Soloist

Gregory Kinda – piano

Gregory Kinda was born in Katowice, Poland. In 1983, his family immigrated to Australia. In 1984, at the age of 6, he became the youngest scholar to enter the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in the Preparatory Department. In 1986 he moved to Papua New Guinea, and in 1990 he returned to Poland. He studied at the Katowice Secondary Music School. In 1999, at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Gregory completed his Master of Arts degree in an accelerated 3 years instead of the usual 5. He also studied postgraduate courses in Oslo, Norway and Gdansk, Poland. He returned to Sydney in 2000. In 2003 he completed his Bachelor of Teaching degree at the University of Western Sydney. From 2001 to 2006 Gregory was a piano lecturer at the Australian International Conservatorium of Music. Since 2001 he has been Associate Artist at Trinity Grammar School in Summer Hill, NSW.

Gregory has performed in Australia, Poland, Norway, Germany, Russia, France, the Czech Republic and Japan. He was the star performer in March 2010 at the City Recital Hall, Angle Place in Sydney, during the official NSW state celebrations for the 200th anniversary of Frederic Chopin, where he played in the presence of the Polish Ambassador and the Governor of NSW, Prof Marie Bashir AC.

His prizes at international competitions have included:
3rd Prize in the F. Chopin Competition in Szafarnia, Poland, 1993
Artistic Scholarship from the F. Chopin Foundation in Warsaw, 1994
3rd Prize in the M. Magin Competition in Paris, 1995
2nd Prize in the National Competition in Zagan, Polan, 1996

Phoebe Gardner – violin

Phoebe is a scholarship recipient at the Sydney Conservatorium Rising Stars Program, studying violin with Janet Davies. She has also been awarded the Fairweather Prize by the Conservatorium Foundation. Phoebe has already gained her Associate and Licentiate diplomas, both with distinction. Phoebe is the concertmaster of the Performing Arts Unit Orchestra. She has performed solo violin at many concerts over the years; at school, the Conservatorium of Music, and other venues. Last year she performed at the AMEB Diploma graduation ceremony and has enjoyed performing with fellow PAU musicians in the Sydney Opera House and at the Sydney Town Hall. Phoebe was also a featured artist in the 2012 NSW Schools Spectacular.

Over the past few years Phoebe has won many prizes for her violin performances and her original compositions. In 2008 and 2011 she won first prize in the Australian National Songwriting Competition. She has also been a recipient of the APRA Encouragement Prize in the 2MBS FM Young Composer Awards. Last year she was a semi – finalist in the Ku-Ring- gai Concerto Competition, runner up in the 2MBS FM Young Performers Awards and was a recitalist in the National Youth Concerto Competition’s Finals Week in Brisbane. She was also awarded a scholarship to participate in the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s inaugural ACO Academy with a week of workshops with the ACO musicians and a concert at City Recital Hall. Phoebe has recently been selected as a semi finalist in the 2013 2MBS FM Young Performer Awards.

Georg Pedersen – cello

Georg is one of Australia’s foremost cello teachers and performers. He has given well over 3000 concerts in 24 countries as soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and principal orchestra player. He was solo cellist in The Royal Danish Philharmonic, one of the ten best orchestras in the world according to Karajan, Bernstein, Klemperer, Celibidache and Kleiber, and founder of the Dania Quartet and the Copenhagen Chamber soloists. He has recorded 18 CDs on 10 labels, and is broadcast worldwide. He has performed and taught widely in Europe, the USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Asia, New Zealand and Australia, and tours widely for the ABC and the Department of Foreign Affairs. In 2011 he gave master classes at Northwestern University in Chicago and at the Juilliard School in New York.

Georg’s interest in how young cellists learn and develop has always been a main force in his professional life, and his many students win international, national and local competitions and scholarships every year. He has students in every orchestra in London, Manchester, Copenhagen, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc., and former students of his are Professors in European Conservatoria.

Georg studied with Paul Tortelier in Paris and Gregor Piatigorsky in Los Angeles, and chamber music with the Prague Quartet and the Vlack Quartet. He worked with many European composers, including Shostakovich. In Australia he has received 8 grants from the Australia Council, and has commissioned and premiered many new works from Australia’s foremost composers.

As a pedagogue Georg is up to date with the latest developments through his many contacts throughout the world, and is a strong contributor himself, as his many students inspire him to create new teaching and learning material as needed, which in turn allows them to become even better students.

Ronald Thomas – violin

Born in Australia, Ronald Thomas began the violin at the age of four with lessons from his father. At sixteen he made his national debut performing the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Melbourne Symphony Orhcestra. the following year after winning a scholarship to Europe, he continued his studies with Max Rostal in London and Switzerland. At the age of 21 he won the Carl Flesch International Violin competition. Following a critically acclaimed recital at the Wigmore Hall in London he was offered concerto engagements with major orchestras in England, including the Royal Philharmonic, Birmingham and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras. He also began broadcasting recitals for BBC radio and was a concerto soloist at the first night of the BBC Promenade concerts. While continuing to give recitals and perform concertos throughout the country he was a member of the English Chamber Orchestra. He also performed as concertmaster and soloist with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields for a number of years in concerts, recordings and world tours. He formed his own ensemble, the New London Soloists Ensemble which toured the USA. At this time he returned to Australia to play with and conduct the ABC orchestras.

