- Meet Our Teachers: Anne, Matthew & Kathrine -
Anne Hilberts BMusEd, AMusA, MMTA, MVMTA
Anne is a fully qualified, experienced music teacher, specializing in piano, keyboard, composition, theory, musicianship, music craft and aural skills.
She completed her music degree in both music and pedagogy, including Kodaly and Orff methods, in 1989. During this time at Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, she majored in piano performance with the late Dr David Jones, and continued further piano studies with him after graduation. This was a highlight of her studies, and means that her teaching line traces back through Gordon Watson to both Egon Petri and Busoni, who was a colleague of the famous pianist, Franz Liszt.
Over the years Anne's students have achieved excellent exam results from elementary levels right through to diploma, and several have won piano championships and major sections in various eisteddfods throughout NSW, including Tamworth, Taree, Coffs Harbour, Gunnedah, Cowra, Orange, Muswellbrook, Lake Macquarie (Newcastle), and various online piano competitions.
Anne likes to keep her music skills up to date and over the years has participated in masterclasses with Gordon Watson, Gerard Willems, Philip Shovk, Warren Thompson, Clemens Leschke, Danielle Salamon, Richard Morphew, James Muir, Gian-Franco & Natalia Ricci, Catriona Stafford, Elizabeth Jacobs, Simon Tedeschi, and Gilbert de Greeve. She has also enjoyed professional development courses with Dr Noa Kageyama, specialist performance psychologist on faculty at the Juillard School of Music, New York, and with Róża Kostrzewska Yoder, from the Chopin Academy.
Matthew Hilberts BMus. AMusA
Matthew is both an accomplished classically trained singer, and a pianist. He completed his Bachelor of Music at Sydney Conservatorium, majoring in classical voice with the internationally acclaimed baritone, Simon Lobelson. Prior to that, he studied classical voice with Patricia Woods, and piano with Anne Hilberts. He completed all his AMEB piano and singing grades by 2016. Currently he is continuing his music studies in the Master of Music Studies in Opera Performance program at Sydney Conservatorium.
In 2023, Matthew won a scholarship to the Berlin Opera Academy summer program, to study and perform the role of Jupiter in Orpheus of the Underworld, by Offenbach. In 2022, Matthew was thrilled to win both the Michael Saunders Aria section, and the Hawkins Family Stage and Screen prize, as well as many other sections, at Lake Macquarie Eisteddfod, as well as completing his music degree. Over the years he has enjoyed participating in music masterclasses with David Greco, Gerard Willems, Tamara-Anne Cislowska, Catriona Stafford, Gilbert de Greeve, and Phillip Shovk.
Matthew enjoys performing classical vocal repertoire, and teaching both singing and piano. He has been teaching music privately for several years, coaching children and adults, for both their own pleasure and for exams. He particularly enjoys seeing the light bulb moments in a lesson when students really connect with their music, and get excited about their achievements!
Kathrine Hilberts AMusA, ATCL (Distinction), Performance Certificate (Distinction)
Kathrine has been playing piano since she was six! She loves music, and also plays both violin and pipe organ to an advanced level. She completed all the Australian Music Exam Board piano grades, including her Certificate of Piano Performance (with Distinction), and then proceeded to sit for and pass her AMusA., and ATCL (also with distinction), while learning from her mother, Anne.
In 2023, Kathrine won the Senior Piano Championship 'Sherelle Eyles' Perpetual Trophy, AND the Open Age Romantic Piano Solo 'Bruce Dignum Memorial' trophy at Lismore Eisteddfod. In 2022 she passed her Associate of Music diploma, in piano performance. She also won the Open Age Piano Championship at Tamworth Eisteddfod, as well as the Jean Coates Memorial Bach competition, and several other sections.
In 2021, Kathrine competed in Coffs Harbour piano eisteddfod, gaining several first places, and winning the Intermediate Piano Championship. She also competed in Cowra piano eisteddfod, winning the Marine Centre Teenage Piano Championship. In June that year she competed in Tamworth Piano Eisteddfod, and was delighted to win the Senior Piano Championship, among other sections.
In 2020, she competed in several piano competitions, including the inaugural Gunnedah Online Eisteddfod, where she won both of their 15 yrs piano sections, and was also awarded runner-up in the 'Most Promising of all Competitors' (across 600 entrants). She also entered the International 'Piano Star' Competition amateur division, and was thrilled to gain a 3rd place. Locally, she competed in the Newcastle Nan Price Open Age Scholarship, gaining a second place.
Katie relates well to children and loves teaching piano and violin, passing on a love and joy of music to others! And in her spare time she enjoys painting and writing books.
We hope you enjoy the videos below, showcasing our teachers!
Anne & Matthew are on the left, performing 'Sea Fever' by Ireland, and Kathrine is on the right playing a Bach Partita & Haydn Sonata