Loreta Fin
Q.First Name
R. LoretaQ. Last NameR. FinQ. When did you join SYO? R. 1975`80 as a Violinist in Intermediate and then Senior Orchestra. 1981 as a tutor, 1985, 86 and 87 organising tutors for all orchestras and tutoring SYO 2 and 3 Violins. Moved to Brisbane in 1988.Q. What instruments did you play in SYO?R. ViolinQ. What is your favourite memory of SYOR. My school did not have much of a music program in the 1970s. SYO was my favourite time of the week. Playing under and learning from the amazing Richard Gill was a highlight. Tours to regional areas were loads of fun. Oh, and so was heading down to the “Chew and Spew” after rehearsals with friends from the orchestra. SO many laughs. Some of the happiest memories of my teenage years.Q. What role does music play in your life?R. Music has always played a major role in my life. I now teach, perform, compose, conduct and examine. That variety has helped me to sustain a career that I love. I changed to Viola in my early 20s and have enjoyed performing in many professional musical theatre productions and have been the Principal Viola player of the Qld Pops Orchestra since the early 1990s. From 1988 to 2021, I was Director of Strings at a girls’ school in Brisbane, called Somerville House. Over the past 25 years or so, I have written and arranged over 100 pieces for String Orchestra, which I believe have been played by some of the SYO String Orchestras. I have lived in Brisbane since 1988, and many of my students have played in QYO over the years. I’m now working as a freelance clinician, examiner and conductor, hoping to give back to the next generation of players and teachers. I have made lifelong friends and have reconnected with many from my SYO days, thanks to social media.Q. What is your favourite musical repertoire from the SYO performances? R. I loved everything, but there was nothing like playing Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien under the baton of the fabulously charismatic, knowledgeable and funny Richard Gill.Q. What advice would you give young musicians today? R. Playing an instrument is a lifelong gift that nobody can take from you. It is something you can keep doing after you finish school, no mattter what career path you choose. If you choose to follow a music career, learn to do EVERYTHING. Teaching makes you a better player, working with children keeps you young. Music is not only good for your brain, but it’s good for the heart and soul of every human being. Play for life!Q. Would you like to be involved in the 50th Birthday activities, The Big Busk and other performances such as the Alumni Orchestra? R. Try me – it depends on my availabilityQ. I would be interested in SYO contacting me regarding the following:R. – Special events for alumniQ. Any other information or anecdotes you would like to share with the SYO?R. Other SYO Connections: I met my husband, Stephen Williams (clarinet, not the trumpet Steve) through SYO. He was conducting one of the orchestras around 84-87. We married in late 1988. My sister, Rita Fin was also in SYO and conducted the orchestras in her time there.
Loreta Fin studied violin at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She was a first violinist with the Sydney Youth Senior Symphony Orchestra, and later tutored and conducted several of the groups within the Sydney Youth Orchestra.
She also taught at Sydney Grammar School before moving to Brisbane in 1988. At present, she holds the position of Director of Strings and Instrumental Music at Somerville House Girls’ School and conducts and oversees the school’s String Orchestras. There are over 500 students in the instrumental music program, which includes more than 200 string players from Year 3 to Year 12. All of the string ensembles have been successful in competitions over the years and the senior group, Somerville Strings, was the winner of the 2004 Orchestra Australia Award for excellence in school orchestral music.
In addition to her teaching commitments at Somerville House, Loreta was the President of AUSTA Queensland (Australian Strings Association) from 2001 to 2004 was the National President from 2005 to 2007. At the 2015 AUSTA National Conference Loreta was presented with the AUSTA National Award in Recognition and Appreciation for Outstanding Service within the String and Music Community of Australia. She has taught at the Queensland Young Conservatorium, lectured in String Pedagogy at the University of Queensland and is a Violin and Viola Examiner with the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB). Loreta has conducted workshops for the Australian Strings Association and the Australian Band and Orchestras Association. She has presented at National Austa String Conferences and in 2009, presented at the American String Teachers Association Conference in Atlanta. Loreta has tutored at numerous music camps, including the Education Department’s Most Outstanding Students’ Program and is in demand as a guest conductor for school festivals. She has published a series of over 50 pieces for young string ensembles. Loreta is an experienced adjudicator, having adjudicated at all major Queensland festivals and competitions, including the Australian Academy Festival of Music, the Gold Coast’s Tropicarnival, the Catholic Schools’ Music Festival, the Sunshine Coast Eisteddfod, the Golden Fiddle Awards and the Australian Strings Association’s Junior and Senior String Competitions. In 2015 she was invited to conduct the String Orchestra at the Queensland State Honours Ensemble Program.
Loreta has played violin and viola in many freelance professional productions at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, including Les Miserables, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, The King and I, The Wizard of Oz, Phantom of the Opera and the English Ballet’s production of Swan Lake. She has also worked with many well-known artists, such as Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, Shirley Bassey, Jerry Lewis, Gene Pitney, Kate Ceberano Sarah Brightman, Rod Stewart and Marina Prior and played in the Brisbane season of The Main Event, starring John Farnham, Olivia Newton John and Anthony Warlow. She also performed in the Brisbane season of The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman. Loreta has been Principal Violist with the Queensland Pops Orchestra for over 10 years.