Pianist

Ann Clipsham

Inspired by a musical environment as a child, Ann Clipsham trained as a classroom music teacher and worked in both primary and secondary schools for most of her career. She has taught in both country and Sydney schools finishing at the International Grammar School as a teacher of piano, keyboard and musicianship. Ann has always loved playing the piano, particularly as an accompanist, and has maintained a professional interest as a teacher and performer. She received Licentiate Diplomas in both teaching and performance practice from the Australian Music Examinations Board and from Trinity College, London. Ann works as a church organist, playing for services, weddings and funerals, and even dabbles in piano accordion; but her great joy is in making music with others as equal partners.
Ann is a professional accompanist and teacher of piano. She also performed regularly on spinet and piano with “Concertante”, (an instrumental trio specialising in Renaissance and Baroque repertoire), and played both horn and trombone in the Highlands Sinfonia, the Proms Orchestra, the Highland Theatre Company orchestra and in the the Highlands Tattoo. Ann was rehearsal pianist and repetiteur for the HTG’s production of “Guys and Dolls” and filled the same role for “The Baker’s Wife” and “Sound of Music”.

Honorary Patron

Kerith Fowles (OAM)

Founder and Music Director of Serendipity: the choir, Kerith had a distinguished career as a music educator in NSW. As a member of the Music Curriculum Committee and the HSC Music Examination Committee for the Board of Studies she was instrumental in pursuing significant changes to the structure and content of all the music syllabi, and the format and overall approach to examining the courses presented for the HSC in music.

As a teacher Kerith had the opportunity to teach at all levels, from kindergarten to tertiary, and in state and independent schools and colleges. She was (and is) a presenter of workshops for various educational groups including the Orff Association, Kodaly Education programme, the NSW and Victorian recorder associations, and community choirs in Canberra and Sydney.

Her musical experience is extensive: she has played in chamber music ensembles, orchestras (violin, French horn and percussion), recorder ensembles of all sizes and configurations; has sung with most of Sydney’s leading choirs including Australia’s only professional choir, ‘Cantillation’; has conducted school, community and church choirs; and appears in a range of recordings with ‘Cantillation’ and on various film soundtracks.
In 2019 Kerith was awarded the Medal of Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to music and to the community of the Southern Highlands.