Violin

Tutors in Residence

Alan Smith from Brisbane

Alan Smith will be the principal Violin Tutor, conduct the McGregor String Orchestra and produce the evening tutor concerts.

After graduating with First Class Honours from the Elder Conservatorium, Adelaide, Alan was awarded a DAAD scholarship for postgraduate study at the Robert Schumann Institute in Dusseldorf with Gottfried Schneider. On his return to Australia, he joined the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra as Associate Concertmaster and was later appointed Concertmaster of the Adelaide Chamber Orchestra.

Alan became Concertmaster of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 1995. He has given highly acclaimed performances as soloist with the QSO in Brisbane and as part of the orchestra's northern tour. Notable solo engagements have included performances of Benjamin Frankel's triple concerto and the Beethoven triple concerto. He is presently Co-Concertmaster of the Queensland Orchestra. He is a regular tutor for the Queensland Youth Symphony Orchestra and is a part-time teacher at the Queensland Conservatorium. Alan performed in the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in 2002 and 2003. He plays a violin made by the Spanish maker Jose Contreras in 1770.

Jenny Khafagi from Melbourne

Jenny is currently the first violinist of the Elston String Quartet. In early 2008, the group participated in an intensive six week residency under scholarship at the prestigious Banff Centre. Jenny has been a casual member of the Queensland Orchestra since 2005, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2009. She completed her Bachelor of Music, studying under Michele Walsh, in 2007 and spent six months in London and Europe studying privately with members of the Philharmonia and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. She held the position of Associate Principal Second Violin during the Australian Youth Orchestra’s international tour in 2007 and was the concertmaster of the Queensland Youth Symphony for the 2004 European tour. From 2002-2004, she also held the position of Principal Second Violin in the Unicef World Youth Chamber Orchestra. In 2010, Jenny toured with the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s ACO2 through regional Australia, and represented Australia at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan.