Harold Gretton began playing guitar at the age of 7. He first studied at the ANU in Canberra before completing a course specialising in guitar duo performance in Strasbourg (France).
He has won numerous international competitions, both as a soloist and in various chamber music combinations. He has been invited to perform concerts all over Europe, as well as in the USA, Mexico, Vietnam, and all over Australia. He has performed with orchestras in Australia and Europe, and gave the world première of Nigel Westlake's concerto Shadow Dances under the composer's baton.
He has recorded four CDs, two solo albums, an album of Australian guitar quartets with Guitar Trek, and a mixed album of guitar duos, funded by a successful crowd-funding campaign.
A dedicated pedagogue, Harold has given masterclasses in numerous guitar festivals, lectured at Universities and has participated on numerous juries in international competitions. He has held teaching positions in Stuttgart, Baden-Baden, Lichtenau (Germany) and Saint-Louis (France).
Harold is Associate Director of the Riverina Conservatorium of Music
Fran Griffin – Flute, Baroque Flute, Recorder. Teacher of flute, clarinet and bassoon at Riverina Conservatorium of Music.
Fran Griffin began life as a flute player, studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia, with renowned teachers Margaret Crawford and Michael Scott. Although she had been composing since the age of seven, while at the Conservatorium in the late 1970s, she put aside composition in favour of an interest in early music performance practice, studying baroque flute and recorder with Howard Oberg.
After a number of years working as a freelance musician, she returned to study, completing M.Sc. (Hons) in mathematics at Macquarie University, Sydney in 1999. Here she remained on staff until 2012, when she left Sydney to live in country NSW. Here she has renewed her previous life as a musician, teaching flute, clarinet and bassoon and performing once again with early music ensemble Nouvelles Réflexions and flute quartet Eclectix.
Her compositions include arrangements and new works for flute quartet, flute duo, and other chamber combinations with flute, bassoon duo, clarinet ensemble, string trio, symphonic winds, and choral works. Additionally, she has produced many arrangements and original works for students, community concert bands and choir.
She has been the recipient of several awards for composition, and her works have been published in Australia, Portugal, Belgium and USA. Fran's compositions
Keith studied flute with Michael Scott, Margaret Crawford and baroque performance (flutes, recorders) with Howard Oberg at the NSW Conservatorium of Music, graduating (B Mus) with The Student the Year Award. Following graduation he joined the staff of the Conservatorium as a flute teacher.
Keith has always enjoyed performing in chamber ensembles such as Kurrajong Ensemble, Eclectix (one of Australia's few professional flute quartets) and Nouvelles Réflexions (baroque trio-sonata group using period instruments), has been a member of The Renaissance Players (Sydney Uni) but has also has played many performances in larger groups, special event orchestras, live to air broadcasts and recording sessions. He spent some years in the wilderness working in IT and publishing, eventually returning to The Sydney Conservatorium as Network Manager.
During his high school days Keith learned conducting from necessity and grew to enjoy it very much, later taking on conducting some local community groups. Since moving to Junee in 2012 he has had very successful terms as conductor of Junee Town Band, Riverina Concert Band, the Riverina Conservatorium Student Concert Band and the Riverina Conservatorium Orchestra. He has also been a guest conductor with the Albury City Band and the Griffith Town Band. In recent times Keith has learned to play saxophone.