Murray River Fine Music

Home
Australia
Albury, NSW
Murray River Fine Music

Murray River Fine Music aims to make the live performance of top-level Classical music accessible to regional country communities.

We are open to incorporating artists who perform in Contemporary and or Jazz styles, as well as Classical.

27/05/2026

Vale Simon Oswell (1954-2026). 💔 The MRFM Team and community are saddened to hear of the passing last week of one of our favourite musicians and performers, violist Simon Oswell. Simon’s musicality, generosity and sense of fun will be sorely missed by all of us who worked with him, knew him, or heard his artistry live.
Local audiences were mesmerised by his wonderful performance in the Genius of Shostakovich concert in May 2024 – two years ago almost to the day. Simon’s vast credentials included being principal violist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and he can be heard on the soundtracks to over 800 films from this era. Our sincere condolences to Bronwyn and family on their loss, and we are all the richer for having had Simon in our lives. 💜

25/05/2026

Congratulations to our amazing scholars on their wonderful performance at Wodonga Senior Secondary College Performing Arts Centre on the weekend. 😍
Our first fundraiser concert was a huge success, and we would like to thank everyone who attended, contributed, performed and supported our upcoming generation of talent here on the border 🙏💖
Thanks for following MRFM and hope to see you at our next event soon 👏🎵

23/05/2026

Only one more sleep until the unforgettable afternoon of music, mentorship and community awaits Border audiences at Murray River Fine Music’s first scholarship fundraiser concert. An array of talented young musicians will lead the concert on Sunday, May 24 at 2pm at the Wodonga Senior Secondary College Performing Arts Centre. The 2026 Murray River Fine Music Scholars who will be performing are Fela Gilbert (piano), Kaitlyn Ferrer (violin), William Paffen (piano) and Laylah Bains (voice).
These talented students are studying with pianist Helena Kernaghan, violinist Kaori Sparks and vocal coach Lauren Schmutter.
The scholars and their teachers, including the duo of Kernaghan and Sparks performing as Duo Gaku 楽, will share the stage in an inspiring recital, alongside Sparks' current student, Orlando Bulmer, who is preparing for his AMus A exam with the performance.
Murray River Fine Music artistic advisor Gordon Kerry said the dynamic mix of emerging artists and seasoned educators were united by a shared passion for music and a commitment to nurturing the next generation. “Every note played helps support scholarships that open doors for aspiring musicians, ensuring that financial barriers never stand in the way of talent.”

Mr Kerry and the MRFM Team are grateful to their sponsors, Joss Group and Giblin Construction Group, for fostering musical excellence within the next generation. Tickets are available at the door from 1.30pm tomorrow, or presale at the following link - hope to see you there https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1564346

20/05/2026

Tune in to 106.5FM tomorrow morning (7.50am) to hear Gordon Kerry speak with Sandra Moon about our upcoming scholarship fundraiser recital this Sunday. Tickets still available - click on the link for bookings and further information - hope to see you there! https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1564346

18/05/2026

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: The MRFM Team are thrilled to have Duo Gaku 楽 as our artists-in-residence here on the border. Kaori Sparks and Helena Kernaghan have played chamber music together for many years. Wishing to explore the repertoire for violin and piano further, in November 2025 they formally launched Duo Gaku 楽 at The Cube, Wodonga, with a program of Stravinsky’s Suite italienne, Brahms’s Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor, and the world premiere of Gordon Kerry’s new Violin Sonata No.2, commissioned for them by Carolyn Masel.
Duo Gaku 楽 highlights to date include performing for 3MBS ‘Portrait of a Lady’ recital in Kew in February 2023; performing for the Lyrebird Music Society 2026 concert series in March; performing with soprano Merlyn Quaife and cellist Josephine Vains as part of Beleura House and Garden’s 2026 series in April.
Their next major project for 2026 is to perform as a part of the octet ensemble of Lior and Nigel Westlake’s ‘Compassion’ at The Cube Wodonga in September.
Both performers are dedicated teachers and can't wait to perform alongside their students this Sunday 24th May as part of our scholarship fundraiser concert.Secure your seats now and support the performance and development of live music here on the border https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1564346

14/05/2026

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: We are delighted to have a special cameo appearance from Orlando Bulmer, a current student of Kaori Sparks Violin Services, in our upcoming scholarship fundraiser recital on May 24.
Orlando is a local violinist with extensive experience performing in orchestras and musicals throughout the region. Born in Darwin, he began violin lessons at the age of four, and moved to Beechworth with his family in 2014. He studied previously with and regularly plays with the . He has participated in major music programs including and the Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp, alongside local performances such as Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
In the upcoming May 24 recital, Orlando will perform two works from his AMusA exam repertoire, accompanied by his teacher, Kaori Sparks, in support of the scholarship program. Don't miss your chance to see Orlando performing live by securing your tickets now https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1564346

