Strings

Music Educator Pathway Program

Anders is devoted to violin education for students of all ages and levels of ability. His experience over the past 15 years includes time in local, regional, and national ensembles, including the Penrith Symphony Orchestra. He teaches both at the Penrith Conservatorium and at Penrith High School, and is happy to prepare students either for AMEB examinations or simply their own enjoyment of music.

AMusA | DSCM | Grad Dip. Ed | BA. Ed

Michele Gore is a music tutor with the Department of Education for special music camps in country areas, accompanist/repetiteur for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and the Director of Logan’s Music School, Burwood. She has been an official accompanist for several eisteddfods including the City of Sydney and Blue Mountains. She has taught piano at Ravenswood School for Girls, Cranbrook School, Oakhill College and Macarthur Girls’ High School. She has also taught privately in the fields of pianoforte, violoncello, musicianship, theory, accompaniment and HSC music.

As a cellist Michele has performed with Kuringai Philharmonic Orchestra, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Penrith Valley Sinfonia, Penrith Symphony Orchestra and the Blue Mountains Opera Orchestra. As a pianist she has performed with Kuringai Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vivace Trio, as well as being the repetiteur for the Blue Mountains Opera. She has given solo and chamber music recitals for community radio and several metropolitan and country music clubs, and has undertaken post-graduate accompaniment studies at the Robert Schumann Conservatorium, Dusseldorf and Trinity College, London.

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Julian Kwok serendipitously began playing the viola at the age of eight after being told that his school had run out of violins to borrow. Julian has since gone on to complete a Bachelor of Music (performance) degree with First Class Honours in 2024 at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (SCM), where he studied the viola with Stuart Johnson and Roger Benedict.

As an orchestral violist, he has played with the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO), undertaken AYO’s Professional Immersion program with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and was principal viola of the Sydney Youth Orchestra (SYO). He has performed on tours to the United Kingdom and Europe with the SCM Symphony Orchestra in 2022, and SYO in 2019.

As a chamber musician, Julian has participated in the AYO’s Chamber Players program, and he is the violist of the Delvinian String Quartet, which was awarded Third Prize in the 2024 Convimus International Chamber Music Competition in Porto, Portugal. With this quartet, Julian has also participated in the 2025 Festival de Música de Santa Catarina, a music festival in Brazil. He has taught viola at the beginner and intermediate levels since 2023.

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Ethan started learning violin at the age of 6 in Berlin, Germany. His musical experience includes performances in the Sydney Youth Orchestra and the Penrith Symphony Orchestra, multiple recording projects, solo performances, involvement in chamber ensembles and a rock band, and completed  a Bachelors in Violin Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2024. Always striving to achieve his best, Ethan also seeks to inspire a love of music to bring out the best in others.

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Clare began her own musical education on the violin at The Joan in 1996 with teacher Natalie Forbes, so returning to develop her own studio in the place where her musical training began, has created a lovely full circle moment.

For the past three years Clare has been building her studio with a growing number of students making up the next generation of vocalists and young violinists, as well as coaching adult musicians with an already established love and appreciation for musical practice. Clare’s teaching studio has an emphasis on developing a strong technical foundation, the importance of music reading and theory, as well as generating a passion and interest in the story each piece of music has to tell. Her own experience with OCD and anxiety has inadvertently shaped her teaching method into one that explores the impact mindset can have on our playing and performance, as well as facilitating a greater understanding of each student’s individual learning needs. In the last 12 months, Clare has celebrated student successes across AMEB exam results, a first in HSC music, and university admissions.

As well as one on one tutoring, Clare’s experience of choral repertoire provided her with the opportunity to vocally direct the Inspire Choir – a project with community at it’s heart, which has brought a whole new group of singers to the Penrith Conservatorium, and has indeed created a wonderful community of kindness, and musical appreciation within itself. Clare has also been leading the Early Childhood Music program during her time at the Joan, which has been imperative to her development as a music teacher, and has brought about a fantastic amount of joy. It is so lovely to be in a position to share the love of music with people so new to it.

Clare values very highly the connection music brings about, takes great pride and responsibility in the development of each student across her entire teaching portfolio, and greatly appreciates the support her students and their families give to music education.

Music Educator Pathway Program

Erin previously studied music performance at Sydney Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Prof. Goetz Richter and is currently studying a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Sydney.

As an orchestral musician, she has been involved in Australian Youth Orchestra and Sydney Youth Orchestra programs in both symphonic and chamber ensembles, with experience performing varied repertoire and participating in competitions. She is currently a member of Richard Bonynge Ensemble at Penrith Conservatorium of Music.

Erin has over three years of experience teaching privately, working with students aged 5 to 20. She supports students preparing for AMEB exams as well as those learning for leisure. Through her teaching, Erin aspires to share her love of music and grow alongside her students in a shared musical journey.