Helen Lynch AM & Helen Bauer Chair

Alexandra Osborne enjoys an exciting and versatile career as a solo artist, chamber and orchestral musician, and educator. She was recently appointed as Associate Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Previously Alexandra was appointed to The National Symphony Orchestra, Washington DC, by Christoph Eschenbach as the youngest member of the violin section in 2009, and spent thirteen seasons with the NSO, including as Assistant Concertmaster. Prior to this, she performed regularly with The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Pittsburgh Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the New York Philharmonic.

Recent highlights include Guest Concertmaster of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Opera Australia, tours with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, Australian World Orchestra, Australian Piano Quartet, and the Australian String Quartet, her debut album of world premiere Nico Muhly and Philip Glass works on ABC Classic, Guest Artistic Director/Concertmaster of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, the 2023 Bendigo, Blackheath, Bangalow and Coriole Music Festivals, Guest Principal work with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, curating classical music events at top Australian restaurant Bennelong, a multisensory recording project and residency at UKARIA, touring with Kathy Selby and Friends, performing The Last Violin soundtrack for Harry Vatiliotis documentary including an appearance at the 2023 Bangalow Film Festival, founding board member/violinist of Jackson Hole Chamber Music, a concert on the ‘King Louis XIV’ Amati at the Smithsonian American History Museum, mentoring at the Hawaii Youth Symphony Summer Festival, and concerts across European Festivals and the BBC Proms.

Ms. Osborne has been Principal Violinist of the 21st Century Consort in Washington DC, Chiarina Chamber Players, and the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra. She is a top laureate of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition, winner of the Gisborne International Music Competition, and a gold medalist of Symphony Australia Young Performers Award. Ms. Osborne collaborated with members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for Alice Tully Hall’s highly acclaimed opening night concert and performed the Mendelssohn Octet at Lincoln Center with members of the New York Philharmonic. A chamber music lover, Ms. Osborne has appeared at the Taos, Pan Pacific, Kneisel Hall, Sarasota, Colorado and Bravo! Big Sky Music Festivals, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Fortas Chamber Music Series and was a featured artist in Symphony Magazine.

With a keen interest in fostering young talent, she has been a teaching artist for the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, the NSO’s Youth Fellowship and Summer Music Institute programs, the DC Youth Orchestra, and the Hawaii Youth Symphony, whilst maintaining a private teaching studio. A graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School, and after 20 years in the USA, Ms. Osborne is delighted to be based back in Australia performing, educating and mentoring.

Emily Long was appointed to the Second Violins of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2010.

She grew up in Sydney and studied violin with Philippa Paige, Chris Kimber and Janet Davies, graduating with First Class Honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2004. The previous year, a Sydney University Exchange scholarship enabled her to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Hu Kun and Diana Cummings.

While a student, Emily Long was a member of Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Sinfonia mentoring orchestra, and in 2005 she was a Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellow. Since then she has performed in the Sydney and Melbourne symphony orchestras and has toured to Japan, Italy, China, Malaysia and Europe with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Emily Long has been concertmaster of the Balmain Sinfonia, Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra and Conservatorium Opera Orchestra, and has been Associate Concertmaster of the Australian Youth Orchestra. She is a founding member of the chamber music group Sydney Omega Ensemble, performing in venues such as City Recital Hall Angel Place and the Sydney Opera House Utzon Room. With Sydney Omega Ensemble she has toured NSW for Musica Viva and recorded for ABC Classic FM's Sunday Live program. She has also appeared as a chamber musician at the Kowmung Music Festival and other festivals, and enjoyed participating in masterclasses with artists such as the Takács Quartet, Cho-Liang Lin and Steven Isserlis.

Bob & Julie Clampett Chair, in memory of Carolyn Clampett

Justin Williams is the Assistant Principal Viola with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2009 (and was Acting Associate Principal from 2011 to mid-2012), and a core player in the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.

He is the violist in the Tinalley String Quartet, which won the Ninth Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2007. He has performed with Tinalley throughout Australia, North America, Britain and Europe, with highlights including performances in the chamber halls of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Vienna Musikverein, the Konzerthaus Berlin, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the Vancouver Academy of Music, as well as the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Recital Centre. He has also performed as guest violist with the Australian String Quartet and the Muir String Quartet, and with many of Australia's leading chamber musicians.

