CONFERENCE PRESENTERS

ROGER BENEDICT

From 1991 principal viola in the Philharmonia Orchestra, London, and following that the same position in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, since 2002 Roger has been Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Fellowship Program. He also holds the positions of chief conductor and senior lecturer in viola at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

A frequent guest conductor with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Roger has conducted the orchestra in subscription concerts at the Sydney Opera House and City Recital Hall. He also appears as a conductor with other orchestras in the region including the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. A devoted orchestral trainer, he has coached the European Union Youth Orchestra since 2000 and is a frequent conductor of Australian Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra (UK) programs.

As a viola soloist he has appeared with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Ulster Orchestra in the UK as well as the Sydney Symphony, Canberra Symphony, New Zealand Symphony and the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa (Japan). He has released four critically acclaimed solo CD recordings on the Melba and ABC Classics labels.

OLE BÖHN

Norwegian violinist Ole Böhn pursues an extensive career as soloist, chamber musician, and teacher.

Since his debut in 1969, Ole Böhn has performed regularly with orchestras in Europe, the U.S.A. and South America. In 1983 he toured the People’s Republic of China. He has collaborated with conductors such as Moshe Atzmon, Herbert Blomstedt, James Conlon, Lukas Foss, Heinz Fricke, Michael Giehlen, Imre Pallo, Marek Janowski, Franz Welser-Möst, and Oliver Knussen.

Ole Böhn’s repertoire ranges from the baroque up until the present day. In 1990 Ole Böhn gave the world premiere of Elliott Carter’s violin concerto with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Besides Elliott Carter, composers like Niels Viggo Bentzon, Noel Lee, Ib Nørholm, Pascal Dusapin, Saed Haddad and Arne Nordheim have written for him.

As a chamber musician Ole Böhn was for 12 years a member of the Trio du Nord which in 1975 won the UNESCO competition in Bratislava. From 1997 – 2001 he was first violinist of the Leonardo Quartet and first violinist and founding member of the Vigeland Quartet from 2004 – 2008.

As a teacher Ole Böhn is widely recognised. In March 2009 Ole Böhn joined the faculty of the Sydney Conservatory of Music. He has taught at the Royal Danish Conservatory and at the Conservatory of Music in Oslo. He has given classes at the Eastman School of Music, The Norwegian State Academy of Music, the Gedai Institute in Tokyo and the University of Northern Illinois. He has for several years taught at the Officina da Musica de Curitiba in Brazil during their summer courses and has been teaching every year at the Pro Musica and the Cinves Festival in Juiz de Fora, Brazil.In 2014 Ole Böhn was invited for the first time to the famous FEMUSC festival in Brazil. Ole Böhn has also acted as member of the jury in national and international competitions such as the Sparre Olsen Competition in Norway, The Grieg Society’s International Competition for Composition, the Concert Artist Guild Competition in New York, the Canadian Music Competition, Concurso Paulo Bosisio in Brazil, The Kendall violin competition in Australia and the London International String Quartet Competition.

Ole Böhn has studied under Louise Behrend at the Juilliard School of Music, with Ernst Glaser in Oslo, Henry Holst at the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music, and with Max Rostal at the Statliche Hochschule für Musik in Cologne.

Ole Böhn is the Concertmaster Emeritus of the Norwegian National Opera and has been concertmaster for the Copenhagen Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Teatro del Fenice in Venice, Theatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, the Residentie Orchestra in Den Haag, Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, The Beethoven Orchestra, Bonn and the Hamburg State Opera.

Ole Böhn uses a violin made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini in 1766 and a Domenic Pecatte bow which were acquired for his use by Nordea Bank of Norway.

CARON CHAN

Caron Chan is the Chief Strings Examiner for the AMEB (NSW). Caron is a respected and sought-after pedagogue whose students have been prize winners at the Sydney Eisteddfod and the NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition. Her students are also members of the Australian Youth Orchestra, members and soloists with the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy and have been featured in Fine Music FM’s Young Performers Live Broadcast series.

Caron is passionate about training musicians of the highest calibre and was the Co-convener of the 2017 Australian Violin Pedagogy Conference. She regularly presents professional development seminars at the Sydney String Centre and at Sydney’s leading independent schools.

In addition to her activities as an examiner, pedagogue and adjudicator, Caron maintains a busy performing career. Caron has performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and currently performs with the Opera Australia Orchestra.

