The Musicians
Fiona Horbach - mandolin
Fiona began playing mandolin at 7 years of age and graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music Education majoring in mandolin.
Fiona has taught classroom music, conducted choirs and instrumental groups in NSW schools in Sydney and rural NSW. Fiona has taught classroom music from playgroup to year 12 HSC and now teaches privately from her home studio on the northern beaches. She is a member of Plektra and the community orchestra The Sydney Mandolin Orchestra. She has performed in mandolin orchestras, chamber groups and as a soloist in Sydney and interstate. Fiona performs Classical and World Music. In 2010, 2014 and 2018 she performed at the BDZ Eurofestival in Germany with Plektra, The Australis Ensemble and the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra respectively. In 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2020 Fiona attended and performed at the Classical Mandolin Society of America’s annual convention.
Fiona performs Classical and World Music enjoying the versatility of the beautiful instrument that is the mandolin.
Fiona has taught classroom music, conducted choirs and instrumental groups in NSW schools in Sydney and rural NSW. Fiona has taught classroom music from playgroup to year 12 HSC and now teaches privately from her home studio on the northern beaches. She is a member of Plektra and the community orchestra The Sydney Mandolin Orchestra. She has performed in mandolin orchestras, chamber groups and as a soloist in Sydney and interstate. Fiona performs Classical and World Music. In 2010, 2014 and 2018 she performed at the BDZ Eurofestival in Germany with Plektra, The Australis Ensemble and the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra respectively. In 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2020 Fiona attended and performed at the Classical Mandolin Society of America’s annual convention.
Fiona performs Classical and World Music enjoying the versatility of the beautiful instrument that is the mandolin.
Werner Ruecker - classical guitar
Werner Ruecker is a classical guitar teacher, composer, conductor and arranger. Ruecker began learning classical guitar at the age of 10 from his father Josef who co-founded the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra (MMO) with Dr. Peter Evans in 1967. In 1979 after a number of years as Assistant Conductor he was appointed conductor of the MMO for the first time and held that position until the end of 1985. He subsequently returned to the orchestra as conductor for two years in 1989-90. His other conducting credits include: Federation of Australasian Mandolin Ensembles (FAME) Music Camp Orchestra Goulburn 1982, FAME Festival Orchestra Sydney 2015, Mandolin Magic Orchestra Gympie 2016. He also conducted the Warrnambool Symphony Orchestra from 2006-2012 and was Musical Director for the Warrnambool Theatre Company in productions of Cinderella and The Pajama Game. After moving back to Melbourne in 2013 Werner was reappointed conductor of the MMO and led the orchestra on its successful tour of Europe in April 2018 where the orchestra gave concerts in Tilburg, Köln, Luxembourg, Metz, Sessenbach, Kirkel. The MMO finished the tour with two performances at the prestigious BDZ Festival in Bruchsal Germany held every 4 years.
In 2019 Werner moved to Sydney and was appointed the conductor and musical director of The Sydney Mandolin Orchestra. Later that year the Classical Mandolin Society of America (CMSA) nominated Werner to join their Honorary Board of Directors for substantial contributions to classical mandolin and guitar outside of North America.
In 2019 Werner moved to Sydney and was appointed the conductor and musical director of The Sydney Mandolin Orchestra. Later that year the Classical Mandolin Society of America (CMSA) nominated Werner to join their Honorary Board of Directors for substantial contributions to classical mandolin and guitar outside of North America.
Marjorie Li - Pipa
Marjorie Li is currently a HDR candidate in the School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University. Her research is on the psychosocial impacts of intercultural musical engagement on intercultural understanding. She obtained her Graduate Diploma in Psychology from the University of New England, and Bachelor of Music Studies (Honours I) from Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the University of Sydney. Her main instrument is Chinese plucked lute pipa which she has been studying with Dr Lulu Liu, a pipa performer, educator, and researcher at the Conservatorium since 2016. Marjorie has been actively engaging in the community-based musical activities. She is an active member of the Chinese pipa ensemble with Australian Pipa Association, and Sydney Mandolin Orchestra. Prior to this, she was a member of the Chinese Music Ensemble for more than three years at the Conservatorium. Besides Chinese pipa, she also plays piano, was a member of Amateur Chamber Music Society Australia.
Brent Keogh - oud, mandola
Brent Keogh is musician, composer and academic. He was awarded a PhD at Macquarie University for a thesis on World Music in Australia. Keogh has published widely on popular music and ethnomusicology, and is currently a lecturer in Music and Sound Design at the University of Technology Sydney. He plays a number of instruments, including middle eastern lute (oud), mandolin, mandola, guitar, and vocals. He studied the Egyptian oud privately with Joseph Tawadros and classical mandolin with Fiona Horbach and Alon Sariel. Keogh was recently commissioned to compose six dances for world plucked string quartet as part of the ABC classic and ABC jazz commissioning fund 2021, and commissioned by the Northern Beaches Council to compose an original suite for mandola, flute, cello and tabla.