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2024 Artists

A stunningly virtuosic pianist, Alexander is internationally recognised for his electrifying and poetic performances. His performance of Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 at the BBC Proms was described as “revelatory” by the Times and “electrifying” by Limelight. For the 23/24 season, Alexander will be Artist in Residence at Wigmore Hall, performing three recitals across the season.
Highlights of the 2023-24 season include debuts with NDR Hannover, Bochum Symphoniker and Amsterdam Sinfonietta, as well as return visits to Sydney Symphony, Adelaide Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Aarhus Symphony & Rheinische Philharmonie. Recent highlights also include Detroit Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Polish Baltic Philharmonic, Sao Paolo Symphony & Rhode Island Philharmonic.
Born in Ukraine in 1984 and holding Australian citizenship, Alexander began his piano studies at the age of seven and gave his first concerto performance when he was nine years old. At the age of 13, Alexander moved to Sydney where he lived until 2006. He won First Prize and Gold Medal at the Horowitz International Piano Competition (1999), First Prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (2000), and Gold Medal at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition (2005).
He has since gone on to perform with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including: New York, Los Angeles, Czech, Warsaw, Moscow, Seoul, Israel and Rotterdam Philharmonics; NHK, Chicago, Cincinnati and City of Birmingham Symphony orchestras; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philharmonia, Wiener Symphoniker, Orchestre National de Lille and the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker; collaborating with conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Alexandre Bloch, Herbert Blomstedt, Andrey Boreyko, Thomas Dausgaard, Valery Gergiev, Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Jurowski, Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Kirill Karabits, Louis Langrée, Cornelius Meister, Vassily Petrenko, Rafael Payare, Alexander Shelley, Yuri Simonov, Vladimir Spivakov, Markus Stenz, Sir Mark Elder, Thomas Søndergård, Gergely Madaras, Mario Venzago, Enrique Mazzola and Osmo Vänska.
Gavrylyuk has appeared at many of the world’s foremost festivals, including the Hollywood Bowl, Bravo! Vail Colorado, Mostly Mozart, the Ruhr Festival, the Kissinger Sommer International Music Festival, the Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam.
As a recitalist Alexander has performed at the Musikverein in Vienna, Tonhalle Zurich, Victoria Hall Geneva, Southbank Centre’s International Piano Series, Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw Master Pianists Series, Suntory Hall, Tokyo Opera City Hall, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Cologne Philharmonie, Tokyo City Concert Hall, San Francisco, Sydney Recital Hall and Melbourne Recital Centre. Alexander also performs regularly with his recital partner Janine Jansens throughout Europe.
Alexander is Artist in Residence at Chautauqua Institution. He supports a number of charities including Theme and Variations Foundation which provides support and encouragement to young, aspiring Australian pianists as well as Opportunity Cambodia, which has built a residential educational facility for Cambodian children.
Alexander Gavrylyuk is a Steinway Artist.

Alexander Gavrylyuk

Soloist

Since 1985, the Australian String Quartet (ASQ) has created unforgettable
string quartet performances for audiences around the world. The ASQ is
Dale Barltrop (violin), Francesca Hiew (violin), Christopher Cartlidge (viola)
and Michael Dahlenburg (cello).
Dedicated to musical excellence with a distinctly Australian fl avour, we aim
to create chemistry and amplify intimacy through experiences that connect
people with music.
From our home base at the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of
Music, we reach out across the globe to engage people with an outstanding
program of performances, workshops, commissions, digital content and
education projects.
Our distinct sound is enhanced by a matched set of 18th century
Guadagnini instruments, handcraft ed by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
between c.1743 and 1784 in Turin and Piacenza, Italy. These precious
instruments are on loan for our exclusive use through the generosity
of UKARIA.
Dale Barltrop plays a 1784 Guadagnini Violin, Turin
Francesca Hiew plays a 1748-49 Guadagnini Violin, Piacenza
Christopher Cartlidge plays a 1783 Guadagnini Viola, Turin
Michael Dahlenburg plays a c.1743 Guadagnini Violoncello, Piacenza
‘Ngeringa’

Australian String Quartet

Mentors

The Chroma Quartet was formed in Sydney in mid-2020, when Australia had just come out of several months of lock down due to Covid-19. We were searching for ways to create music in such a desolate time for our profession, and the idea of forming a string quartet came quite naturally. Each of us had worked together in various musical settings for years and more importantly, we knew we enjoyed each other’s company!

We love creating an inclusive environment at our concerts and are passionate about sharing both old and new works for string quartet. We feel at home performing in a range of venues, anywhere from a concert hall or traditional salon-style setting to the local bar or pub.

We hope to see and meet you at a Chroma Quartet concert soon!

Harry, Tori, Liz and Eliza

Harry Bennetts - Since 2019 Harry has held the position of Associate Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, while also managing to keep up an impressive solo career.

Victoria Bihun - Tori moved to Sydney in 2015 after being awarded a Fellowship with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and has since become a full time member of their 2nd violin section.