HAYLEY CUSH

Before undertaking a postgraduate degree in Teaching, Hayley trained as a classical double bassist, completing her performance degree with First Class Honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

In her performance career Hayley has played with numerous elite orchestras and ensembles, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London where she studied under world-renowned soloist, Duncan McTier.

Hayley is currently Head of Strings at St Catherine’s School in Waverley, coordinating and directing the string ensembles across K-12 as well as teaching classroom music.

JANET DAVIES

As a professional violinist Janet was a core member of ACO, and as a teacher at Sydney Conservatorium over many years she has taught violin, chamber music, orchestral studies and violin pedagogy. In private practice she works with violin students of all ages, and with professional players on concert and audition preparation, technique modification and injury rehabilitation. Her students have had numerous successes nationally and internationally.

Since completing a three-year Alexander Technique (AT) teacher-training course in 1985, Janet has specialised in the application of AT principles to musical performance, currently conducting AT classes for the Sydney Symphony and Australian Opera & Ballet orchestras. She has always been interested in applying AT to the intricacies of violin playing. Thanks to a Churchill Fellowship and Conservatorium Travel Grant she has intensively observed many fine violin teachers including Dorothy Delay, Igor Ozim, Natasha Boyarsky, Ana Chumachenco, Boris Kuschnir, Simon Fischer and Mihaela Martin.

JOANNA DRIMATIS

Joanna Drimatis is currently Head of Strings at MLC School, Sydney and Music Director of the Beecroft Orchestra. After initial studies in Australia in Music Education and Violin Performance, Joanna completed a Masters in Music from the University of Texas at Austin in Violin and Orchestral conducting. In 2009, Joanna graduated with a PhD in Musicology from the Elder Conservatorium of Music and her thesis was awarded the University of Adelaide’s Inaugural Doctoral Research Medal.

In addition to being regularly engaged as a Guest Conductor, in the positions of Music Director of the University of Texas University Orchestra at Austin, Music Director of the Christchurch Youth Orchestra and Conductor for the Adelaide Youth Orchestra association, Joanna initiated collaborations, commissions and premieres of both Australian and New Zealand works which have been broadcast on NZ Concert FM and ABC Classic FM. As a violinist/violist Joanna has played professionally as an orchestral musician both in Australia and overseas and has performed in recitals and festivals in the USA, Germany, New Zealand and Australia, including Aspen Music Festival (USA), Strawberry Creek Festival (USA) and International Institute of Music (Germany).

MADELEINE EASTON

Recently returned from 18 years living and working in the UK and Europe and having established herself as a formidable force on the international early music scene, Madeleine Easton returns to Australia to devote all her energies to the further success of her brainchild, Bach Akademie Australia.
She has appeared as both guest and permanent concertmaster of many major orchestras world-wide including the Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid under Thomas Hengelbrock and Paul McCreesh, the Gulbenkian Foundation Orchestra of Lisbon, The English Baroque Soloists, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Australian World Orchestra, The Kings Consort, The Gabrieli Consort, the Hanover Band, The Academy of Ancient Music, Florilegium, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Orchestra Revolutionaire et Romantique amongst others.
Her special talent of combining both period and modern styles of violin playing has led her to form a special relationship with the Royal Academy of Music in London where she has directed the Bach Cantata Series since its inception in 2009, and has directed the Baroque Orchestra, the first year String Orchestra and the Modern Instrument Period Orchestra. Other educational opportunities have included teaching period style on modern instruments for the World Orchestra at the Schleswig Holstein Festival in Germany, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and Monash University in Melbourne.
Madeleine has performed on many award-winning recordings including much of the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage, B minor Mass and Lutheran masses with the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, the complete Brahms and Beethoven Symphony cycles with the Orchestre Revolutionaire e Romantique, Haydn’s ‘Creation’, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Mozart’s C Minor Mass with the Gabrieli Consort to name a few. She has released the complete piano trios of Alexis de Castillon with her piano trio ‘Trio Castillon’, available on Peyrole Records. She has also recorded the Antoine Reicha Bassoon Quintet and variations with the all Australian ensemble, ‘Island’ available on the ARS label.
Madeleine plays on a 1682 Giovanni Grancino violin and a 1704 Jo. Bapt. Rogeri baroque violin.

