While studying bassoon with Klaus Thunemann in Germany in 1981, Matthew was a prizewinner at the International Music Competition in Geneva. He has appeared as soloist with many orchestras including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Wuerttemburg Chamber Orchestra, The Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Sydney Symphony which he joined in 2000. Matthew has been a member of the world-renowned Chamber Orchestra of Europe since 1986 and has worked under such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Meta and Roger Norrington. Matthew’s recordings include concertos by Mozart, Vivaldi and Richard Strauss, as well as many chamber works. His recording of Bach and Telemann sonatas for Melba Records entitled “The Galant Bassoon”, was recently chosen as recording of the week on ABC Classic FM.

Young-Chang Cho studied with Laurence Lesser, David Soyer, Mstislav Rostropovich. He won praises for his International cello competitions from Rostropovich in Paris, ARD in Munich, Casals in Budapst, Naumberg in New York. Young-Chang Cho won praises from ARD in Munich and Geneva in Piano Trio with two sisters. He has been soloist with the Washington National Symphony, Saint Petersburg Symphony, Bayerische Rundfunk Symphony, Sofia Philharmonic and NHK Symphony. Young-Chang Cho was invited to be a Jury member of competitions such Rostropovich in Paris, Casals in Kronberg and ARD in Munich, Markneukirchen. Young-Chang Cho has been Invited to play and give master classes at Music Festivals including Kronberg Cello Festival, Australia Festival of Chamber Music, Forbidden City Festival in China and in Finland, Japan, Korea. He is a Professor at the Folkwang Musikhochschule, Essen, Germany and at the Yon-Sei University, Seoul Korea.

Louise Hopkins made her debut at the Barbican Hall playing Witold Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto with the composer conducting a performance of which The Times commented ‘players with such personality, agility and power are rare’. Louise has an international career which has taken her all over Europe and to the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. She has broadcast frequently for the BBC, RTE, Swiss Romande, New Zealand Radio and Radio France. She has collaborated with an array of artists such as the Takacs Quartet, Thomas Ades (with whom she recorded his piano quartet ‘CATCH’ for EMI), Emmanuel Pahud, Andras Keller, Anthony Marwood, Ferenz Rados, Denes Varjon, Aleksandar Madzar, Sasha Melnikov, Piers Lane, and Steven Kovacevich. She is Deputy Head of Strings at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Cello Professor at the Hochschule in Bern, Switzerland and has taught for 13 years at the Yehudi Menuhin School.

Camerata of St John’s -- a group of talented, professional Australian string players, performing without a conductor -- is known for its verve, stylish presentations, and innovative programming. It was founded in 1987 by pioneering string educator, Elizabeth Morgan, affording emerging artists the chance to develop self-reliance and group ownership by performing without a conductor, and re-formed in 2005 to evolve as a vibrant, new style of professional ensemble. Dynamic leader Brendan Joyce, is a successful alumnus of the early Camerata. Camerata’s players contribute to the artistic decision-making in a spirit of democracy, resulting in the group’s distinctive sound and style. The lessened hierarchy is unique in Australia, providing a nurturing, inspiring atmosphere within the group. Drawing on the diverse backgrounds and talents of its players Camerata programmes often feature cross-over elements such as Mexican mariachi, soulful Tibetan music, and gypsy styles. Theatrical aspects and improvisation are occasionally included. Guest artists include acclaimed violinists Jack Liebeck (UK) and Atle Sponberg (Norway), oboist Diana Doherty, New York based violist Kathryn Lockwood, pianist Piers Lane, members of TaikOz, flamenco guitarist Gerard Mapstone, Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal, and actors Bille Brown and Angie Milliken. Camerata performed to great acclaim at the 2009 Australian Festival of Chamber Music and was named in Limelight Magazine’s 2010 Smart Arts list.

Violin
Brendan Joyce (leader)
Sally-Ann Djachenko
Helentherese Good
Glenn Murray
Jonny Ng
Melanie O'Sullivan
Michael Patterson (leader violin II)
Tiana Robinson
Elizabeth Tibben

Viola
Yoko Okayasu (leader)
Alice Buckingham
Hana Hobiger
Anna Jack
Antonio Bernal

Cello
Katherine Philp (leader)
Katherine Brown
Danielle Bentley

Michael Collins’ dazzling virtuosity and sensitive musicianship have made him one of today’s most sought-after soloists. He has performed as a soloist with many of the world’s major orchestras, including the Philadelphia, NHK Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, City of Birmingham Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, BBC Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestra. Since his first performance at the BBC Proms, Collins has returned to the festival more often than any other wind soloist, including several appearances at the renowned Last Night of the Proms. As a chamber musician, he has a long standing relationship with Wigmore Hall, having enjoyed many residencies at the prestigious London venue, the next being in 2010/11.

Wendy Hiscocks was born in Wollongong and studied composition with Peter Sculthorpe at the University of Sydney. In 1988 she moved to London and has received commissions, premières and broadcasts from distinguished soloists, ensembles, choirs and festivals from around the world. These have included Roy Howat, Scott McCarrey and Cordelia Williams (pianists), Rachel Nicholls and Elizabeth Connell (sopranos), Adelaide Philharmonia Chorus, Sydney Chamber Choir, Jesus College Choir (Cambridge), Schubert Ensemble (London), Amadeus Festival (Geneva), Radio Suisse Romande, Radio France, ABC and BBC. Wendy’s appearance in an ABC TV documentary on the Australian painter Lloyd Rees included a performance of her choral work ‘Grace’ and was broadcast in 2008 and 2009. As a performer, she has recorded for Edition Stil and performed at venues ranging from London’s Purcell Room to the Kusatsu International Summer Academy and Festival in Japan. She enjoys maintaining a close relationship with musicians and music making in Australia, and as well as appearing as composer-in-residence at the 2010 Australian Festival of Chamber Music, she will be performing on ABC radio in recital with pianist Ian Munro, and as writer and presenter of a radio documentary celebrating the life and music of Arthur Benjamin. Other current large-scale projects include the first biography of Arthur Benjamin and a chamber opera on an Australian subject.

A prominent and versatile figure in contemporary music, Roger Smalley was born near Manchester, England in 1943. He studied piano with Antony Hopkins and composition with Peter Racine Fricker and John White at the Royal College of Music, London. He also took private composition lessons with Alexander Goehr and furthered his studies with Karlheinz Stockhausen on the Cologne Course for New Music. Roger emigrated to Australia in the mid 1970s. His compositions, commissioned by prestigious organisations and groups– from the BBC and London Sinfonietta to the ABC and Australian Chamber Orchestra –have been performed and broadcast world-wide. His compositions and performances have been released on numerous CDs, and he has won awards both as composer and pianist: his own performance of his Piano Concerto was the recommended work in the UNESCO Composers’ Rostrum in 1987. In 1991 he was the recipient of a Creative Development Award from the West Australian Department for the Arts, and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. In 1994 he was awarded the Australia Council’s prestigious Don Banks Fellowship ‘in recognition of his distinguished contribution to Australian music’. He received the Australian Government Centenary Medal in 2001 and was proclaimed a Western Australian Living Treasure in 2004. Roger Smalley’s career as an academic has been closely tied to his activities as a composer and performer: his move from the UK to Australia was the result of a short composer residency at the University of Western Australia. After a significant academic career at the University of Western Australia, Roger Smalley now lives and works in Sydney.

Born in Mount Isa, William Barton is one of the world’s leading didgeridoo players and in increasing demand as a composer. In 2009, William received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Griffith University. Recent engagements have included the 2010 G’day USA tour to Los Angeles and Musica Viva’s Tour of Laos, Singapore and the Philippines. In 2009, William was invited to perform at the Sound Relief Concert (fundraiser for the Victorian Fire Victims) at the Sydney Cricket Ground with Iva Davies and Ice House performing there 1981 Australian classic, Great Southern Land. In 2008, he premiered a work co-written with Matthew Hindson, Kalkadunga, with the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House and was commissioned by the Southern Cross Soloists to premiere a new work in their Music and Words Series.

Born in Brisbane, Andrew graduated from the University of Queensland with honours in performance. In 1996, he moved to Austria to perform with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, and in 2000 became a full-time member of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with various ensembles in Vienna including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Classical Players and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. He has performed numerous solo recitals and chamber music concerts, and has made many radio, television and compact disc recordings. In 2007, he took up the position of principal double bass with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

Synergy is a world of sound with percussion at its heart. The group continues a journey that began 35 years ago, touching audiences with the beauty and expressive diversity of percussion today. With an enviable international reputation as one of Australia’s finest and most versatile music projects, Synergy has performed at festivals throughout Europe, Asia and the United States, as well as most of Australia’s mainstage recital and performance venues. Core members – Timothy Constable, Alison Pratt and Bree van Reyk are all award-winning and internationally acclaimed exponents of new music in their own right. Synergy has commissioned over thirty works by Australian and international composers, most recently by Steve Reich, Graham Leak and Fritz Hauser. Collaborators include Hossam Ramzy, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Aly N’Diaye Rose, Trilok Gurtu, Dave Samuels, Evelyn Glennie, TaikOz, Sydney Dance Company, Meryl Tankard, Akira Isogawa, Grainger String Quartet, William Barton, and the Leigh Warren Dancers, the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras.

The Elandra String Quartet is a new ensemble of young professional musicians based in Melbourne, Australia. Members of the group are graduates of The University of Adelaide and the University of Tasmania and have undertaken postgraduate studies within Australia and Europe. Since it’s formation in June 2009, the quartet has been mentored by Howard Penny, Keith Crellin, Monica Curro, Stephen Kovacevich and Paul Wright. After debut concerts in Adelaide and Melbourne at the end of 2009, the quartet completed a residency at the Banff Centre in Canada in January 2010. During this time the quartet performed alongside international artists such as Piers Lane and received coaching from Barry Shiffman and Henk Guittart. Upcoming events for 2010 include concerts as part of The Melbourne Chamber Music Feast as well as Elandra’s own concert series in Adelaide and Melbourne. Quartet members are Alison Rayner and Lynette Rayner - violin, Leah Zweck-Bain – viola, and Zoe Wallace - cello.

Emma Sholl has been the Associate Principal Flute with the Sydney Symphony since 2003. Emma began working with the Sydney Symphony on a contract at age 19. As one of the youngest musicians ever appointed, she was awarded the position of 2nd Flute the following year. In 2002-3, Emma was the recipient of many awards including the Martin Bequest, and Dorothy Fraser scholarships, to study in Geneva, Switzerland with Jacques Zoon. During that time she performed in St Petersburg and Moscow as part of the prestigious World Orchestra for Peace conducted by Valery Gergiev. Performances as Guest Principal Flute have included the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Adelaide Symphony, the Queensland Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony, West Australian Symphony, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Emma recorded Bach’s transcription of Brandenburg Concerto no. 4 for keyboard and two flutes with the pianist Angela Hewitt, Alison Mitchell and the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2006. Emma has performed as soloist with the Adelaide, Tasmanian and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, in recital for Musica Viva, and is in demand as a chamber musician as a member of the Sydney Soloists and Sydney Omega Ensemble. She also enjoys teaching for the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Australian National Academy of Music.

Karin Schaupp’s playing has been hailed by the German press as “so perfect, so complete, that it seems like a miracle”. In her teens she won prestigious international prizes in Italy and Spain, and is today sought after internationally as a recitalist, soloist and festival guest, making countless television and radio recordings. Karin has released six solo CDs, and various ensemble and orchestral albums, winning numerous awards, including an ARIA. Performance highlights include 150 performances of “Lotte’s Gift” written for Karin by David WIlliamson, performances at World Expo Japan, the Goodwill Games Opening Ceremony, and with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Alice Giles is celebrated as one of the world’s leading harpists. She has performed extensively as a soloist word-wide and was the First Prize-winner of the Eighth Israel International Harp Contest. Regarded by Luciano Berio as the foremost interpreter of his Sequenza II, recital highlights include London’s Wigmore Hall, New York’s 92nd Street ‘Y’ and Merkin Hall and the Frankfurt Alte Oper. A guest artist at numerous festivals, including the Bath Mozartfest, Scotia Festival, Schleswig-Holstein and Insel Hombroich Festivals in Germany, the Salzedo Centennial, World Harp Congress, World Harp Festival, Edinburgh Harp Festival, Adelaide Festival and Marlboro Music Festival, Alice is Senior Lecturer at the ANU School of Music in Canberra.

Geoffrey Lancaster is at the forefront of the historically-informed performance practice movement. He is Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of La Cetra Barockorchester Basel and has appeared with all of the Symphony Australia orchestras and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Recent international engagements include appearances as soloist with the Gürzenich Orchestra Köln, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble 415 of Geneva, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra of Toronto, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. His 30 CDs have won many awards. He is Professor at the Australian National University and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland. In 2006 Geoffrey was awarded the Order of Australia for service to music and music education.

Ben Jacks is one of Australia’s leading horn players. He studied at the University of Western Australia under Heidi Kepper and later with Dale Clevenger and Gail Williams in Chicago, Stefan Dohr in Berlin, Professor Erich Penzel in Cologne and Hector McDonald in Vienna. Ben was appointed as Principal Horn of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2001. He has performed with every professional orchestra in Australia, playing as Guest Principal with the Tasmanian, Adelaide, Queensland, Melbourne Symphony Orchestras and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra (Sydney). Ben also enjoys a career performing internationally as guest Principal Horn with the Malaysian Philharmonic and Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan. He has a busy solo career performing in recitals, brass quintets and in 2003 as soloist with the Sydney Symphony, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and with the Academy of Melbourne. In recent performances, he has engaged in a strenuous seven concert series of Schumann’s Concertstuck over two weeks and has continued his presence as a regular solo voice in both recital and orchestral settings. Ben has recently recorded his debut CD “Rhapsodie” for the Melba label, featuring Barry Tuckwell as Conductor. Ben is currently Horn Lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and guest tutor for the Australian Youth Orchestra programme.

Timothy Constable is an award winning percussionist, composer, electronic producer and singer. He is the Artistic Director of Synergy, Australia’s premiere percussion group. He is the 2007 Freedman Fellow for solo classical music, and pursues a vigorous career as a soloist at home and abroad. His composition credits include works for percussion performed in festivals in Europe and America, and Kaidan, a collaboration with TaikOz which won ABC Limelight magazine’s best new work 2007. As a singer he has performed throughout Australia, in Nepal, Sweden, Poland, Switzerland, Senegal, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, China and South-East Asia.

London-based Australian pianist Piers Lane has a flourishing international career, which has taken him to more than forty countries. Highlights of the past few years have included a sold-out performance with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Royal Festival Hall, concerto performances at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, a three-recital series entitled Metamorphoses and other performances for the London Pianoforte series at Wigmore Hall and five concerts for the opening of the Recital Centre in Melbourne.

Five times soloist at the BBC Proms in London’s Royal Albert Hall, Piers Lane’s wide-ranging concerto repertoire exceeds eighty works and has led to engagements with many of the world’s great orchestras including the BBC and ABC orchestras; the Aarhus, American, Bournemouth and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestras; the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Kanazawa Ensemble, Orchestre National de France, City of London Sinfonia, and the Royal Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Warsaw Philharmonic orchestras among others. Leading conductors with whom he has worked include Andrey Boreyko, Sir Andrew Davis, Richard Hickox, Andrew Litton, Sir Charles Mackerras, Jerzy Maxymiuk, Maxim Shostakovich, Vassily Sinaisky, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Antoni Wit. His 2007 performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Pietari Inkinen received the Limelight Magazine Award for Best Orchestral Performance in Australia.

Festival appearances have included, among others, Aldeburgh, Bard, Bergen, Cheltenham, Como Autumn Music, Consonances, La Roque d’Anthéron, Newport, Prague Spring, Ruhr Klavierfestival, Schloss vor Husum and the Chopin festivals in Warsaw, Duszniki-Zdroj, Mallorca and Paris. Piers Lane is Artistic Director of the annual Myra Hess Day at the National Gallery in London. In 2009, he collaborated with actress Patricia Routledge on a theatre piece devised by Nigel Hess, exploring Dame Myra’s work throughout World War 11. Other highlights of the 2009/10 season include performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, the Philharmonia, the BBC Scottish Orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony and a major concert tour in New Zealand to include ten performances with the Doric String Quartet.

Piers Lane has recorded extensively for Hyperion Records, but also for the ABC Classics, BMG, Classics for Pleasure, Decca, EMI Eminence, Lyrita and Unicorn-Khanchana labels. He is in great demand as a collaborative artist, international adjudicator and broadcaster. He has written and presented over 100 programmes for BBC Radio 3, including the popular 54-part series, The Piano. This year, he contributes five essays on Chopin among other material. In 2007 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Griffith University.

Julian Jacobson enjoys a growing reputation as one of Britain’s most creative and distinctive pianists. His repertoire includes the 32 Beethoven Sonatas (of which he has given eight complete cycles including a marathon performance in 2003 in a single day), some of the most challenging works of the last century, and a huge amount of ensemble music. He has appeared at the major UK festivals, toured in over 40 countries, and performed with legendary figures such as Sandor Vegh, Zara Nelsova and Ivry Gitlis as well as with many of today’s leading soloists and ensembles. He is a professor of piano and chamber music at the Royal College of Music.

Kristian Chong is rapidly establishing himself as one of Australia’s leading musicians, with performances throughout Australia and the UK, China, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, USA, and Zimbabwe. As soloist he has appeared with the Adelaide, Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and various orchestras in the UK and China. A highly sought after chamber musician, he has worked with many distinguished musicians including the Australian String Quartet, violinists Ilya Konovalov and Natsuko Yoshimoto, Teddy Tahu-Rhodes and pianists Caroline Almonte and Benjamin Martin. A prize-winning graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, he studied with Piers Lane and Christopher Elton in London, and Stephen McIntyre at the University of Melbourne, where he currently teaches piano and chamber music.

Bernadene Blaha’s “brilliant command of the piano” as recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician, has been heralded in performances throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Mexico. Originally from Canada, Bernadene has been a regular guest at international festivals, including The Newport Festival, Tucson Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Summerfest, Banff Centre, Festival of the Sound, Bard Festival, and Festival de San Miguel de Allende. She has recorded for the CBC, Analekta and Centaur labels. Bernadene currently resides in Los Angeles, and since 1993 has been a member of the Keyboard Faculty at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California.

As a concerto soloist, Philip Dukes has appeared with the BBC Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Hallé, The Philharmonia, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, London Mozart Players, Northern Sinfonia, BBC Scottish Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In 1995 Philip made his BBC Promenade Concerto debut returning again in 1999, 2005 and 2007. His latest solo CD for Naxos featuring the complete works for viola by Rebecca Clarke was released in 2007 to unanimous critical acclaim and a debut recording for Deutsche Grammophon of the Triple Concerto by Sir Michael Tippett recorded live at the 2007 BBC Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis has recently been released.

Simon studied in Brisbane with John Curro, Jan Sedivka in Hobart, and subsequently János Négyesy and Donald McInnes in the United States. Early successes included awards in the Australian National Concerto Competition playing the Walton and Hindemith concertos. During this period Simon co founded the Petra String Quartet, actively commissioning and performing Australian works including the world premiere of the late Richard Meale’s 2nd String Quartet at the Adelaide Festival in 1980. Living in the United States for over 20 years, Simon was actively involved in the Hollywood recording scene and recorded the soundtracks to over 800 films, as well as working with Barbra Streisand, Elton John and Rod Stewart. He also continued his interest in solo and chamber music, joining Los Angeles based groups, the Capitol Ensemble and Pacific Serenades. Simon has held numerous Principal Viola positions including the Carmel Bach Festival (California), the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (California), the Mozart Classical Orchestra (California) and has appeared as Guest Principal Viola with the Queensland and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Since returning to Australia in 2006 and settling in Melbourne, Simon has worked with local ensembles such as Ensemble Liaison and has taught at ANAM and Monash University.

Since making his concerto debut with the Hallé Orchestra, Jack has performed with many orchestras including the Bournemouth Symphony and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. In 2002 he made his acclaimed London recital debut at the Wigmore Hall. He has appeared at festivals including Bath, Cheltenham, and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. Jack’s debut disc on the Quartz label was released in 2004 to enormous critical acclaim, receiving a Classical Brit Award nomination. He now has an exclusive contract with SONY Classical, which has recently released the Dvorak Concerto Highlights of the 09/10 season include performances with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Oxford Philomusica. Jack is Artistic Director of Oxford May Music Festival and plays the ‘Ex-Wilhelmj’ J.B. Guadagnini dated 1785.

Brisbane born James Cuddeford won full scholarships to attend the Yehudi MenuhinSchool and the Royal Northern College of Music, studying under Lord Menuhin and György Kurtag. In 1996 James was awarded First Prize in the Charles Hennen International Chamber Music Competition in Holland. He has since performed extensively around Europe, Asia and Australia as soloist and chamber musician, collaborating with musicians such as Stephen Kovacevich, Christina Ortiz, Heinz Holliger, Michel Dalberto and Charles Rosen. James‘ own compositions have been performed by groups including the Nash Ensemble, Psappha Ensemble and the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra. He joined the Australian String Quartet in 1998 and is presently Concertmaster Designate with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta.

Brendan Joyce is the leader of Queensland’s chamber orchestra, the Camerata of St John‘s. Additionally, he performs on period instruments as a member of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra in Sydney. Brendan has appeared as a guest Associate Concertmaster of the Tasmanian Symphony and Qld Philharmonic Orchestras, and has played with the ACO and America's Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra. He is a former Concertmaster of the Qld Youth Symphony and Australian Youth Orchestras. Brendan has performed variously as a chamber musician, recitalist and soloist. He has also been Visiting Guest Lecturer in Violin at Brigham Young University, USA, and is in demand tutoring and coaching students in Australia. Born and raised in Ayr, Brendan holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from The University of Maryland, receiving awards there for his leadership of the Maryland Handel Festival Opera Orchestra, as well as for his presentations and premieres of the music of twenty Australian composers.

As the winner of The Artist’s International competition, Jenny was awarded a debut recital at The Carnegie Hall the following year. She also made her debut at the Lincoln Centre and the Kennedy Centre with the Juilliard Orchestra. In Korea, she made her debut with Leipziger Kammer Orchester in the 2001 Seoul International Music Festival. She performed with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in the New Year’s Gala Concert, and gave a recital at the Seoul Arts Center’s Rising Star Series. Jenny has performed with numerous orchestras and toured playing recitals and chamber music concerts in USA, Canada, Austria, England, Holland, Finland, Italy, Germany, France and Russia. She has won prizes in Artist’s International competition, The Juilliard Competition, Kiwanis Music competition, Florence Hood Trophy, York Region competition, Tom Thomas Music Grant, Rutgers Music Excellent Award. She got her Bachelor and Master degrees of Music and Professional study at the Juilliard School, and continued studying with such artists as Arnold Steinhardt, Donald Weilerstein and Norbert Branin. She is currently teaching at Yon-Sei University and Han-Yang University in Korea, and performing throughout Europe, Russia and South Korea.

Victoria Sayles was a Foundation Scholar at the Royal College of Music under Itzhak Rashkovsky. She began playing the violin when she was seven years old and whilst still in her teens she led orchestras at the Royal Albert Hall, St. John’s Smith Square and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Victoria has led many ensembles and orchestras playing under major conductors. She plays professionally with London Chamber Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Orchestra and is a guest Associate Leader of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO). Upcoming concerts in 2010 include appearances at Oxford May Music and solo recitals in Switzerland for Princess Caroline Murat. Concerto performances include Glazunov and Saint-Saëns concertos. Victoria is on the prestigious Countess of Munster Recital Scheme with her award winning pianist and duo partner Martin Cousin. Victoria plays a 1776 “Thir” violin on private loan.

Anna Steiger studied at the Guildhall School of Music in London and subsequently with Vera Rozsa. She went on to join the Glyndebourne Chorus, quickly moving up to soloist when she jumped in to the title role in L’Incoronazione di Poppea to great critical acclaim. She returned to the Festival to play Concepcion in L’Heure Espagnole conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, a role she repeated the following year in the Glyndebourne Festival as well as at the Grand Theatre de Geneve and New York City Opera. Anna has recorded Cosi fan Tutte with Harnoncourt/ Concertgebouw and Varese Offrandes with Pierre Boulez. She has also made many recordings for BBC Radio including live recitals. Anna has worked with many great directors and conductors such as Chailly, Rattle, Ozawa, Harnoncourt. Haitink, Marriner and Nagano. Jonathan Miller, Peter Hall, Peter Sellars, Willy Decker, Nicolas Joel, Jerome Savary. Currently, she is performing Schonberg’s Pierrot Lunaire on tour in France and will be appearing in Opéra de Lyon and Opéra de Montpellier production of La Traviata.

Suzanne Shakespeare holds an Artist Diploma in Opera (Royal College of Music International Opera School London) and a Master of Music Performance (University of Melbourne). She was recently awarded the Georgina Joshi Award, the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship and The Royal Over-Seas League Music Bursary. Suzanne is the British School at Rome Youth Music Foundation of Australia Scholar for 2008-10. Operatic roles include Königin der Nacht: Die Zauberflöte, Tytania: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Serpetta: La finta giardiniera, Morgana: Alcina, Musetta: La boheme, Adina: Elixir of Love, Lucia: Lucia di Lammermoor, Susanna: Marriage of Figaro, and Frasquita: Carmen.

A native New Zealander, Rachel Johnston has performed as a soloist in Austria, Milan, Kuwait, Edinburgh, Belfast, Paris, Australia, England and the United States. She was awarded First Prize in her debut international competition - the Wettbewerb for Violoncello in Austria in 1998. Rachel has been awarded an Honours Degree in Cello Performance from the Canterbury University in Christchurch, Masters in Performance with Distinction at London University and an Artist’s Diploma in Performance from the acclaimed Juilliard School in Manhattan. Rachel has toured for Musica Viva and Chamber Music New Zealand, recorded extensively for radio and premiered works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Alexei Denisov, and Shawn Crouch.