In 1976 he became concertmaster, then Musical Director of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta where he remained for ten years, giving some 950 concerts (250 of which he conductred), solo concerts broadcasts and recordings.In the 1980s he was invited by Sir George Solti to be guest concertmaster for a Special Anniversary Series of Concerts by the London Philharmonic Orchestra apearing at the Edinburgh Festival and the Royal Festival Hall in London.At this time he was also the guest concermaster of the London Symphony Orchestra.

He moved back to Australia in 1987 to become Artistic Director of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Whilst in Australia he formed the Soloists of Australia which made a number or recordings for Chandos Records as well as appearing at the Perth Festival. He was also Lecturer of Violin at the Sydney Conservatorium. At present he is leader of the Sydney String Quartet and Master of Chamber Music at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney.

Jacob Shaw – trombone

Jacob studied trombone at the Griffith University Conservatorium of Music where he completed a Bachelor of Music (Performance) in 2002. In 2004, he performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Symphonia program, before relocating to Germany to study with Werner Schreiter at the Hochschule fur Musik Karlsruhe. While overseas, Jacob also performed as a casual musician with the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra.

Since returning to Sydney, Jacob has performed as a freelance musician with a number of professional and community orchestras, including the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. He also teaches brass at three prominent Sydney schools.

Jacob is a previous winner of the Australian Trombone Association Solo competition and has received third place in the Beta Sigma Phi Brass Prize. As a member of the Brass quintet Brass on Tap, Jacob won the Gertrude Langer prize and toured with the group to regional Queensland for the Queensland Arts Council. He also undertook a cultural exchange programto Korea with the group.

 

Danika Allars – clarinet

Danika is a Sydney-based clarinet player, instrumental tutor and conductor. Since joining the Mosman Symphony Orchestra in 2005 as a highs school student, Danika has continued as a dedicated member of the orchestra both as the principal clarinettist and as an assistant conductor. Danika recently graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music (Education). She studied clarinet under Roslyn Dunlop.

Danika currently spends the majority of her time tutoring at various Sydney schools both as band conductor and as a clarinet and saxophone tutor. These schools include MLC School, Burwood, Ashfield Boys High School, Nth Sydney Demonstration School, and Abbotsford, Drummoyne and Croydon Public Schools. She also runs her own private music studio.

In addition to these commitments, Danika is the Musical Director of the Inner West Community Band (IWCB). IWCB is a group Danika co-founded at the beginning of 2010, in order to provide a community-based ensemble for woodwind, brass & percussion players of all ages. They regularly perform around Sydney, and also host their own concerts including a culture series through which the band features the musical traditions of different countries, and collaborates with local artists and groups.

Danika likes to remain active as a member of community music organisations, and has 15 years of ensemble experience including with the Conservatorium Wind Symphony and Choir, Sydney Youth Orchestra, Sydney Wind Symphony and the Sydney University Wind Orchestra (SUWO). She was also an active committee member of SUWO over the past 4 years, including president in 2010.

This is Danika’s first solo appearance with the orchestra and she is incredibly grateful to have been offered such a rare and wonderful opportunity to perform Mozart’s sublime clarinet concerto.

Jenny Liu - soprano

Soprano Jenny Liu is currently studying for an Advanced Diploma of Opera at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Maree Ryan, Chair of the Vocal Studies and Opera Unit.

Jenny was a finalist in the Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Scholarship in 2007 and 2009, winning the Marja Baudish award in 2009, and receiving the highly prestigious Helen Mye scholarship each year from 2008 to 2011. Jenny has performed live national broadcasts on 2MBS-FM and ABC Classic FM, solo recitals with the Schubert Society, and a recital tour alonside David Miller AM and the Glazunov String Quartet.

Jenny has been in the chorus for the SCM’s production of Nicolaie’s Die Lustige Weiber von Windsor, and performed the title role in Schumann’s Der Rose Pilgerfahrt in 2010. Jenny has been the soprano soloist for concerts including About Bach and Christmas, a concert with guest artists from the Royal Northern College of Music, London, conducted by Neil McEwan A.M., Haydn’s Missa Brevis, Mozart’s Requiem, conducted by Carolyn Watson, Handel’s Messiah, and in Penrith Symphony Orchestra’s concert, The Americas, conducted by Paul Terracini.

Jenny has also had the pleasure of performing as the soprano soloist in both the world premiere of Matthew Orlovich’s Communion of Reparations, as well as the principal role in Telling the Truth, under the baton of Roland Peelman.

Amanda Wagg – alto

Amanda has recently completed two years of studey in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Opera School, and is currently preparing to move to Cardiff, UK to continue her operatic studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She is the recipient of the Leverhulme Scholarship and will be undertaking a two year Master of Arts in Opera Performance.