Elizabeth Woolnough - In 2017, Liz successfully auditioned for the job of tutti viola with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. However, it wasn’t long before she was snapped up by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, becoming an integral member of their viola section.

Eliza Straudlig - Eliza was an Emerging Artist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2018 and moved to Sydney a year later to commence the Fellowship program with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She now regularly performs as a guest cellist with both ensembles as well as with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Chroma Quartet

Mentors

Our Artistic Director is Fabian Russell. In a career spanning more than three decades, Fabian has been at the forefront of the Australian classical music industry as a multi-‐award winning conductor, artistic director, orchestral musician, soloist and teacher.
Fabian has received invitations to conduct orchestras including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Victorian Opera, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Australian National Academy of Music Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Niedersächsisches Jugensinfonieorchester, Sydney Youth Orchestra, Darwin Symphony Orchestra, Geelong Symphony Orchestra, University of Tasmania Conservatorium Orchestra, Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium of Music Symphony Orchestra, Monash University Academy Orchestra and the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with leading soloists including legendary American pianist Gary Graffman, Brett Dean, Richard Tognetti, Leslie Howard, Daniel de Borah, Stefan Cassomenos, Kristian Chong, Michael Kieran Harvey and Kristian Winther.
Fabian has held numerous conducting positions including Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of The Orchestra Project since 2002, Associate Conductor/Assistant Conductor of the Australian Youth Orchestra since 2002, Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra from 2007-‐2012, Principal Conductor Monash University Academy Orchestra from 2011-‐2015, Principal Guest Conductor University of Melbourne Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra from 2011-‐2017.
In 2002 Fabian founded The Orchestra Project – the Melbourne based training orchestra comprised of Australia’s pre-‐eminent emerging artists who perform alongside members of Australia’s professional orchestras. He serves as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of The Orchestra Project, receiving significant support from the Australian National Academy of Music. The Project has completed 33 performance seasons since its inception. The Orchestra Project’s Sydney debut took place in December 2019 performing Mahler Symphony No. 4, that followed performances of Mahler Symphony No. 5, 6 and 9 in Melbourne for the Easter seasons of 2017-‐2019. The 20th Anniversary concert of The Orchestra Project took place in Sydney in 2022 in a performance of Richard Strauss Ein Heldenleben and Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 with Daniel de Borah as soloist.
In addition to his substantial orchestral repertoire, Fabian has a strong interest in commissioning and performing new music. He has conducted world and Australian premieres of more than thirty major works by composers including Gordon Kerry, Brett Dean, James Ledger, Mary Finsterer, Stefan Cassomenos, Harry Sdraulig, Kate Moore and Holly Harrison. He has also recorded extensively for film, television and radio, and has conducted Film and Orchestra projects for IMG Classics with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2013, Fabian made his Victorian Opera debut in a new production of John Adams’ Nixon in China
that receiving considerable critical acclaim resulting in the 2014 Green Room Award for Outstanding
Conductor, as well as the 2014 Helpmann Award nomination for Best Music
Director.

Fabian Russell

Conductor

Splitting his time between New York City and Australia, violinist Peter Clark is widely celebrated for the unique breadth and scope of his leadership across the arts sector.
As concertmaster, Peter has appeared with New Zealand Opera, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Chamber Opera, Victoria Opera, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Darwin Symphony, and Orchestra Wellington. He has also appeared as Guest Principal Second of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Dublin, and has toured with the Australian World Orchestra.
Peter’s commitment to arts access has led him to perform in more than 130 regional towns and cities across Australia, as well as to develop a beloved music program at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, through his extensive work with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
In the field of public speaking and advocacy, Peter has developed a reputation as one of Australia’s most sought-after speakers, presenting for orchestras around the world. His audiences range from young school students, through to Australian Prime Ministers, as he communicates and passionately advocates for the central role of music in society. His recent work includes delivering the late Richard Gill’s 2023 Voyage of Musical Discovery series.
Peter’s doctoral research on social innovation and cohesion through music is generously supported by Judith Neilson AM, and the General Sir John Monash Foundation. He is also completing an MBA in Arts Innovation, with the generous support of the American Australian Association.
Peter first played in Carnegie Hall with the Australian Chamber Orchestra at the age of twenty. He plays a fine 1936 AE Smith violin, and is Principal Violin of Omega Ensemble.

Peter Clark

Guest Director

Led by our exceptional Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Dr Sarah Penicka-Smith, our vision is to become a permanent, integral and relevant player in the artistic and cultural landscape of western Sydney.

As the flagship symphonic choir for the City of Parramatta, River City Voices is conveniently located in the demographic heart of Sydney. Parramatta, Sydney's River City, is currently experiencing unprecedented growth. Nearly half of its residents are aged between 25-50, and speak over 140 languages. By 2021, Parramatta will also be home to nearly 200,000 city workers.

River City Voices

Collaborator

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