Graham returned from postgraduate baroque violin study in The Hague with Sigiswald Kuijken in 1985 with the aim of making a contribution to the development of historical performance in New Zealand. He began by playing in the Baroque Players (Wellington) and formed the chamber ensemble Extempore with whom he performed in numerous concerts throughout the country as well as recording for RNZ and Atoll. Many other early music specialists joined Extempore and performed and recorded in Auckland and Wellington as Extempore Plus. Graham also led modern instrument historically informed performances as leader of Bach Musica and Pipers Sinfonia for Auckland Choral and began a long association with the Wellington-based early music ensemble Restoration (Bronwen Pugh and Robert Petre). Graham also began teaching baroque violin at the University of Auckland in the early 2000s and as a result Miranda Hutton, Amelia Giles, and Lara Hall have become leading players in the field.
In 2004 Graham and Helen Brinkman formed NZ Barok (firstly known as Auckland Barok) and twenty years later NZ Barok is still alive and well. It has become the preeminent baroque ensemble in the country. Graham retired from direct involvement with NZ Barok in 2024 after 20 years of leadership. He will continue as a tutor for NZ Barok’s annual Winter Baroque Academy and continues his work in music education as an Associate Professor at The University of Auckland.
