Donna Riles (Piano)
Head of Keyboard & Academic Studies

Donna has recently joined the Orange Regional Conservatorium as Head of Keyboard and Academic Studies after a long and outstanding career as a Music Educator with the Department of Education and Training.

Donna, a graduate of the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, with a Bachelor of Music Education, grew up playing in the Blue Mountains Youth Orchestra and the Ars Viva Repertory Company Orchestra, together with being a chorister in the Conservatorium Choir. Donna gained her Certificate III in Music (Contemporary - Midi Music Systems and Song Writing) and plays a variety of string and brass instruments as well as keyboard. She is a member of the long running music duo the "Jam Tarts" which has entertained Orange residents for many years.

Her illustrious career as an educator with the Department of Education and Training was recognised in 2002, with the presentation of a Director-General's Award for Excellent Service to Public Education. Donna has taught all NSW Board of Studies Courses in Music from Kindergarten to Year 12, and has also been an HSC marker in music. She has prepared students annually for NSW Secondary Schools Choral Concerts at the Opera House and conducted the Orange District Sing 2001 Choir at that venue in 2001. As an audition accompanist and conductor from 1998 - 2001, Donna helped prepare students for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a highlight for all those involved.

A co-ordinator of a variety of Western Region Music activities, including study days, festivals and camps, Donna has also been the musical director of school and community performances and productions. Donna enjoys her role as piano accompanist to both experienced and beginning musicians in a variety of musical genres, thus giving many groups within the community the opportunity to participate in musical activities, consequently fostering individual talents and community appreciation of music.

Email Donna: keyboard1@orangecon.org.au

Ana Castillo - Piano

Maria Ana Castillo Bernabe was born in Quezon City, Philippines, started studies at the Univeristy of the Philippines College of music in 1979 and obtained her Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano in 1985. During her piano studies in this university, she also had violin and viola lessons from Prof. Sergio Esmilla, the country's top violin pedagogue. She became first violinist of the Manila Symphony Orchestra from 1982-1985, and from 1985 - 1987 was Co principal viola of the Manila Chamber orchestra.

She then later continued her studies of the viola in Vienna at the Konservatorium der Stadt Wien from 1987-1989 with prof. Herwig Zelle and then transfered to the Hochschule fuer Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Wien wth Prof. Wolfgang Klos where she obtained her Concert Diploma in 1994.

Ana is currently a piano accompanist and Viola instructor in the Orange Regional Conservatorium.

Anne Stevens - Piano

Anne Stevens studied at the Canberra School of Music with Larry Sitsky (Piano), Margaret Crawford and David Cubbin (Flute) graduating with a B.A (Music,Perf). During her tertiary studies Anne accompanied many Diploma and Degree performances at the Canberra School of Music and has continued to do so in recent years.

As an accompanist Anne has performed, as associate pianist, most of the major repertoire for violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon. Anne has worked with Campbell Barnes, Marc Bonetti, Nigel Butterley, David Cubbin, Anne Carr-Boyd, Paul Dyer, and many others. She has worked as repetiteur on Tchikowsky ‘Queen of Spades’, Mussorgsky ‘Boris Goudonov’ and Mozart ‘Cosi fan Tutti’ with singers from the English National Opera and Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

As a chamber musician on both piano and flute Anne has performed most of the major repertoire: piano trios, quartets, quintets and wind quintets. As former Head of Keyboard at the Orange Regional Conservatorium she organized and tutored the Chamber Music program. Anne is accompanist for the Orange Eisteddfod, for HSC Major Performances in the region, and numerous Scholarship and audition performances.

Anne initiated, programmed and performed in the Orange Cushion Concert series in 1987, which continued for a number of years and involved many of the musicians listed above. This series has developed into the current performance program of the Orange Regional Conservatorium.

Anne now also performs with the Majorian Ensemble in Wollongong, Canberra and Orange as pianist and violist .working with John Gould, Rita Woolhouse and Marian Arnold.

Anne has tutored Flute at the Orange Regional Workshops for many years. She plays orchestral flute and piccolo when required. Anne has perfomed Concertos on Flute and Piano with the Orange Symphony Orchestra, including the Beethoven Triple Concerto and Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto. She performs on viola in the Orange Regional String Quartet and leads the violas in the Orange Symphony Orchestra. Recent performances include Orff’s Carmina Burana, Vaughan Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem”, Handel’s “Messiah” and Mozart’s “Requiem”. She is currently (2004) tutoring for the Sydney Amateur Chamber Music Society at playing days and at the annual Wollongong Camp.

She taught privately and at Canberra Boys Grammar in Canberra ,Kambala and Cranbrook schools in Sydney and on moving to Orange has taught piano and flute at Bathurst Regional Conservatorium, (1988 -1991) Kinross Wolaroi School (1986 – 2005) Orange Music Centre (later the Orange Regional Conservatorium) 1990 to the present.

Meriel Owen - Piano

Meriel Owen has been involved in musical associations and societies, fostering the development of music throughout Australia since graduating from Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

She is currently a representative for examiners on the Australian Music Examination Board (AMEB) after many years running a private studio in Beacon Hill, a Northern Peninsula suburb of Sydney. She has extensive experience in performance, adjudication, examining, and as a presenter of piano workshops.

Meriel undertook valuable postgraduate study with the eminent Italian Pedagogue, Lidia Baldecchi in Genoa, Italy supported by the Arts Council.
A yern for a more leisurely lifestyle has brought her to Orange where the vitality of the music community has claimed a significant amount of her time and skills, and is on the staff at Orange Regional Conservatorium.

Kyle Manning - Contemporary Style Coach (Keyboard)

Kyle Manning is a versatile contemporary performer with more than 15 years' experience as a live and studio musician. He has performed in professional theatre in Both Sydney and Melbourne and is accomplished in genres including jazz, pop, country, rock, blues and soul. Kyle has worked with some of Australia's leading contemporary musicians and his career highlights include performing on the same bill as INXS at the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the Princess Theatre Company production of Piano Men (Forum Melbourne, 1996). His current project is Sydney rock quartet Charger, which are set to release their debut album later this year.