LISA GROSMAN

Lisa began learning Suzuki Method violin at the age of five, and went on to be the Concertmaster of the Australian Youth Orchestra. She studied with Alice Waten at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Australian Institute of Music before receiving a scholarship to study viola with Professor Bruno Giuranna at the University of Limerick, where she completed her Master of Arts in Classical String Performance.

For 15 years, Lisa was a member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, during which time she toured extensively throughout Europe, America and Asia. Lisa was also the Director of Strings for the Irish Chamber Orchestra’s Education and Outreach Project, “Sing Out with Strings” - an El Sistema inspired programme involving more than 300 children from under resourced communities.
Since returning to Australia, Lisa has performed with ensembles such as AWO, ACO, and MSO. She also teaches regularly at Suzuki events in Melbourne, Sydney, Dubbo and Ballarat.
Lisa plays a viola made by Giuseppe Vignali, purchased with assistance from the E.V.Llewellyn Memorial Fund.

VICTORIA JACONO-GILMOVICH

Victoria Jacono took up the violin when she was six. Millions of notes later, it still evokes the same wonder.

Victoria has found musical joy, performing on a regular basis as a freelance violinist. Her performances range from recitals, orchestral work , recordings, producing her own events and performing regularly for charitable organisations.

In an attempt to encourage more people to learn , perform and even just listen to music; Victoria was inspired to found the Inner West Institute of Music, which is based in numerous locations in Sydney’s inner west, coordinating ensembles and group lessons within a number of schools, as well as private tuition to over 350 students. Victoria hopes to inspire the next generation of musicians and provide easily accessible learning opportunities for children, whilst also giving guidance and opportunities to young music teachers.

Stepping aside from the Violin, Victoria also examines for the AMEB, adjudicates eisteddfods and competitions, is a conductor at Sydney Youth Orchestras and is the NSW Chapter president of AUSTA.

Victoria is also a proud mother to a young violinist (Estelle) and double bassist (Hugo) and continues to learn new things daily about pedagogy, music and life with them.

SHEAU-FANG LOW

Sheau-Fang Low holds Bachelor and Master Degrees in Performance and Pedagogy from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney; studying under Shi-Xiang Zhang, Semyon Kobets, Alice Waten and Charmain Gadd. Her passion in violin pedagogy is reflected in her Master degree research thesis. She has given presentations in numerous workshops and conferences. Her influence in string pedagogy is broad, having studied various pedagogical approaches from notable teachers such as Janet Davies (Alexander Technique) and Géza Szilvay (Colourstrings). She has also obtained certifications in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Suzuki Talent Education and Body Minded Alexander Technique.

Sheau-Fang is currently an AMEB (NSW) string examiner and violin pedagogue at Barker College. She has taught at schools and her private studio for over twenty years and is sought after for her ability to adapt her teaching to suit the various learning styles of her students. She has served as committee member for AUSTA (NSW) and the Dalcroze Australia Society. She is one of the founding committee members of the Australian Strings Academy (ASA) and the Director of the Zhang Violin Summer School. She has been active in violin performance, being a long-standing member with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra.

ANNA McMICHAEL

Anna is a violinist, festival director and educator in demand as an experienced musician able to perform diverse styles of music from early to experimental. She enjoyed a successful career in Europe before returning to Australia in 2010. Anna performed with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Royal Concertgebouw, and with ensembles including the ASKO Ensemble, Schønberg Ensemble, Nieuw Ensemble, Ives Ensemble, and Ensemble MAE. She also played with the Netherlands Opera and with the London Sinfonietta, and in Germany with Ensemble Modern and as leader of MusikFabrik. Anna has toured many major European festivals and given premieres by leading international composers.
She performs regularly with groups including: Ensemble Offspring, Australian Haydn Ensemble, Sydney Chamber Opera, Omega Ensemble, Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Australian World Orchestra, and is a core member of leading early music specialists, Ironwood. She performs at many festivals around Australia and has recorded her own CD on the Dutch label Unsounds, and two CDs on the Tall Poppies label. Anna has been Co-Artistic Director of the NSW Tyalgum Music Festival since 2014. She joined the School of Music at Monash University as Coordinator of Strings in 2019.

FINTAN MURPHY

Born in Melbourne, Fintan completed further study in Cologne with Helfried Fister, Christoph Poppen and the Amadeus quartet. He completed his Masters degree with Robert Gerle in Washington, D.C.

