early age, by listening to her grandmother singing and playing her piano.
After experimenting with other instruments in primary school: recorder, piano, guitar and ‘cello, Fiona was reunited with guitar in high school and then went on to be the bass player in a local band at 18 years. By that point, Fiona’s love of jazz was already flourishing after listening to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Charlie Parker.
After completing tertiary education she followed a strong yearning to master the double bass, “as it is the preferred bass instrument for jazz,” says Fiona, who went on to gain a Bachelor of Arts, Associate Diploma of Jazz Studies and Masters of Music (Performance) in Jazz Bass from Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Her classical double bass teachers included John Gray (Principal LSO), Kees Boersma (Associate Principal SSO), and jazz bass teachers Lloyd Swanton, Craig Scott, and Jonathan Zwartz.
Thanks to scoring an overseas musical posting, working seven days a week, Fiona was able to take time out to live in Cuba for a short while, studying its musical culture and education.
She says that as a freelance bassist it is vital to be open to all styles, but jazz is close to her heart. “I play and practise jazz constantly,” she says. However, she cites Marvin Gaye’s soul classic, What’s Goin’ On, as one of her favourite pieces of music. “The bass player was Detroit musician James Jamerson, and his style of playing on numerous Motown recordings was a dynamic hybrid of rhythm ‘n’ blues with jazz basslines.”
Fiona says while playing on big stages such as the Sydney Opera House are career highlights, she is just as happy seeing students develop into confident musicians.
“When students study with me I want them to enjoy playing music. I encourage students to be creative and inquisitive. As a bass player I want all my students to have a solid, reliable time feel. I am aware of the physical demands of double bass; it’s important to have a solid, legitimate classical technique to deal with these demands.
“As a musician my strengths are tenacity, playing for the group, providing a solid rhythmic foundation and an excellent knowledge of harmony. If I cannot provide an answer (to a technical or stylistic problem) I am willing to research to find an answer. As a teacher I try to pass on to students the values of camaraderie amongst peers, developing aural skills, harmonic understanding, having a solid technical foundation, and timely preparation for performances.”
Heather Hinrichs
Cello Teacher & Adult Strings Ensemble
It was Heather Hinrichs’ music teacher who suggested that she start learning the cello. “Little did I know then that it was my lucky day because my first cello teacher was a cellist whose teachers were acclaimed American cellists Louis Potter and Leonard Rose. I totally fell in love with the instrument and the rest is history!”
Today Heather works in the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music’s Strings Department. In addition to teaching, Heather is an avid orchestral and chamber musician and has played in musicals, operas, ballets and on recordings.
“My favourite piece is Barber’s Cello Sonata because of its intoxicating melodies, intense drama and intricate conversation between cello and piano,” says Heather, also citing performances of the Barber and Fanny Mendelssohn String Quartets as some of her performing career highlights.
Well-versed in solo and orchestral repertoire, Heather also has particular interests in effective practice methods, performance preparation and has an unwavering desire to bring music to life.
“I enjoy passing on all I have learned to help students become better cellists. I love seeing the growth that students experience when they realise what they are truly capable of, the joy that music can bring and that music is so much more than notes on a page.”
“My hope for my students is that they experience the joy of expressing themselves through music and realise that overcoming challenges is actually a fascinating and essential part of the musical journey for anyone with aspirations of improving their playing.”
About Heather
Heather’s musical training has been extensive, having studied Cello Performance at Northwestern University (USA), The Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy (USA). Additionally, she won places to participate in several intensive programs specialising in orchestral and chamber music, such as Meadowmount School of Music, Interlochen Arts Camp, Kent Blossom Music Festival and more. Heather is a freelancer, regularly plays with the Central Coast’s performing ensembles Concertante Ensemble and Symphony Central Coast and enjoys teaching cello to students from school age through to adults.
Julie Blakemore
Violin/Viola Teacher
Julie Blakemore studied with Phyllis MacDonald (Australia) and Steven Staryk (USA), and has played and taught for more than 30 years in Australia, England and the USA.
She has performed with the Concertante Ensemble, the Omni String Quartet and was leader of Symphony Central Coast. She has performed with other orchestras in Australia and overseas.
Karina Moss-Hollands
Head of Program (Strings), Violin Teacher
Karina Moss-Hollands is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and completed her Master of Music Degree majoring in violin performance and teaching. She is principal violinist and artistic director of Concertante Ensemble, the Central Coast’s own chamber orchestra.
She is currently our Head of Programme – Strings and the Concertmaster of Symphony Central Coast.
Philippa Collins
Violin Teacher
Philippa Collins grew up in Canberra and started violin lessons at the age of 8 with renowned French violinist Josette Esquidin. At the age of 11, she was offered a scholarship at the Canberra School of Music, and throughout her high school years, studied under Len Dommett OBE. In 1986, she moved to Sydney and joined the National Ensemble under the tutelage of John Hopkins, touring extensively, and working with major international artists visiting Sydney. During this time, she studied under Harry Curby and Carl Pini.
Philippa has played in all of the major orchestras in Sydney including Opera Australia for 11 years, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She has accompanied many artists such as Valery Klimov, Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti to name just a few. Philippa is an experienced teacher who is committed to providing excellence in string teaching from the young beginner right through to tertiary level and the emerging professional. She has conducted many ensembles and orchestras and was the Musical Director of Nova Youth Orchestra for 5 years.
