General Testimonials

I've been a serious amateur musician for over 50 years and have recently renewed my interest in the recorder. When bricks and mortar stores seem to stock only the most popular instruments, Orpheus Music has been an absolute godsend with their extensive catalogue of instruments from many top manufacturers, at a wide range of prices. They even sell Paetzold Basses! I've purchased several instruments in different sizes (descant to bass) and styles. Their service is excellent and their prices very competitive. They have an extensive catalogue of sheet music too, both their own publications and methods, studies and collections from other publishers. I'm working through a few of these at the moment and expect to purchase many more as my skills increase. Frankly without Orpheus Music I'd be lost. Although I didn't realize it when I first started doing business with them, Zana Clarke, the founder of Orpheus Music, was a major inspiration in developing my interest in the recorder in the first place through her early music recordings. Perhaps we'll meet at an Orpheus Music Boutique sometime. I believe they're a lot of fun and an opportunity to learn from some great teachers.

As an avid recorder player, I could not manage without Orpheus Music. The range of music and instruments on offer is unavailable anywhere else in Australia. And the opportunity to try the instruments in order to find the ones that make for a comfortable and pleasing performance is an added bonus. I have had the pleasure of attending the annual Orpheus Music Workshops for over a decade. These workshops have provided the occasion to play with like-minded recorder lovers and to be benefit from the expertise of nationally and internationally acclaimed tutors. In addition, I can have my various instruments serviced while attending the workshops.

Without the support and service provided by Orpheus Music I would be lost. I have been a keen recorder player for fifty years and I deal with Orpheus frequently. The annual Recorder Boutique is excellent in every respect and is a highlight of my year. The catalogue of music and tutorial books offered online is extensive and readily available with a prompt ordering and delivery service. I have purchased all my recorders from Orpheus and have been well advised by them as to the best instruments for my needs. The range and quality of the instruments they provide is the best available. I am always impressed by Orpheus' knowledge, passion and exceptional service to recorder players nationwide.

Orpheus Music is run by an expert team: with them, you are in the best hands! Do you need to have your recorders serviced, are you looking for new repertoire suitable to your level or are you going to invest in a new instrument? Zana, Peter and Alexandra will make it very easy for you with full professionalism, passion for music and the friendliest service!

Orpheus Music has an amazing catalogue of music for the Recorder and a wonderful range of instruments to purchase. I have always found the service speedy, friendly and obliging. Kind regards and fond memories of the Boutique last January.

Yes, happy to highly recommend everything you do: the range of sheet music, the fabulous instruments but most of all the incredible recorder boutique. Cheers

I have purchased my recorders and music from Orpheus Music for over five years. Because I have very specific needs, I was able to discuss those with Zana and Peter, and they were able to send me just what I needed. It is increasingly becoming important to have a service like this as I strive to improve my playing technique. Buying a recorder over the internet is not as easy as saying, ‘I like the look of that recorder’. How you hold a recorder, play it and just what it is you need in a recorder are all aspects that need to be considered. I have one more: I am profoundly deaf so it is vital I am able to trust the person I am purchasing the instrument from. Zana, in particular, has an amazing ability to match recorder to player. At a time when music shops are rapidly disappearing from our shopping centres, it has become increasingly important to not only have a reliable source of good music, but to have people who understand your needs and is able to reliable meet them. When I recently had to purchase music for my studies, having my music on my doorstep three days later was fantastic.

In this era of large corporations and “big is best” where small businesses struggle everywhere to survive, it is heartening and refreshing to find one small business in a country town which is ahead of the larger competition and right on top of its game. I am talking of Orpheus Music, a family enterprise based in Armidale specialising in promoting recorder playing and everything associated with it.

If you are interested in recorders you would be crazy not to consult Orpheus’s very comprehensive website. They have the largest stock of printed music, recorders and various recorder accessories anywhere in Australia and cater for the complete novice to the talented professional. Everything is reasonably priced. They are right up to date with new developments in the field and stock modern music and recorder series as soon as they become available. Other music stores tend to either treat recorder playing as a marginal music activity and keep only minimal stock or ignore recorder players altogether, while recorders are the heart of Orpheus Music. From personal experience I can vouch for the fact that their on-line business is run very efficiently and professionally. They respond immediately to orders placed on-line and post products out very promptly.

The other activity Orpheus specialises in is the annual Boutique held in Armidale every January. This is a sell-out event and attracts recorder players from all around the country. For many it is an annual pilgrimage. It caters for all serious recorder players and brings in some of the best tutors available to run the sessions, frequently including tutors from Europe. I have found that this is the best way to improve your playing. There is nothing like it in the rest of Australia. It also makes a very pleasant holiday in the beautiful environment of the Northern Tablelands. Make sure you take your credit cards with you as you are bound to be tempted by the wealth of recorder and recorder products on offer at their store at the Boutique!

What more can I say? Everything about Orpheus is positive, and Peter and Zana are such nice people to deal with!

I have been dealing with Orpheus since 2000 and have always found them to be absolutely efficient and trustworthy in all things recorder. I have attended every January course since then except one, and many weekend workshops where Zana has been a tutor. I can’t praise her teaching ability enough, nor that of the various other tutors she has gathered around her. Since she began publishing and acting as agent for other publishers of music I have bought many pieces, in the knowledge that I will be given reputable advice in the suitability of such, and if in stock, very fast service. The same is true when purchasing instruments, which I have done more times than I care to admit (in case my children read this). I have depended upon Peter for a couple of repairs and reconditioning of favourite recorders which he has carried out quickly and efficiently. It goes without saying that I wholeheartedly recommend Orpheus Music to anyone needing recorders, sheet music, workshops and courses, or repair of recorders. Brenda Kreger

I have found Orpheus Music to be invaluable in my time as a music teacher, arranger, conductor and performer. Orpheus Music stocks the most comprehensive range of recorder music in Australia. They have also been more than willing to order music in upon request and are quick to post as soon as it is in stock. The annual Orpheus Recorder Boutique is a wonderful experience. Recorder players gather together in Armidale to improve their technique and benefit from the expertise of the tutors. The range of ensembles is particularly valuable for those in remote areas who do not have local recorder societies. It is a great opportunity to make or renew friendships with those who have a love of the recorder. Orpheus also offers the opportunity to try a range of recorders and make informed decisions when purchasing. It is a rare occurrence for me to leave Armidale without a new instrument ... and I always leave with new music, new knowledge and inspiration.

Orpheus Music is a unique Australian recorder-related entity which concentrates both in publishing its own editions and in delivering a wide range of existing publications, products and instruments. Orpheus Music is a web shop, but has also a physical location situated in Armidale, Australia.

A word of thanks to Orpheus Music...

I would like to express my thanks to Zana and Peter, for the immense gift they’ve given to the recorder playing scene in Australia. The ‘tyranny of distance’ has always affected things in this country, and music education has suffered in the same way it seems. Zana saw the depth of interest amongst players widely spread out across the country, and has pulled out all stops to provide us with the best possible teaching and learning opportunities - for the past several decades no less!!

The annual summer schools, in particular, have been hugely valuable for me as a serious amateur player:

• Small classes with the best teachers from Australasia and Europe.
• It’s an unmatched opportunity to boost our skills, refine our musicality – and with individual attention...
• It’s also very encouraging to explore new types of repertoire with experienced teachers.
• Large ensembles, with players of a similar standard, provide another special treat.
• It’s a superb opportunity to play “orchestral” scale works with fine musicians from across the country. 

• The huge range of sheet music and recorders on display at the Orpheus Summer School is just incredible.
• Browsing through music is enriching – new pieces, new genres, new composers to explore with friends.
• And the staggering variety of instruments to try out over the week is incredibly helpful too.
• Choosing which maker, which design, and which type of wood, is a rich experience and just takes time.
• I suspect that “Try Before You Buy” at this large scale, just isn’t available anywhere else in the country!
   

So, here’s my heartfelt thanks to Orpheus Music for incredible efforts with “all things recorder”:

• initiating.........
• creating..........
• sustaining.......
• resourcing......
• exploring........
• guiding...........
• encouraging...
• enthusing.......

I would like to thank you for the help and support you have given me over the past few years as I began working in a Steiner School. I sought advice on resources including recorders for the classroom and treble and bass recorders for the Recorder Consort and to extend students. Orpheus has a wide range of options for those of us working in Steiner Schools not only with instruments but music, ensemble pieces and the programme and discounts offered to students so they can attend the Orpheus Recorder Boutiques.