Fintan Murphy has published peer reviewed articles in the British, the Australian and the International Journals of Music Education. His current project sevcikvariations.com will be published in December 2019. His work in string pedagogy, (fintanmurphy.com) has been reviewed in journals such as the Strad and the American String teacher.
Fintan is the Chair of the Specialist Examining Panel for Strings for the Australian Music Examination Board (Vic.) and he is currently working on a violin syllabus review for level 3.
Fintan directs the Melbourne String Ensemble and currently teaches at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and Melbourne University.

GOETZ RICHTER

Goetz Richter is a violinist, teacher and thinker with a dual background in music and philosophy. He is currently Associate Professor at the University of Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music where he co-ordinates performance studies for violinists. Previous positions include a fifteen-year tenure as Associate Concertmaster with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (1987-2002) and early career positions as Associate Principal Violin II with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (1986-87) and Concertmaster of the Queensland Theatre Orchestra (1985-1986).

As a violinist Richter has appeared as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. He has given concerto performances with Australian Orchestras and has been a leader and guest leader of a number of Australian Orchestras. Chamber music collaborations include performances with Herrmann Baumann, Gerard Fauth, Bernhard Greenhouse and others. With pianist Jeanell Carrigan he has a long-standing duo partnership that has included recital performances throughout Australia and in Europe, appearance for Musica Viva and broadcasts for the ABC. As an orchestral musician, principal and leader Richter has worked with eminent conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Neeme Jaervi, Yuri Temirkanov, Edo de Waart, David Zinman, Mariss Jansons, Vladimir Ashkenazy and many others.

EVGENY SORKIN

Russian born violinist Evgeny Sorkin has been in demand as performer from a very early age. At the age of 10 Isaac Stern has chosen Evgeny to perform a concert tour of the USA including performance at the Department of State in Washington. At 16 after hearing Evgeny perform, Sir Yehudi Menuhin likened his playing to that of young David Oistrakh.

Evgeny has attended the Moscow State Conservatorium receiving a cum laude upon his graduation. After moving to Australia Evgeny studied with Alice Waten at the Australian National Academy of Music and at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he was the first person ever to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Sydney.

Evgeny Sorkin was a member of The International Holland Music Sessions from 2006. He toured over 15 countries as a soloist appearing in venues such as Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatorium. He is a prize winner in international competitions including 1st prize at the 2002 6th Togliatti International Violin Competition, and 2nd Prize at the 2003 18th Caltanissetta International Chamber Music Competition, and Prizes in Taneyev International Competition and Gisborne International Music Competition.

From 2006 Evgeny began teaching violin at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne. In 2009 he became a staff member at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and balances his teaching with a busy recital schedule. Most notable is Evgeny’s performance of the complete Beethoven sonata cycle with the renowned Dutch-Australian pianist Gerard Willems.

CURT THOMPSON

Curt Thompson serves as Associate Professor and Head of Strings at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. He is Founder and Director of the Mimir Chamber Music Festival, which recently celebrated its 22nd season in the USA and will present its 6th in Melbourne from 24 August – 1 September.

Thompson performs as concerto soloist, recitalist, concertmaster, and chamber musician in such prestigious venues as Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Salle Gaveau, Teatro Naçional de Costa Rica and the Shanghai Concert Hall. As Concertmaster, Curt has appeared with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Texas Chamber Orchestra and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra (Italy). Current activities include a 10-CD recording project on the Naxos label with the Pettman Ensemble.

Thompson’s recording of the violin sonatas by Charles Ives (Naxos) is regularly broadcast worldwide. It was hailed by The New York Times as a “Critics' Favourite”. In 2016 Gramophone named the CD one of the all-time “Top 10 Ives Recordings”, stating that of the recordings of the violin sonatas, "…this is now the version to choose…."

Thompson holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and the prestigious Performer’s Certificate from Indiana University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rice University. His teachers included Nelli Shkolnikova and Sergiu Luca.

Alice Waten

Alice Waten studied with Valery Klimov, David Oistrakh, and the Borodin String Quartet at the Moscow Conservatoire. She also studied with Professor Eberhard Feltz in Berlin.

Teaching roles include Head of Strings at the Australian National Academy of Music, Melbourne, Head of strings & Classical Ensemble at The Australian Institute of Music. Chair of Strings at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Head of Strings and Orchestral Studies at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong, Head of Strings at Chetham’s Specialist Music School, Manchester, UK.

Alice Waten’s students presently holding leading professional positions include: Richard Tognetti, Artistic Director and Lead violinist-Australian Chamber Orchestra
Rowell, Co-Concertmaster-Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Rebecca Chan, Assistant Concertmaster- Philharmonia Orchestra, London
Kirsten Shlomowitz, Sub-Principal 2nd violin-Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
Sun Yi, Associate SunConcertmaster -Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Kirsty Hilton, Co-principal 2nd violin-Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Marina Marsden, Co- Principal 2nd violin -Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Katherine Lukey, Associate Concertmaster, Australian Opera Orchestra, Sydney
Cameron Hill, Associate Concertmaster-Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Graeme Norris, Principal Violin, West Australian Symphony Orchestra
Kylie Liang, Assistant Principal 2nd violin, West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

Many of Alice Waten’s students have won both International and National competitions, including 4 first-prize winners of the ABC Young Performers Award and in 2018 & 2019, 1st prize in the Gisborne International Music Competition, the National Youth Concerto Competition and the Kuringai Philharmonic Secondary Schools Competition.

ROBIN WILSON

Regarded as a foremost pedagogue in Australasia, Dr Robin Wilson is Head of Violin at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne, and also teaches in the Open Academy at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Previous appointments include Lecturer in Violin and Pedagogy at the University of Sydney, the Australian Institute of Music and String Pedagogy Fellow at the University of Queensland. His students have won the major Australian national competitions, and are prize winners of international competitions, including the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition. They have appeared as soloists with the major Australian orchestras and hold positions and perform with leading orchestras in Australia and overseas, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic. Former students currently study at leading institutions around the world such as the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School and the Hochschule für Musik ‘Hanns Eisler’ Berlin. Robin has given masterclasses throughout Australasia, Singapore, the UK and the USA and was recently a keynote speaker at the 2017 IRMTNZ National Conference in New Zealand.

Robin has released solo and chamber recordings on Decca, ABC Classics, Vexations840, Ode and VDE-Gallo. He performs widely a member of Ironwood Ensemble and the Australian Octet. His research on the historical performance of Brahms’s music was awarded the prestigious 2014 Geiringer Prize from the American Brahms Society and he has presented lectures at leading institutions around the world including Stanford and Yale Universities.

Robin studied with Alice Waten, Janet Davies and Beryl Kimber in Australia and James
Buswell at The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

RECITAL ARTISTS

ADAM CHALABI

Adam Chalabi holds the position of Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Queensland. He is first violinist of the internationally renowned Tinalley String Quartet, violinist of White Halo Ensemble and held the position of Concertmaster of Orchestra Victoria from 2009-2014.
Between 2002-2009 Adam was Principal Violin with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. He has appeared as guest concertmaster with numerous orchestras within Australia and overseas including the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. He previously held the position of Head of Strings at the Australian National Academy of Music.
Born in London, Adam began his violin studies at the age of four with the Suzuki Method and attended the Purcell School and Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Maciej Rakowski. He is very grateful to have been supported by the Countess of Munster, Ian Fleming and Lawrence Atwell Charitable foundations.
Adam plays on a Joseph Panormo violin circa 1805.

ANNA GRINBERG

Dr Anna Grinberg is Piano Performance Fellow and Lecturer at the School of Music, University of Queensland. She has an international profile as a pianist, teacher, and academic, and collaborates widely with orchestras, composers and other performers.
Anna’s engagements have included solo and chamber music performances at prestigious venues in the United States, including Royce Hall in Los Angeles and New York’s Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and in Europe, Israel and China. She has performed as soloist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Paul Mellon Chamber Orchestra. She performs as a member of the Viney-Grinberg Duo, ensemble-in-residence at the University of Queensland, exploring both existing and new repertoire. Through the duo she has commissioned and premiered dozens of new works for piano duo from composers in Australia and the United States, with funding from sources such as the Australia Council for the Arts, and the Fromm Foundation, Harvard. This work has been featured on three compact disc releases by ABC Classics and Tall Poppies and has been nominated for an Australian Music Centre/APRA Award for Excellence.
After completing postgraduate studies at Yale University (with Boris Berman) and SUNY Stony Brook (with Gilbert Kalish), Anna served on the piano faculties of Chapman University and California Institute of the Arts prior to her current position at the University of Queensland.

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