Amanda has been a Telstra Wholesale Young Artist with Pacific Opera, and has performed regularly with The Song Company, Cantillation and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, and has appeared as a soloist with many ensembles including the Choir of Christchurch St Laurence, the Eastern Sydney Chamber Orchestra, the Macquarie Singers and Rockdale Opera. Recently, Amanda has performed Manuel De Falla’s Siete canciones populares Espanolas for Artsong NSW, was Mezzo soloist in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle with Willoughby Choir and Mozart’s Requiem with Suthlerland Shire Choral Society.  Recent operatic roles have included ‘Clorinde’ in Campra’s  and ‘la Soeur Ainee’ in Milhaud’s Les Malheurs D’Orphee In 2011 she performed the role of Philidel in Purcell’s King Arthur and Ramiro in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera.

In 2011 she made her caberet singing debut in the James Long and Melvin Morrow comedy, “Golden Summers: An Exhibition of Masterpieces That Sing”.

Since completeing her undergraduate degree in Music Education (Violin), Amanda has taught at Pymble Ladies’ College and tutored at the Sydney Conservatorium Open Academy. She is the Education Consultant for the internationally reknowned, ARIA winning a cappella ensemble, The Idea of North, and has recently developed a programme to integrate the ensemble’s music with the NSW music curriculum. She is currently directing a Music Festival at Loretto Kirribilli, and continues to teach singing privately.

Alexander Knight – baritone

Young baritone Alexander Knight is in his first year of an Advanced Diploma of Opera, and is currently studying with Maree Ryan, chair of Vocal Studies and Opera, at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, haveing graduated with a Bachelor of Performance last year. He has performed with many Australian ensembles in venues around NSW and the ACT, including the Penrith Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Chamber Choir and the Sydney University Graduate Choir as a featured soloist, and the song Company.

This year Alexander has performed in Bach’s St John Passion with the Sydney Chamber Choir and Mendelssohn’s Paulus with the Sydney Uni Graduate Choir. In 2011 he was soloist for thte Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s opening season performance of Grieg’s Peer Gynt under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy, and a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Manly-Warringah Choir, and also at Christ Church St Laurence. In the same year, he was a soloist with Coro Innominata for their performance of Bach’s Magnificat, and played the principal role of the Gamekeeper in Sydney Chamber Opera’s production of Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen.

Alexander has performed prominent roles in many large productions including Schubert’s Mass in E flat, Handel’s Messiah and Saul, Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai and Nelson Mass, Beethoven’s Mass in C and 9th Symphony, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, and Nicholai’s opera Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor as a principal artist. He also had the pleasure of performing as soloist in the world premiere of Matthew Orlovich’s Communion of Reparations.

Richard Butler – tenor

Richard Butler started singing as a boy at Newcastle and Durham Cathedrals. He was awarded a choral scholarship at King’s College, Cambridge under the direction of Stephen Cleobury where he read Classics. Having left Cambridge, Richard then became tenor lay clerk at Westminster Cathedral where he remained until December 2007. Recent career highlights include the role of Corydon in a series of internationa performances of Acis and Galatea for the Gabrieli Consort, Haur-Contre soloist in a Purcell Odes program at the Amsterdam Concertgebeow and in Poland for the same, the Sailor in Dido and Aeneas at the Beaune International Music Festival, Huntsman in Blow’s Venus and Adonis at Wigmore Hall and Tenor soloist in Bach’s B Minor Mass for the English Baroque Choir at St John’s, Smith Square. Richard has also sung the role of Evangelist in both the St John and St Matthew Passions.

Most recently Richard was part of the quartet, ‘Die Familie’ in Kurt Will’s Seven Deadly Sins in Milan with Ute Lemper, sung the titular rolein Britten’s St Nicholas in Cardiff and performed the role of Secrecy in a semi-staged production of the Fairy Queen for Harry Bickett and the English Concert at the Cadogan Hall, St George’s Hall in Bristol and in Madrid, Malaga and Castellon. Since arriving in Australia, Richard has been appointed tenor lay-clerk at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney and was soloist in the Mozart Requiem for Christ Church St Laurence and Messiah for St James’ King St and St Andrew’s Cathedral. He performed the prinicipal tenor role in Purcell’s Dioclesian for Pinchgut Opera and will be performing as Mercury for the same company in this year’s production of Rameau’s Castor and Pollux. Also this year he is playing the part of Ruggiero in the opera by Francesca Cacchini.

Gregory Kinda – piano

Gregory Kinda was born in Katowice, Poland. In 1983, his family immigrated to Australia. In 1984, at the age of 6, he became the youngest scholar to enter the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in the Preparatory Department. In 1986 he moved to Papua New Guinea, and in 1990 he returned to Poland. He studied at the Katowice Secondary Music School. In 1999, at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Gregory completed his Master of Arts degree in an accelerated 3 years instead of the usual 5. He also studied postgraduate courses in Oslo, Norway and Gdansk, Poland. He returned to Sydney in 2000. In 2003 he completed his Bachelor of Teaching degree at the University of Western Sydney. From 2001 to 2006 Gregory was a piano lecturer at the Australian International Conservatorium of Music. Since 2001 he has been Associate Artist at Trinity Grammar School in Summer Hill, NSW.

