Gareth Koch
Gareth Koch (born 6 April 1962) is an Australian classical guitarist[1] and recording artist of German/Anglo-Irish/ Lithuanian heritage.
Biography
He was born in Milan to novelist Christopher Koch and Irene Vilnonis, a Conservatorium trained pianist. Gareth was raised in Sydney, Melbourne, Launceston and various European cities. Koch began to study guitar in Spain at the age of twelve. He made his recording debut in Vienna.
Following 10 years in Vienna, Koch was signed by Artworks Recorded Music in 1996 for whom he released four solo albums. Since then he has toured extensively in Europe, North America and Asia. He changed labels to ABC Classics Australia in 2003 and has subsequently released further solo albums. One of these was his controversial transcription of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.
Koch founded a guitar quartet with fellow Australian musicians Antony Field, Karin Schaupp and Slava Grigoryan to release albums under the group name Saffire.[2] In 2003 he won an ARIA Music Award for Best Classical Album with this ensemble.
Koch holds a PhD in Music and was Senior Lecturer in Guitar at the University of Newcastle for many years. He is currently Lecturer in Classical Guitar at the Hobart Conservatorium at the University of Tasmania.