11/05/2026

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Lauren Schmutter is a highly experienced singing teacher, vocal director, and performer with a passion for developing young voices. With extensive training in contemporary vocal pedagogy, Lauren has completed accredited courses with Vocal Process, Oren Boder in straw phonation, and studied the Vocal Educator’s Toolkit through Vocalab, alongside numerous professional development courses.
Lauren’s teaching is enriched by her diverse performance background, having performed in bands from a young age across rock, contemporary, funk, and jazz styles, as well as appearing in numerous musical theatre productions throughout her career. She is also an accomplished choir leader and educator, working across schools and community ensembles.
Known for her supportive and engaging approach, Lauren is dedicated to nurturing confident, versatile singers and is proud to mentor the next generation of performers.
Lauren runs a private singing studio out of Border Show Business Academy Wodonga, and works as a Vocal Teacher during the day at Wodonga Senior and Middle Years Colleges. As the teacher of current MRFM scholar, Laylah Baines, Lauren will be performing in the upcoming fundraiser concert on May 24 2pm @ WSSC Performing Arts Centre. For tickets and further information, click on the following link https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1564346

08/05/2026

2026 Student Scholar: Laylah Baines had a very early introduction to music through the border’s Musikids program under the guidance of Kathryn Pyle. When she had completed the program, she went on to study piano with a particular interest in the classical style, before gravitating to guitar and singing. In 2025, Laylah was fortunate enough to begin vocal lessons with Lauren Schmutter. Together, they are working towards broadening her knowledge and vocal technique. Her first experiences of performing were through the Albury Wodonga Eisteddfod, various other competitions, as well as community events.
In 2024, Laylah graduated from the CMAA Academy of Country Music Junior program. While attending the program, she had the opportunity to develop her songwriting and performance skills under the mentorship of Australia's most acclaimed country music professionals.
For the past few years, Laylah has been performing in the surrounding area at various venues, festivals, wineries and events, including, Music in the Gardens, Tedx Albury, Yackandandah Folk Festival, Albury Carols by Candlelight, as well as opening for Golden Guitar Winning artists, Sara Storer and Wicker Suite.
Laylah placed first in the Yaccoustica Youth competition at the 2026 Yackandandah Folk Festival, securing herself a place in the artist line up at the festival in 2027.
For the last 3 years, Laylah has had the opportunity to attend the Kool Skools recording project at Empire Studio 52 in Melbourne, where students are able to record original works in a professional recording studio. As a result of this experience, she was awarded “Best Country/Folk Track” in 2024 and “Best Country/Folk Ballad” in 2025” at the Kool Skools Awards night.
Laylah has developed a love for songwriting through the shared experience of storytelling from personal experiences and the world around her. Don't miss your chance to catch Laylah performing some of her original songs live at 2pm Sunday May 24 at Wodonga Senior Secondary College Performing Arts Centre. Tickets available at https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1564346
Musikids @

05/05/2026

2026 Student Scholar: Fela Gilbert is a keen young musician who’s been playing piano since the age of five and is currently working at Grade 4 AMEB level, along with Grade 3 theory. He loves performing, especially at the Albury Wodonga Eisteddfod, where he’s earned many medals, and at the VMTA Geoffrey McFerran regional piano competition, where he placed first in his age group for North East Victoria in 2025 and second in 2024.
Fela started his music lessons at Musikids with Kathryn Pyle as a bub and then started piano with David Pietsch in 2019. He then learned with Miriam Briggs from 2024 and is currently studying with Helena Kernaghan. When he’s not competing, you might spot him busking at local markets, happily sharing his music (and a chat) with anyone who stops by. He also enjoys festivals like Rosewood, where he explores different instruments, and , where he plays his newer second instrument—the tenor saxophone.
Outside of music, Fela is an avid Warhammer fan. He spends time building and painting characters, then putting them to use in games with fellow enthusiasts at the local store. Don't miss your chance to see Fela performing works by Chopin and Kabalevsky at our scholarship fundraiser concert at Wodonga Senior Secondary College on Saturday May 24, 2pm. For tickets and further event information, click on the following link:
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1564346

02/05/2026

2026 Student Scholar: Kaitlyn Ferrer is a Year 8 student at with a strong and growing passion for music. She began her musical journey at the age of 7 with violin lessons and has since developed her skills under the guidance of her current teacher Kaori Sparks Violin Services.
At the age of 12, Kaitlyn expanded her musical abilities by taking up piano, studying under Grace Kernaghan. Her dedication to both instruments reflects her commitment to broadening her musicianship and artistic expression.
Kaitlyn is an active member of the , where she gains valuable experience and contributes to performances within her community. In the 2025 she was awarded the Best All-Round Professional Performance (Strings ) and Overall Age Champion (Under 12 Strings).
Looking ahead, Kaitlyn continues to pursue excellence in her musical studies, with upcoming AMEB examinations in Piano (Grade 6 ) and Violin ( Grade 8 ). Don't miss your chance to see Kaitlyn performing works by Tchaikovsky and Sibelius at our scholarship fundraiser concert at Wodonga Senior Secondary College on Saturday May 24, 2pm. For tickets and further event information, click on the following link: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1564346

Address

Albury, NSW

Website

https://murrayriverfinemusic.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Murray River Fine Music posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed Event/venue in Albury?