This year's tutors will be
Peter Adams (conductor; wind tutor)
Peter is a professor in music at the University of Otago. He is an experienced conductor, composer and fine clarinettist. He has been conductor and musical director for many groups including the Southern Sinfonia, Dunedin Youth Orchestra, St Kilda Brass and the City of Dunedin Choir. We appreciate his musical knowledge and ability to enthuse players of all ages.
Anne Loeser (concertmaster)
Anne is a first violinist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She studied violin and viola in Germany, was a member of the Orfeo Quartet, and has played in several European orchestras. She is married to Greg Hill, this year's brass tutor. Anne puts everyone at ease and we enjoy her physical warm- up exercises at the beginning of each day's playing.
Susan Dollin (woodwind)
Susan studied performance flute at Canterbury University and now enjoys a very busy life teaching flute players of all ages and abilities. She is a casual player for the Christchurch Symphony and in her spare time enjoys travelling, baking and has been seen running in the SBS Marathon.
Sophie Acheson (viola)
Sophia is from Christchurch. She studied performance viola in Wellington where she graduated with first class honours. She was then invited to study in Barcelona with Ashan Pillai, violist with Pinchas Zukerman Chamber Players, and was subsequently awarded scholarships to study with Donald McInnes at the University of Southern California and later with Roger Myers at the University of Texas at Austin. During this period she furthered an interest in early music, learning the viola d'amore and viola da gamba, performing solo in the US at Berkeley and Evanston, and since her return to NZ, in Auckland. Since 2012, Sophia has enjoyed working as a freelance musician with the Auckland Philharmonia, Auckland Chamber Orchestra, Bach Musica and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, until her appointment in 2014 as principal violist of Orchestra Wellington. Apart from orchestral work, Sophia is also keen to continue her interest in chamber music with Toru, a harp, flute and viola trio, and Kiwa String Quartet.
Robert Ibell (lower strings)
Robert was born in Dannevirke and brought up in Palmerston North. He began learning cello at Saturday morning music classes, and played in the Manawatu Youth Orchestra and Manawatu Sinfonia. While training as a school teacher in Palmerston North he learned cello from Judith Hyatt in Wellington. From 1986 to 1992 Robert lived in London, studying cello with Tania Hunt, Derek Simpson and Christopher Bunting. He played at music schools and in masterclasses (where his teachers included Alexander Baillie, Steve Doane, Anner Bylsma and Steven Isserlis), taught, gave recitals and played in professional and amateur orchestras. Between 1993 and 2020 Robert was a member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He is now a union organiser, cello teacher and chamber musician. He is a member of the Aroha String Quartet, square piano and cello duo Hammers & Horsehair, contemporary music group Stroma, and indie/folk/rock band Milkthistle.
Ruth Brinkman (woodwind)
Ruth plays bassoon and contrabassoon for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. She teaches privately and at Auckland University. She never seems to have enough time to spend in her garden which only seems to look good over the summer break! She enjoys reading a good book or two as well as tramping when she gets the time.
Gregory Hill (brass)
Greg was a principal horn of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for over thirty years. He has also been a member of the Auckland Symphonia, Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Sydney Orchestra, the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and played with other New Zealand and Australian orchestras. He has been a teacher at the Tasmanian Conservatorium and the New Zealand School of Music and was an active chamber musician. Greg is well known at the camp as a composer and advocate for lesser known instruments including alphorns, car horns and vegetables. He is married to Anne Loeser, one of this year's violin tutors.
Mike Gaches (brass)
Mike grew up in Kansas and has played trumpet in Big Bands wherever he can including in the Aspen Music Festival, in several Community College Big Bands around the USA and most recently in the Dunedin City Jazz Orchestra. He also has a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and works for Fisher and Paykel. His wife, Sonya, teaches at the University of Otago, and they have three kids scattered around the globe.
Peter Adams (conductor; wind tutor)
Peter is a professor in music at the University of Otago. He is an experienced conductor, composer and fine clarinettist. He has been conductor and musical director for many groups including the Southern Sinfonia, Dunedin Youth Orchestra, St Kilda Brass and the City of Dunedin Choir. We appreciate his musical knowledge and ability to enthuse players of all ages.
Anne Loeser (concertmaster)
Anne is a first violinist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She studied violin and viola in Germany, was a member of the Orfeo Quartet, and has played in several European orchestras. She is married to Greg Hill, this year's brass tutor. Anne puts everyone at ease and we enjoy her physical warm- up exercises at the beginning of each day's playing.
Susan Dollin (woodwind)
Susan studied performance flute at Canterbury University and now enjoys a very busy life teaching flute players of all ages and abilities. She is a casual player for the Christchurch Symphony and in her spare time enjoys travelling, baking and has been seen running in the SBS Marathon.
Sophie Acheson (viola)
Sophia is from Christchurch. She studied performance viola in Wellington where she graduated with first class honours. She was then invited to study in Barcelona with Ashan Pillai, violist with Pinchas Zukerman Chamber Players, and was subsequently awarded scholarships to study with Donald McInnes at the University of Southern California and later with Roger Myers at the University of Texas at Austin. During this period she furthered an interest in early music, learning the viola d'amore and viola da gamba, performing solo in the US at Berkeley and Evanston, and since her return to NZ, in Auckland. Since 2012, Sophia has enjoyed working as a freelance musician with the Auckland Philharmonia, Auckland Chamber Orchestra, Bach Musica and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, until her appointment in 2014 as principal violist of Orchestra Wellington. Apart from orchestral work, Sophia is also keen to continue her interest in chamber music with Toru, a harp, flute and viola trio, and Kiwa String Quartet.
Robert Ibell (lower strings)
Robert was born in Dannevirke and brought up in Palmerston North. He began learning cello at Saturday morning music classes, and played in the Manawatu Youth Orchestra and Manawatu Sinfonia. While training as a school teacher in Palmerston North he learned cello from Judith Hyatt in Wellington. From 1986 to 1992 Robert lived in London, studying cello with Tania Hunt, Derek Simpson and Christopher Bunting. He played at music schools and in masterclasses (where his teachers included Alexander Baillie, Steve Doane, Anner Bylsma and Steven Isserlis), taught, gave recitals and played in professional and amateur orchestras. Between 1993 and 2020 Robert was a member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He is now a union organiser, cello teacher and chamber musician. He is a member of the Aroha String Quartet, square piano and cello duo Hammers & Horsehair, contemporary music group Stroma, and indie/folk/rock band Milkthistle.
Ruth Brinkman (woodwind)
Ruth plays bassoon and contrabassoon for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. She teaches privately and at Auckland University. She never seems to have enough time to spend in her garden which only seems to look good over the summer break! She enjoys reading a good book or two as well as tramping when she gets the time.
Gregory Hill (brass)
Greg was a principal horn of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for over thirty years. He has also been a member of the Auckland Symphonia, Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Sydney Orchestra, the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and played with other New Zealand and Australian orchestras. He has been a teacher at the Tasmanian Conservatorium and the New Zealand School of Music and was an active chamber musician. Greg is well known at the camp as a composer and advocate for lesser known instruments including alphorns, car horns and vegetables. He is married to Anne Loeser, one of this year's violin tutors.
Mike Gaches (brass)
Mike grew up in Kansas and has played trumpet in Big Bands wherever he can including in the Aspen Music Festival, in several Community College Big Bands around the USA and most recently in the Dunedin City Jazz Orchestra. He also has a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and works for Fisher and Paykel. His wife, Sonya, teaches at the University of Otago, and they have three kids scattered around the globe.