Originally from Albury, New South Wales, Justin Williams completed a master's degree in performance at the University of Melbourne. He has also studied with members of the St Lawrence Quartet, Tokyo Quartet, Emerson Quartet, Schoenberg Quartet, Keller Quartet and the Takács Quartet, as well as William Hennessy, Caroline Henbest and Brett Dean.

His performances have been broadcast in Australia on ABC Classic FM, 3MBS (Melbourne) and 5MBS (Adelaide), and internationally on CBC Canada, SRW2 and HR2 Kultur (Germany), Radio France and Public National Radio, The Netherlands.

The New York Times has described New Zealand violist Amanda Verner's playing as “alluring” and “passionate”. Following her undergraduate study at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of Jeffrey Irvine, Amanda received an Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, under the tutelage of renowned violists Roberto Diaz, Misha Amory and Michael Tree.

In 2013, Amanda gave her solo debut at Carnegie Hall, performing Steve Mackey’s Ground Swell as part of the 21st Century American Contemporary Ensemble workshop with John Adams and David Robertson.

As a chamber musician, she has performed with Bendigo Chamber Music Festival (Australia), At the Worlds Edge Festival (New Zealand), Philharmonia Chamber Players (London), collaborated with the Doric String Quartet and toured for Chamber Music New Zealand with the MELERensemble.

Amanda has toured extensively with the Verbier Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Gábor Takács-Nagy, performed with Sinfonia Grange au lac with Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel, and Daniel Harding, Les dissonances, Concertgebouw Kamerorkest and Camerata RCO. She has also attended the Seiji Ozawa International Music Academy and Aspen Music Festival.

An experienced orchestral musician, she has served as guest principal of the Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras. She has toured with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and held a position with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. She is currently a member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Timothy Nankervis is a member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra having taken up the position in 2004.

He has won numerous awards for cello performance and chamber music and as a member of the acclaimed Seraphim Trio. Tim is an active chamber musician being a member of the Sonus Quartet, as well as performing with the Linden Trio, Sydney Soloists and Sydney Symphony Chamber Music.

He has performed widely throughout Australia as a soloist and has broadcast regularly for the ABC and 2MBS-FM. He has performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto and Brahms Double Concerto with orchestras in Sydney and Queensland, and he has performed as soloist with Orchestra Victoria, playing Tchaikovsky's 'Rococo' Variations.

In 2011 and 2015, Tim performed in the Australian World Orchestra, which brought together some of Australia's finest musicians from home and abroad. Committed to education, Tim teaches at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney and tutors regularly for Sydney Sinfonia, Sydney Youth Orchestra and Australian Youth Orchestra.

Tim completed his Bachelor of Music degree in Sydney with Lois Simpson and graduated from Melbourne University with a Master of Music degree studying with Nelson Cooke. He has studied in London with William Pleeth and Raphael Wallfisch, and with Vadim Chervov at the Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music in Kiev.

Bob Magid OAM & Ruth Magid Chair

Elizabeth was born and lived in England until 2001. It was here that her love of orchestral performing began, in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the European Union Youth Orchestra, where she was appointed Principal Cello.

Having already received a Performing Diploma from the Royal College of Music, London, at seventeen, Elizabeth went on to graduate from the University of Nottingham with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Music. During her degree she studied with Tim Hugh and received regular chamber music coaching from the Allegri String Quartet. With the help of various scholarships, including the Countess of Munster Trust, she was able to continue her studies with David Strange at the Royal Academy of Music in London, receiving the highest performing diploma after one year. She performed on the radio for the BBC many times, and had masterclasses with well-known musicians, such as Lynn Harrell, Christopher Bunting and Steven Isserlis.

Elizabeth has worked with many of Britain's top orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Hallé Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. She held a permanent position with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for six years, where she was given the opportunity to perform with the World Orchestra of Peace under Valery Gergiev.

Elizabeth Neville moved to Australia in 2001 after participating in a job swap with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. During this time she was a member of the Apollo Piano Trio, Vuillaume Piano Trio and a cello and piano duo, recording CDs and performing in an ABC Live recital. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Friends’ scholarship enabled her to travel to the Netherlands and the UK, to study with Pieter Wispelwey and Tim Hugh.

