Andrew Baker
Assistant Director & Head of Strings
(Violin)

Andrew Baker began learning the Violin at the age of 8 at his school, Barker College Sydney, where he ultimately became the school’s first captain of music.

Andrew currently holds the position of Assistant Director & Head of Strings at the Orange Regional Conservatorium in NSW, teaching violin to over 40 students per week in Orange and the surrounding regions. Andrew coaches chamber music ensembles and orchestras, and is concert-master of the Orange Symphony Orchestra. In String Pedagogy, he runs workshops and support programs for regional string teachers and in 2008 presented a seminar ‘Violin Teaching in Regional Communities’ at the Australian Violin Pedagogy conference at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Andrew’s musical activities extend further to include over 20 performances a year in solo, orchestral and chamber music. These include being concert-master with the Macquarie Philharmonia (Australia’s Inland Symphony Orchestra) and directing ‘Zest Baroque’, which has been invited to perform in the International Baroque Music Festival 'Misiones de Chiquitos' to be held in Bolivia 2008.

Andrew completed his Bachelor of Music degree with Honours at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Alex Todicescu, where he was awarded the ‘Ginette Neveu Memorial Scholarship for Violinists’. Andrew then travelled to The Netherlands for 3 years to study solo and chamber music with violinists Berent Korfker and Florian Donderer and took part in master classes with Zakhar Bron & Nava Milo. In January 2004 Andrew was the 4th prize winner in the “Maria Yudina international chamber music competition” in St Petersburg, Russia.

One of Andrew’s musical passions lies in Baroque performance practice. Through a grant from the North Netherlands Conservatorium, Andrew studied the art of performing music from the 17th & 18th Centuries on period instruments with some of Europe’s leading early music specialists: Paul Komen, Johann Hoffmann & Bart van Oort.

Andrew’s other musical experiences include master classes with Ralph Kirshbaum, Jamie Laredo, the Ying Quartet and the Brodsky Quartet. He has won scholarships & prizes from the Australian National Academy of Music (Melbourne), the Australian Musician’s Academy and the City of Sydney Cultural Council. He has gained the A.Mus.A with Distinction and the L.Mus.A.

Email Andrew: assistantdirector@orangecon.org.au

Alina Zborowski - Violin

Ana Castillo - Viola

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.

Email Ana: viola@orangecon.org.au

Australian cellist John Barry is an active performer both in Australia and overseas. In addition to playing with orchestras and various chamber music groups, he regularly gives solo recitals.

Born in North Queensland, John Barry became inspired to play the cello after commencing lessons with Tess Remy-Schumacher. At seventeen,
he commenced study with David Pereira at the Canberra School of Music, Australian National University. He graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours), having received numerous prizes and awards.

In 2004, he relocated to Germany, where he undertook 3 years of post-graduate performance studies at the Bremen Hochschule fur Kunste. In this time overseas, John was able to perform throughout Europe. Highlights included solo performances at Dartington International Festival (England), Openstrings Cello Festival (Denmark), Vaduz Music Festival (Liechenstein), Savonlinna Music Academy (Finland), and a live broadcast for German Radio. Playing in masterclasses conducted by renowned cellists, including Franz Helmerson, Ralph Kirschbaum, and Wolfgang Bottcher provided John with invaluable mentoring.

John Barry was principal cellist with the Australian Youth Orchestra on their 2004 European tour. He has also toured throughout Europe with the New York-based chamber group, Absolute Ensemble, and with the German youth orchestra, Die Junge Deutsche Philharmonic. In 2008, John went to Zagreb for an intensive period of study with Croation pedagogue, Valter Despalj. Throughout his studies, John Barry has received generous sponsorship from both Fr Arthur Bridge and a private benefactor.

John is currently based in Sydney, and has recently expressed his belief that music and contemporary political issues are compatible by joining The Australian Greens Party and the Australian Institute.

Email John: cello1@orangecon.org.au

Email Katherine: cello2@orangecon.org.au

Luis Ortiz - Double Bass

Lou Ortiz started his musical studies in the University of the Philippines College of music in 1979, majoring in composition. He won 2nd prize in the League of Filipino Composers Competition in 1982. His interest for the double bass started in 1982, self-taught at the early stages and then studied with the excellent violin pedagogue Prof. Sergio Esmilla.

In 1987, he then went to Vienna, Austria to continue his double bass studies with the world famous Double bass virtuoso and pedagogue, Prof. Ludwig Streicher in the Hochschule fuer Msuik und Darstellende Kunst, Wien, who later presented him as soloist in various recitals and took him as a private assistant (1991-1995). He did various recitals and solo concerts in Austria.

He worked in Spain with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia (1995-99) and the Real Filharmonica de Galicia (1999-2007), both orchestras considered to be on the top 5 orchestras of Spain. He has given masterclasses in Spain and in the Philippines. He is currently one of the tutors in the Orange Regional Conservatorium.

Email Luis: doublebass@orangecon.org.au