Gregory has performed in Australia, Poland, Norway, Germany, Russia, France, the Czech Republic and Japan. He was the star performer in March 2010 at the City Recital Hall, Angle Place in Sydney, during the official NSW state celebrations for the 200th anniversary of  Frederic Chopin, where he played in the presence of the Polish Ambassador and the Governor of NSW, Prof Marie Bashir AC.

His prizes at international competitions have included:
3rd Prize in the F. Chopin Competition in Szafarnia, Poland, 1993
Artistic Scholarship from the F. Chopin Foundation in Warsaw, 1994
3rd Prize in the M. Magin Competition in Paris, 1995
2nd Prize in the National Competition in Zagan, Polan, 1996

Andrew Rumsey – piano

Andrew began piano studies at the age of 8 under the tutelage of Terry Sloan. After receiving a top band for music in the HSC in 2006, he began a Bachelor Degree  at the Australian National University School of Music. His teachers there have included Professors John Luxton and Geoffrey Lancaster. He is currently learning from Marcela Fiorillo, a former professor of the Buenos Aires Conservatory.

In 2009 Andrew was a finalist in the Josef Haydn Keyboard Competition at the Austrian Embassy and the Margaret Smiles Accompaniment Competition at the ANU. He is a regular performer at the Rhythm and Blooms Festival at Floriade and gives frequent recitals in Canberra, Sydney, the Southern Highlands and surrounding areas. Last year he was named the Best Instrumental Accompanist at the Margaret Smiles Accompaniment Competition and won the audience prize in the same event. He was also selected to perform at the Australian Pavilion at the World Trade Expo in Shanghai.

Andrew also enjoys organising fundraising concerts and says that he loves using the power of music to help others. Earlier this year he organised and performed in a concert to raise money for the victims of the Queensland floods, which raised over $10,000. This year he will finish his honours degree in Music Performance and hopes to begin his PhD in 2012. He says that it is a great privilege to be able to perform with the Mosman Symphony Orchestra this year.

Ronald Thomas – violin

Born in Australia, Ronald Thomas began the violin at the age of four with lessons from his father. At sixteen he made his national debut performing the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Melbourne Symphony Orhcestra. the following year after winning a scholarship to Europe, he continued his studies with Max Rostal in London and Switzerland. At the age of 21 he won the Carl Flesch International Violin competition. Following a critically acclaimed recital at the Wigmore Hall in London he was offered concerto engagements with major orchestras in England, including the Royal Philharmonic, Birmingham and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras. He also began broadcasting recitals for BBC radio and was a concerto soloist at the first night of the BBC Promenade concerts. While continuing to give recitals and perform concertos throughout the country he was a member of the English Chamber Orchestra. He also performed as concertmaster and soloist with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields for a number of years in concerts, recordings and world tours. He formed his own ensemble, the New London Soloists Ensemble which toured the USA. At this time he returned to Australia to play with and conduct the ABC orchestras.

In 1976 he became concertmaster, then Musical Director of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta where he remained for ten years, giving some 950 concerts (250 of which he conductred), solo concerts broadcasts and recordings.In the 1980s he was invited by Sir George Solti to be guest concertmaster for a Special Anniversary Series of Concerts by the London Philharmonic Orchestra apearing at the Edinburgh Festival and the Royal Festival Hall in London.At this time he was also the guest concermaster of the London Symphony Orchestra.

He moved back to Australia in 1987 to become Artistic Director of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Whilst in Australia he formed the Soloists of Australia which made a number or recordings for Chandos Records as well as appearing at the Perth Festival. He was also Lecturer of Violin at the Sydney Conservatorium. At present he is leader of the Sydney String Quartet and Master of Chamber Music at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney.

Fox Gefu Chen – violin

Fox was born in 1987. As both his parents are musicians, they have had a huge influence on both his musical training and education. He started his violin studies when he was four with his mother, Luni Chen. By the age of six he was attending the Shenzhen Art School, a very advanced music school, where he studied both piano and violin.

In 2001 he participated in the Guangdong International Violin Competition in China, where he was nominated a Champion. He has been studying with Professor Peter Shixiang Zhang in Sydney since 2003. He is currently completing a Masters degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music as a scholarship student and is now a student of the Chair of the Strings Unit, Associate Professor Alice Waten.

During the last 7 years, Fox has performed on numerous occasions as a soloist overseas. Recent performances include the Hunan Symphony Orchestra, X’ian Conservatorioum Symphony Orchestra, Zhejiang Province Symphony Orchestra in China and Orquesta Sinfonica of Micheoacan in Mexico. Under Mexican conductor Eduardo Sanchez-Zuber and US conductor Manuel Aybar he has performed the Brahms Violin Concerto in D Major and also the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. In 2009-2011, Fox has given numerous solo recitals in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and China. In December 2010, Fox was awarded the prize for Best International String Player in the Gisborne International Music Competition.

