Guitar Department
Dr harold gretton - Classical Guitar
BA(Mus) (ANU), PhD (ANU)
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 Westlake's concerto Shadow Dances under the composer's baton.
He has recorded three CDs, a solo album, an album of Austraian 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 joined the RCM's Guitar Department in 2018
reg dury - Classical & contempory Guitar
Reg Dury plays both classical and contemporary guitar as well as bass, mandolin, tenor banjo and drums. Reg studied at the Conservatorium of Music, in Jambes, Belgium. He taught at the Riverina Conservatorium of Music from 2004 till 2015 and has returned in 2023 to share his passion for music once again.
Reg has performed solo at the Sydney opera House, toured with well-known bands and is a busy session musician. Reg also plays at the Civic Theatre on regular occasions, including in recent years: conducting the orchestra for Oliver, playing guitar in Mamma Mia and Strictly Ballroom. He is currently a member of the Tin Shed Rattlers, The Black Shillings and plays with the Baker Boys session band.
Reg also writes music, some of his work having received over 3 million downloads and winning the Underearthed competition in 2006.
Reg enjoys teaching and seeing his students growing as musicians, passing grades and performing in public. His favourite pastime aside from playing music and reading books is playing more music.
DAVID WILSON - CONTEMPORARY Guitar
David has been playing guitar in many original and cover bands for 30 years as well as being a session musician mostly for the last 20.
David is also a producer working with many original bands over the last 20 years many of which have had charting songs with radio and TV play.
David has studied many styles under musicians such as Steve Housden (Little River Band/John Farnham), Paul Rettke (Jazz) and also studied Orchestral Theory with Joe Paperone at the Eastern Hill Conservatorium in Melbourne.
David joined the RCM's Guitar Department in 2018.
Jessica parker - Classical Guitar
Jessica began studying guitar at the age of seven through the Riverina Conservatorium of Music.
She has been a part of the Guitarist's Breakfast ensemble and is currently enjoying playing with the Guitarist’s Feast ensemble both groups have performed in locations around Wagga Wagga. Jessica enjoyed the opportunity to perform at the Wagga Civic Theatre as a soloist with the Riverina Youth Orchestra.
From a young age Jessica has had a great passion for music. She likes a wide variety of guitar styles but has a particular fondness for the Romantic era. One of her interests is studying Musicology.
Jessica is currently studying a Bachelor of Music through CQUniversity under the tutelage of Dr Harold Gretton, which she is working towards graduating in 2024. Jessica is looking forward to further improving her performing and guitar skills and expanding her musical knowledge, she hopes to bring enjoyment to others through teaching.
brianna seary - bass Guitar
Brianna began studying contemporary guitar at the age of 12 through the Riverina Conservatorium of Music and from the age of 15 began learning Bass.
Brianna is currently a member of the Simmons Street Big Band, CQUniversity band ‘Duck Duck Duck Goose’ playing bass, and has been involved in performances with Guitarist’s Feast and the RCM’s Riverina Youth Orchestra. In the past Brianna has played in the RCM Rock Band playing guitar.
She enjoys composing original pieces and arranging for solo bass and guitar. Brianna is a previous winner of the Silver Scholarship in the Guitar category and has won Composition awards both within and outside of the RCM.
Brianna is currently studying a Bachelor of Music through CQUniversity under the tutelage of Dr Harold Gretton, which she is working towards graduating in 2024. She hopes to continue to develop her bass and guitar performance and composition skills. Brianna looks forward to sharing her knowledge and love for music with other aspiring musicians.
Elizabeth (Liz) Lieschke – Ukulele Ensemble
Liz has been playing and teaching the ukulele for 14 years.
A classroom music teacher at a local primary school, Liz had been looking for a small stringed instrument suitable for use with her students. Something easy to store, sturdy and affordable.
Attending a Mike Jackson performance at the Wagga Wagga City Library, where he played a myriad of folk instruments, Liz was convinced she had found her ‘new instrument’ when Mike started playing his ukulele. She soon purchased her own and has been ‘learning’ about this wonderful instrument and playing it ever since. Liz connected with Wagga’s S.T.R.U.M (Super
Talented Riverina Ukulele Musicians) in 2013.
Liz joined the teaching team at Riverina Conservatorium in late 2017. She became the second director of the newly formed Ukulele Ensemble. In addition to facilitating the RCM’s Ukulele Ensemble and beginner’s groups as needed, Liz continues to teach classroom music – including Orff based percussion, recorders as well as the ukuleles.
When asked to describe her favourite instrument... ukulele - ‘easy to learn, lifetime to master’.