In recent years Elizabeth has become more passionate about education. She has been a teacher at the Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium, tutored at the inaugural cello retreat of Eudlo, Queensland and schools around the Bellingen area, which culminated in performing and directing the ‘Bello Cellos’ concert of 2023.

Elizabeth plays on an old English cello made by Thomas Kennedy cello, from 1840.

Jaan Pallandi began playing the double bass at the age of 11, initially studying with Nicole Murray-Prior and later with Alex Henery, continuing his studies at the Sydney Conservatorium on the Corinna d’Hage String Scholarship. While there he was awarded the Frank Albert Prize for Music, twice won the University of Sydney Academic Merit Prize, and was the winner of the string unit concerto competition performing Tubin’s Double Bass Concerto.

During his studies, he worked with the Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmanian symphony orchestras, and at the end of his second year won a permanent position in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra bass section. He has also performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Vebrugghen Ensemble, Australian Haydn Ensemble and Omega Ensemble, as well as appearing on the Omega Ensemble’s debut album.

Jaan Pallandi performed with the Sydney Chamber Opera for the premiere of Eliot Gyger’s Fly Away Peter and for performances of Pascal Dusapin’s Passion at the 2016 Sydney Festival. He was named a 2018 Emerging Artist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and has performed at the Canberra International Music Festival. He has also taught privately and at various schools, and conducted tutorials for the Sydney Youth Orchestras, Performing Arts Unit and the Border Music Camp.

Robert Constable & Family Chair

Emma Sholl began working with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the age of 19 and was awarded the Second Flute post the following year – one of the youngest musicians ever appointed. In 2003 she was appointed Associate Principal Flute.

She was named 2MBS Young Performer of the Year in 1997, and won the 1999 National Orchestral Flute Competition, the Other Instruments category in the 2001 ABC/Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards, and the 2002 National Solo Flute Competition.

In 2002–03, several awards – including the Martin Bequest and Dorothy Fraser Scholarship – enabled her to study in Geneva with Jacques Zoon. During that time she performed in St Petersburg and Moscow as part of the World Orchestra for Peace conducted by Valery Gergiev.

As a guest principal, she has appeared with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and the Adelaide, Queensland, Tasmanian and West Australian symphony orchestras. In 2011 and 2013 she performed in the Australian World Orchestra.

As a soloist she has appeared with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, performing Bach with Geoffrey Lancaster. Other solo engagements have included the ASO and TSO as well as the SSO, and she recorded Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.4 with Angela Hewitt, Alison Mitchell and the ACO.

Emma Sholl has performed in recital for Musica Viva and ABC Classic FM and in 2015 released Vignettes, an album for flute and harp with Jane Rosenson. As a chamber musician, she has performed in many festivals around Australia, and with such groups as the Australia Ensemble, Sydney Soloists, Sydney Omega Ensemble and Southern Cross Soloists. She has taught for the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Australian National Academy of Music and is Lecturer in flute at the Sydney Conservatorium.

Emma Sholl plays a 14k rose gold Burkart flute.

Council Chair

Artistic Director of Vanguard

Shefali Pryor grew up in Sydney where she graduated with First Class Honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. During her studies she participated in numerous programs with the Australian Youth Orchestra and was a member of the Sydney Sinfonia. Upon graduating she joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Second Oboe.

In 2004 and 2005 she was granted leave in order to study with Stefan Schilli at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. Not long after her return to Australia she was appointed Associate Principal Oboe. In 2006 she won the Other Instrumental category of the Symphony Australia Young Performer Awards. She has performed as soloist with the Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmanian symphony orchestras, including performances with violinist Nigel Kennedy in 2006.

Shefali Pryor has performed as guest principal with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia, and as a casual musician with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. She is a founding member of the Sydney Omega Ensemble and has performed with the Australia Ensemble, Sydney Soloists, and Southern Cross Soloists as well as with the staff of the Sydney Conservatorium, where she teaches oboe.

She is also the Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Vanguard program for young philanthropists.