Andrew Del Riccio – trumpet

Andrew is a Sydney-based trumpeter, teacher and conductor. He holds degrees in performance from the NSW State Conservatorioum of Music & the University of Sydney, in conducting from the University of British Colombia (Canada) and in education from the University of Western Sydney. He has also received scholarships to study trumpet & baroque performance practices at the Shola Cantorum Bailliensis in Switzerland & the Boston Conservatory, and conducting tn the Czech Republic.

Following attendance at a summer school in opera conducting in Opava, Czech Republic, he was offered a place in the masters program at the University of British Colombia, Canada. there andrew conducted numerous performances, including 2 seasons of Hansel and Gretel and seasons of La Finta Giardinera, Turandot, 127 (world premiere at Summerstock festival) L’Histoire du Soldat, The Medium, numerous premieres of student works, new music reading workshops, and student ensembles for recitals and juries. He also performed with various ensembles including the Vancouver Philharmonic and Cambie Street Brass.

Andrew has performed with many of Sydney’s leading ensembles including the Sydney Symphony & Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestras, as well as founding the Blues Point Brass Quintet. His conducting interests have led to the formation of ensembles in Australia & Canada, including the St Peters Chamber Orchestra & the Unexpected Orchestra. In recent years he has appeared as soloist with the Mosman Symphony Orchestra, the Bourbaki Ensemble and Orchestra 143. He also runs a heraldic fanfare ensemble which performs for corporate functions and has a busy private teaching practice. Numerous students of his have progressed to careers in music performance, education and management. Most recently Andrew has performed as soloist in the Telemann Trumpet Concerto with Orchestra 143. Future engagements inclue guest conductor with Moriah College and recital concerts.

Cameron Hough – viola

Cameron has been concertmaster of Mosman Symphony Orchestra since late 2008. This concert marks his final appearance with the orchestra as he is moving to Brisbane for work for a couple of years.

He has been playing violin for 19 years and started playing viola about 10 years ago. Cameron has more than 10 years of orchestral experience, starting with the Bluescope Steel Youth Orchestra in Wollongong and regularly playing with Orchestra 143, North Sydney Symphony Orchestra and of course, Mosman Orchestra. Cameron was previously the concertmaster of the South Coast Orchestra, and has played with the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra, Steel City Strings, the Illawarra Choral Society and the Sutherland Orchestra, as well as in several musicals such as West Side Story, Les Miserables and The Producers.

Away from the concert hall he is a keen chamber music player, as well as playing in such diverse ensembles as forming one half of the acoustic folk rock duo ‘Broken Silence’, as backing strings for a Blue Mountains indie rock band, through to playing in a bluegrass pub band named ‘Doodlebug’.

Previous highlights of Cameron’s career include appearing as soloist for the Saint-Saens Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso with Mosman Orchestra in June 2009, touring New Zealand and Tasmania with the Bluescope Steel orchestra playing Vivaldi’s ‘Summer‘ Concerto, and as orchestra manager and concertmaster for a world premiere musical at the Theatre Royal, Sydney.

Harold in Italy is a perfect work to play for this concert since it was written to showcase a brand new viola that Paganini had acquired. The distinctive golden hued instrument that Cameron will be playing is a brand new viola making its solo debut in these concerts. The viola was made by acclaimed Sydney luthier, Harry Vatiliotis. Interestingly, the name ‘Harold’ has a connection with both of Cameron’s instruments – his violin, heard in these concerts in the Nocturne from Carmen Suite, is approximately 130 years old and was bought from some friends in the USA, where it was previously ‘Uncle Harry’s Violin”!

Jacqueline Kent – narrator

Jacqueline Kent was born in Sydney and grew up there and in Adelaide. Originally trained as a radio journalist and broadcaster, she has also been a book editor and occasional reviewer. Among many other jobs she has worked with Lindy Chamberlain in preparing her memoirs and imposed order, form and structure on the prose of Graham Richardson. She holds a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Her own writing includes young adult fiction as well as social history and biography. A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis – A Literary Life, was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Award and won the 2002 National Biography Award and the Nita B Kibble Award; An Exacting Heart: the Story of Hephzibah Menuhin was shortlisted for the 2008 Victorian, NSW and Queensland Premier’s Awards, the Adelaide Festival Award and the Walkley Award, and won the Nita B Kibble Award. Her most recent book is The Making of Julia Gillard, published by Penguin Viking  in September 2009, and revised and updated under the title of The Making of Julia Gillard PM in November 2010.

She is the current president of the Mosman Symphony Orchestra, where she plays in the flute section.

Cheryl Oxley – soprano

Messiah was the first oratorio in which Cheryl ever performed. It was in the Sutherland Shire & she was 20 years old. She went on to sing oratorio worldwide, including Bach’s St Matthew Passion; Dvorak Stabat Mater; the Monteverdi Vespers (Sydney University); Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate and Requiem (St Colomb Major, UK under Richard Cooke); Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Vaughan Williams Benedicte; Faure’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Elijah (St Mary’s Cathedral).

Cheryl is a recipient of the Joan Sutherland Award and  has trained with Beverly Johnson (New York); Raymond McDonald and Ray Myers (Sydney); Vera Rozsa and Esther Salaman (UK), and is equally at home on the operatic stage and in recital. Her performances range from Marguerite (Faust) and Aida to Figaro’s  Countess and Madama Butterfly. She has worked with numerous conductors, including Richard Bonynge, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdenek Macal, Evelino Pido and Christopher Hogwood, working with orchestras and opera companies internationally.

Cheryl currently directs ‘Bridge Performance’, a musical learning platform that mentors young and aspiring musicians. She is an accomplished accompanist, teacher, adjudicator and speaker; conducts choirs and concert bands; and is a founder of ‘Generations Community Choir’ – a new venture on Sydney’s lower North Shore.

Nicole Smeulders – alto

A graduate of the NSW Conservatorium of Music and twice recipient of the Lauris Elms Contralto Award, Nicole has performed as soloist in oratorio and opera for many companies. This year, Nicole performed the alto solos in Mozart’s Coronation Mass at Parramatta Cathedral, Handel’s Messiah for the National Trust and Artes Christe and Missa Brevis in F for the St Francis Church Paddington Choir. Other recent engagements include Scarlatti’s Christmas Cantata and the role of Guistitia in Caldara’s Vaticini Pace for the Sydney Consort (recorded live for ABC FM); Saint-Saen’s Christmas Oratorio, Vivaldi’s Gloria and excerpts from the Bach B Minor Mass for the Manly Warringah Choir; Mozart’s Requiem and De Falla’s El Amor Brujo.

Nicole works regularly as a chorister with Cantillation and has performed in numerous concerts with them, including recent performances of Haydn’s Creation and Vaughan Williams’ Flos Campi and Serenade. She has sung with other prominent ensembles including the ACO Voices, which toured with Mozart’s Great Mass in C. For Opera Australia during 2007 – 2010 Nicole has sung in the chorus of Tosca, Fidelio, Cavalleria Rustican, Pagliacci and in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, in which she also covered the role of La Zelatrice.

She has performed in a number of concerts with the Song Company in recent years, including performances and the NSW & National Art Galleries to mark the Australian composer Nigel Butterly’s 70th birthday.

Nicole is currently preparing to sing in Pinchgut Opera’s L’anima del filosofo at Angel Place Recital Hall.

Ben Oxley – tenor

With over 20 years of professional singing experience, Ben returns to one of his great passions: Handel’s Messiah. This work launched his early career, and enabled him to undertake many exciting concert opportunities. He sang Britten’s St Nicholas in Melba Hall, Melbourne and with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra as guest soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia.

Highlights of Ben’s career include appearances in Simon Boccanegra and Tristan und Isolde with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Claudio Abbado and Lohengrin with the Netherlands Opera. He appeared as soloist for Dame Elizabeth Taylor’s Crusaid Charity event and at a Command Performance for the Sultan of Oman.

Conductors Ben has worked with include Claudio Abbado, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Mark Elder and Valery Gergiev.

Philip Pratt – bass

Philip has performed in both opera and oratoria in Europe and Australia. Arriving in Brisbane in 1993, Philip sang the role of the father in the world premiere of the rock opera, Lillian and while in Brisbane, performed regularly as a principal artist with Opera Queensland.

He has been Director of Music at Trinity Grammar School since 1998. In 2003 he was the soloist for the premiere of a number of Australian compositions commissioned as a Federation project. The project received an Australian Classical Music Award. Recently he performed Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer with Mosman Symphony Orchestra.

As a vocal teacher Philip has presented master classes in Australia and Europe, regularly visiting Northern Italy, where he teaches and runs workshops for opera singers. His vocal students have been successful in international competitions, as well as on the concert and opera platform. His work in the field of education was recognised in 1994 when he was awarded both the Queensland and Australian national Award for Excellence in Teaching. His biography was included in the 10th edition of the International Who’s Who in Music.

David Crouch – narrator 

Mosman Orchestra is very pleased to be working with David Crouch of Mosman Toastmasters in our upcoming production of Peter and the Wolf. David has been a member of Toastmasters for 27 years. He was Divisional Governor in 1993 & 1004 and was also president of the Mosman club in 2002 & 2003.

David first heard Peter and the Wolf as a child listening to the radio and has loved it ever since. He is looking forward to bringing Prokofiev’s wonderful tale to life with Mosman Orchestra.

Danny Morris – ‘cello

Daniel started out musically on the violin at around 8 with his two brothers, all taught by their who instilled a love of playing music first, and its technical aspects second. However there were few pieces available for three violins, so Daniel took up the cello at age 11.

Playing with the Sydney Youth Orchestra throughout his teenage years, Daniel learned to enjoy the rehearsal process and to make music whenever possible, and not to place too great a burden on the final outcome.

Throughout his Bachelor of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium Danniel came to appreciate the wide variety of characters that music can portray. Hearing these possibilities and attempting to emulate them was somewhat akin to surrounding oneself with many different languages. Extending what one can listen to, making the ears work harder, was the motivation – symphonic sounds down to intricate duo performances were the dimensions that inspired him.

