Greta Kelly plays violin in deepblue and several rock, 'chamber pop', and experimental bands including The Golden Circles. She also plays the kamanche tarhu (a spikefiddle made by Australian luthier Peter Biffen) in a variety of Middle Eastern groups, including world fusion band Mzaza, Egyptian ensemble Muziz, and Persian group Hikayat. She has studied and performed Turkish, Arabic, Persian and Indian music both in Australia and overseas, giving her an understanding of unusual scales and rhythms and the chance to perform with an eclectic mix of dancers, vocalists and some very strange instruments.

 

Greta's grandfather, mum and sister encouraged her to learn the violin at a young age, which led her to study privately and throughout school with some inspiring violinists. After completing a Bachelor of Arts and an English teaching qualification, she lived in the Czech Republic, where she discovered Eastern European and Irish folk music. Over the past 10 years Greta's focus has slowly moved further East, learning Balkan, Turkish, Iraqi, Persian, and Egyptian classical, folk and sacred music. It's taken her to some pretty curious places, including world-renowned Labyrinth Music Workshops in Greece, and a two month tour of Turkey.

 

Greta's experience teaching violin and her involvement in youngblue workshops that deepblue conducts across Australia, has developed her excellent rapport with both primary and high school aged children.