Sally has toured extensively with the Australian Chamber Orchestra (including Europe and the USA) and performed in the West Australian, Adelaide and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, Ensemble 24, the Australian Bach Ensemble and the Halcyon String Quartet. Sally graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1996 with first class Honours. She has also studied in Berlin with Gertrude Rossbacher, in Cornwall with Atar Arad and Thomas Riebl, and undertook a long term residency at the Banff Center for the Arts in Canada under scholarship. She was a finalist in the Vose concerto prize in 1995, performing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared in recital in Banff, Canada.

Anne holds a Masters degree from the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) where her teacher was Alice Waten, and is also a Fellow of the AIM. She was awarded the Margaret Bello Prize for Chamber Music from The University of Western Australia and is a recipient of several scholarships including an arts grant from the Australia Council to study in New Zealand. Anne has performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Sinfonia and has appeared as a soloist in the Sydney Opera House. She was the co-concertmaster of the Western Australia Youth Orchestra including a tour of Europe. Anne has taught violin and chamber music at the AIM and was a nominee in the Arts category of the 2004 Australian of the Year Awards for Western Australia.

Adelaide-born Sophie Rowell is the first violinist of the Australian String Quartet. As a member of this quartet (formerly Tankstream Quartet 2000-2005) she has given concerts and been broadcast throughout Europe, North America, Japan and New Zealand. The quartet were the winners of the 2005 Cremona String Quartet Competition and the 2002 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. In 2000 Sophie won the Symphony Australia Young Performer’s Award and has since had solo engagements with all the major Australian orchestras, and in France. In 1999 she was awarded Second Prize in the International Mozart Competition in Salzburg and has also won New Zealand’s Gisborne Music Competition, the Dorothy Fraser Scholarship, the Richard Goldner Scholarship and the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship. Sophie has been Guest Concertmaster with the Adelaide, Melbourne, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras and in Jena, Germany. She is a member of the Elder Trio with Lucinda Collins (piano) and Janis Laurs (cello) at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide. Sophie Rowell plays the violin made in 1751 by J.B. Guadagnini in Milan, purchased by the people of South Australia in 1955 and held in trust by the SA Guadagnini Trust. The maintenance of this instrument is supported financially by Arts SA.

Julian Smiles is well known to Australian audiences through his work with the Australia Ensemble and the Goldner String Quartet, as well as his frequent solo appearances and Guest Principal work with orchestras such as the Sydney Symphony and the ACO. He is increasingly in demand as a teacher and has taught at the Sydney Conservatorium, the Canberra School of Music and the Australian Institute of Music. In 2007, Julian was a member of the jury of the 5th Melbourne International Chamber Music competition. In July 2008, he performed along with his wife, Dimity Hall, and semi-finalists in the Chamber Music section of the Sydney International Piano Competition.

In her extensive chamber music career, Irina Morozova has performed in over thirty countries. She is a founding member of the Australia Ensemble and violist of the Goldner String Quartet since 1995. She has held the position of Principal Viola of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, as well as appearing often as Guest Principal with the Sydney Symphony and Hong Kong Philharmonic. She has been a juror for the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, the Shostakovich International Quartet Competition in St Petersburg and the Tertis International Viola Competition on the Isle of Man.

Dene Olding, currently Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony, leader of the Australia Ensemble and first violinist of the Goldner String Quartet, is celebrated as one of Australia's most outstanding instrumentalists. Dene is regularly heard as a soloist with the major Australian orchestras which he also conducts. He is Artistic Advisor to the Michael Hill International Violin Competition (NZ), directs festivals and adjudicates international competitions. He has made many recordings and his overseas tours in 2008 included visits to Korea, Italy, the UK and France.

A member of both the Goldner String Quartet and the Australia Ensemble, Dimity Hall has participated in many highly acclaimed performances, recordings and tours nationally and internationally. As a soloist, she has appeared with the Sydney Symphony (2002 and 2004) and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. She has also undertaken principal playing roles with the Sydney Symphony and Australian Chamber Orchestra and has appeared as Guest Concertmaster with the Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras. In 2003, Dimity was a juror for the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.