Given an opportunity to explore the Sting Quartet repertoire, Daniel joined the Stringendo String Quartet with Heather Cottrel, Matthew Larkum and Yvette Breen. They performed in the first Melbourne International Chamber Music competitionin 1991 after many years together. At around this time he was invited to join the Camerata of the Australian Youth Orchestra for their tour to North and South America. A highlight of this tour was performing in Carnegie Hall.

Daniel studied the cello further with Alexander Ivashkin and Natasha Pavlutskaya in Christchurch, New Zealand from 1997 until 2000. Since then he has been playing with the Aoraki Duo, the Kosciusko Quartet, the Arco Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra and the North Sydney Symphony Orchestra as a soloist, tutor and leader of the cellos.

Bob Chen – bassoon

As a child in China, Bob heard that the bassoon was difficult to learn, so he decided to take up the challenge. He has now been playing bassoon for over 30 years. He studied with Guan Ying Xian, 1st bassoon with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and played bassoon with the Shanghai Radio Broadcast Orchestra for 13 years.

Bob came to Australia in 1990 to study English. He was a popular chef at Noodle Inn in Mosman for 13 years. His friendly personality & remarkable memory for his customers’ favourite dishes gained him a Community Service award from Mosman Rotary in 1998.

Since arriving in Australia work, study & family commitments have taken up much of his time, but Bob’s first love is music and he is determined to continue to play. He has performed with the East West Orchestra, and has been a well loved member of Mosman Orchestra for over 5 years.

Bob says he loves the bassoon for its versatility. “It can be warm and lyrical, quirky and funny, but always interesting”. He is looking forward to his first solo appearance in Australia playing the Weber Concerto in F with Mosman Orchestra.

Tony Lee – piano

Tony Lee was born in Sydney and began piano studies at the age of 5. He has performed in festivals and won competitions in various countries including Australia, China, England, Germany, Russia and the USA. Professional training began in 2004, with the ‘Young Aims’ Program, studying with V Makarov and A Koltakov. Tony also achieved his A Mus A diploma that year.

In 2005, Tony won the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto competition, performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto at the Ravenswood Centenary Centre Auditorium. Later that year he was named Gold Medallist and Special Prize winner (classical composition) of the 2nd Louise Henriette International Piano Competition – Oranienburg, Germany.

In 2006 he entered the Australian National Academy of Music studying with R Reichman and T Young amd was invited to participate at the Oxford International Piano Festival in England. In 2007, Tony was accepted into the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatoire in the class of Professor Anatloly Ryabov. Performances followed at the Arbat Concert Hall, Rachmaninov Hall, Philharmonic Concert Hall of Samara and at the prestigious Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

Tony continued his studies with K Makarova at the Australian Institute of Music and currently studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with Paul Rickard Ford.

Byron Westbury – trumpet

Byron completed a Bachelor of Music Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with trumpet players from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Opera & Ballet Orchestra. He was accepted as a Postgraduate student at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he studied with Murray Grieg and John Miller.

While living and studying in Europe Byron was invited to play principal Trumpet with the Royal Northern College of Music Opera Orchestra, Wind Band, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra for performances, tours and recordings. Especially exciting experiences included Professional Development Schemes with the Halle Symphony Orchestra, performing in a UK premiere of Stockhausen’s ‘Lucifer’s Tanz’ at te Festival Hall in London, and also performing a Fanfare from the Festival Hall’s high balcony to signal the end of a week long London Stockhausen festival.

As a soloist, Byron has performed the Aratjunian Trumpet Concerto with the Wollongong Symphony, and has performed in masterclasses for Rod Franks, principal trumpet of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (and the principal trumpeter on the Star Wars recordings!), German Brass and James Thompson at the Melbourne International Festival of Brass.

Byron now manages the Five Cities Brass Quintet, which has a number of recitals this year at St Stephens Church in Macquarie St, as well as 2 regional tous where the group will be performing and running master classes at regional conservatoires. The ensemble began in the UK where they performed as the Royal Northern College’s premiere brass group. The Five Cities Brass Quintet performed in and around Manchester’s many brilliant cathedrals, and won the pretigious RNCN chamber music prize.

In his youth Byron performed with the Sydney Youth Orchestra, the SBS Youth Orchestra and was offered a place in the Australian Youth Orchestra. He is now a very active teacher, holding positions at several private schools in Sydney, conducting bands and teaching privately at his studio. Byron is passionate about new music, especially for the trumpet and loves to work closely with composers and other musicians in chamber groups.

Outside of music, Byron is a health and adventure enthusiast, pursuing a number of activities including rock climbing, surfing, snowboarding and spearfishing. He loves to cook, and lives in Sydney with his wife.

Sophia Li – piano

12 year old Sophia is a full Music Scholar in year 7 at St Andrew’s Cathedral School. She commenced piano lessons at an early age and has competed with significant success in many eisteddfods throughout Sydney.
She has performed for the Chinese Festival and at the Sydney Opera House.

Sophia was awarded her AMusA when she was 11. Last year she was a finalist and prize winner in the inaugural Allans Youth Piano Competition. She already possesses a diverse repertoire and earlier this year performed the complete Haydn Piano Concerto in D at St Andrew’s School. Sophia is a student of Paul Rickard-Ford.

Claire Cameron – French Horn

Claire Cameron began playing the French horn in 1994 when she was a student at Queenwood School for Girls in Mosman. She was an active member of the school’s instrumental and vocal ensembles until completing her HSC in 2000. During this time she also played with the Sydney Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and Sydney Youth Brass.

Claire returned to playing horn when she joined the University of NSW Orchestra and Wind Band, and in 2008 commenced a Bachelor of Music degree at UNSW which she hopes to complete next year. During the last 2 years Claire has received instruction from Steven Hillinger and Saul Lewis and is currently studying with Robert Johnson, Principal Horn in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Since 2007 Claire has enjoyed playing with many ensembles in Sydney, including The Occasional Performing Orchestra (TOPS), Strathfield Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra 143, the Bourbaki Ensemble and various chamber groups.

She is currently performing with the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, TOPS, North Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the UNSW Orchestra and Wind Band and the Mosman Orchestra.

‘Strauss’ Horn Concerto no 1 in Eb is a work which brilliantly fuses both the simplicity and complexity of the horn,’ says Claire. ‘It calls for all the character of a valveless horn, whilst being almost unplayable on anything other than the valved horns that are standard today.

I am delighted to be making my first solo appearance performing this work which is, in so many ways, Inspired.’

Cameron Hough – Violin

Cameron has been concertmaster of Mosman Orchestra for 6 months, and this will be his first solo performance with the orchestra.

He has been playing violin for 17 years, as well as viola and mandolin, and is currently learning from Scott Taggart in Wollongong. Cameron has almost 10 years of experience as an orchestral musician, starting with the Bluescope Steel Youth Orchestra in Wollongong and currently playing with Orchestra 143, North Sydney Orchestra, and of course Mosman Orchestra. He will appear as a soloist with Orchestra 143 in their July concert playing Vivaldi and Telemann.

Cameron was previously the concertmaster of the South Coast Orchestra, and has played with the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra, Steel City Strings, the Illawarra Choral Cociety and the Sutherland Orchestra, as well as in the orchestra for several musicals such as West Side Story, Les Miserables and The Producers. Away from the concert hall, he is a keen chamber music player, as well as playing in such diverse ensembles as backing strings for a Blue Mountains indie rock band through to playin in a bluegrass pub band named ‘Doodlebug’.

Previous highlights of Cameron’s career include touring New Zealand and Tasmania as soloist with the Bluescope Steel Youth Orchestra, playing Vivaldi’s ‘Summer’ Concerto in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, and as orchestra manager and concertmaster for a world-premiere musical at the Theatre Royal, Sydney.

The Saint-Saens showpiece that Cameron will be playing with Mosman Orchestra this concert has been a wonderful challenge to prepare for – especially while juggling full time work as an acoustics engineer and playing in 3 orchestras, and he is looking forward to bringing this exciting and energetic work to life in the Mosman Art Gallery.

Ken Allars – Trumpet

Ken is currently 17 and has just completed his HSC examinations at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts. He has been nominated to perform in the Encore concert at Sydney Opera House, a showcase of outstanding musical performances from the HSC.  He achieved his AMusA on trumpet at age 14 and has been selected to attend next year’s Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp in Adelaide.  He is currently studying trumpet with Daniel Mendelow, Prinicpal Trumpet in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Andrew Del Riccio, the Musical Director of the Mosman Orchestra and Jazz Trumpet with Warwick Alder.

Since commencing to learn trumpet at age 7, Ken has been a member of as many music ensembles as he could, from primary school concert bands and rock bands to high school wind ensembles, orchestra, brass quintet and stage bands. At the age of 10 he was accepted into the Department of Education and Training Arts Unit Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Ken has toured twice to USA with this ensemble, in 2007 performing at International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago. An extra highlight of this trip was an impromptu improvised solo performance with Marvin Hamlisch on piano at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC which received a standing ovation and a special message from Senator Edward Kennedy who was in the audience. Other overseas tours include Japan in 2002, and Germany and Austria in 2005 where he performed the Hummel trumpet concerto as soloist with the NSW State Schools Symphony Orchestra.

He joined Mosman Orchestra at age 13, where a highlight for him was being given the opportunity to perform the Hummel Trumpet Concerto as a soloist in 2005.  More recently he has been perfoming a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from Stravinsky’s Firebird with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in August this year, to Big Band Jazz with Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra and Judy Bailey’s Jazz Connection, Latin music with Son de Tagua, and Carlitos Orchestra, and even performances with members of the Wiggles.

Ken really enjoys the experience of playing in all of these ensembles and the wonderful opportunities it gives to meet other musicians.  He loves to play all types of music, and is keen to continue his studies of music and to pursue a career in performance of both classical and jazz music. He will be studying the Bachelor of Jazz Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music this year.

The Wolfe Trumpet Concert that Ken will be playing with Mosman Orchestra in March allows him to combine both his classical and jazz training to create excitement,  energy and vibrancy to a modern Australian trumpet concerto and who better than one of our  own young  17 year olds  who loves the beach, surfing, playing  computer games and wielding a jackhammer when required.