Alexander (Alex) Morris hails from Bundaberg in regional Queensland. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Advanced Performance (First Class Honours) from the Queensland Conservatorium, where he studied with Paul Dean and Floyd Williams, before attending the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne as a student of David Thomas. His studies also took him to Los Angeles, where he studied at the Colburn Conservatory with Yehuda Gilad.

Before joining the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Principal Bass Clarinet in 2018, he was Assistant Principal Clarinet and Bass Clarinet of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (2016–2018). In addition to his work in Vancouver, he has performed as guest principal clarinet with the Sydney, Melbourne, and Tasmanian symphony orchestras, as well as the Malaysian Philharmonic, Auckland Philharmonia, Opera Australia Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria. As a concerto soloist he has appeared with the Aspen Music Festival, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and the South Melbourne Symphony.

Alex Morris was a Bass Clarinet Fellow at the Aspen Music Festival in 2014 and won the Aspen Concerto Competition that year. In 2013 he was an ANAM Fellow, performing, directing and curating his own series of recitals and chamber music concerts with students, faculty and guest artists. From 2006 to 2010 he participated in many programs of the Australian Youth Orchestra, including performing as principal clarinet on the AYO’s 2010 European tour.

A passionate chamber musician, he was a winner of the ANAM chamber music competition and the Gertrude Langer Ensemble prize, and many of his solo and chamber music performances have been broadcast on ABC Classic FM. He has also premiered many new works for both clarinet and bass clarinet.

Nelson Meers Foundation Chair

New Zealander Todd Gibson-Cornish was appointed Principal Bassoon of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2016.

An in-demand Guest Principal, Todd has performed with many of Europe’s leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome), Oslo Philharmonic, Sinfonia of London, the Hallé, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (London), BBC Symphony and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

He has performed at the BBC Proms and on tour throughout Europe, Asia and the United States under conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Antonio Pappano, Klaus Mäkelä and Daniele Gatti. In Australia, he has also toured with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Concerto appearances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra include the Australasian premiere of Christopher Rouse’s Bassoon Concerto, Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, and Vanhal’s Concerto for two bassoons (with Matthew Wilkie). He has also performed Jolivet’s Bassoon Concerto with the NZSO National Youth Orchestra.

Committed to education, Todd has given masterclasses at leading institutions including the Royal College of Music (London), Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester) and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

A passionate chamber musician, Todd has performed at festivals and venues including the Martinborough Music Festival (NZ), UKARIA Cultural Centre (Adelaide), Ensemble 360 (UK) and Les Concerts du Zeppelin (France) and at the House of Lords with the ASMF wind quartet. He is Co-Artistic Director of the Cambridge Chamber Music Festival in New Zealand.

Todd graduated in 2016 with First Class Honours from the Royal College of Music, where he studied under Joost Bosdijk, Andrea de Flammineis and Julie Price. He was a Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Scholar, supported by a Douglas and Hilda Simmonds Award, and was awarded the prestigious Tagore Gold Medal for his outstanding contribution to the RCM – presented to him by HRH King Charles III.

Born in Christchurch New Zealand, Euan Harvey joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2008 after four years with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. After completing degrees in Music and Business Administration at Victoria University of Wellington, Euan worked as a corporate tax specialist in New Zealand, becoming a Chartered Accountant before taking up a Fulbright Scholarship to obtain a Masters of Music at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

Euan was formerly Co-Principal Horn of the Verbier Festival Orchestra, Switzerland, which included tours to the major concert halls of Europe, Asia and the Americas. He has performed as principal horn with all the major symphony orchestras in Australia and New Zealand, together with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Opera Australia Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Euan has been a member of New Sydney Wind Quintet, the Sydney Omega Ensemble and new music group Stroma. Euan has recorded the Brahms Horn Trio and Britten Serenade for ABC Classics and the Dawn Wail for the Dead as part of Paul Stanhope’s Requiem CD with Sydney Chamber Choir.

Currently on the French Horn faculty of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Conservatorium High School, Euan also regularly tutors at the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Australian National Academy of Music.

A lover of the outdoors, Euan has completed two Ironman distance triathlons as well as the Coast to Coast longest day race in New Zealand.

Terrey Arcus AM Chair

Sam was recently Principal Horn with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, which followed a three-year tenure as Principal Horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London.

During his time in the UK, he performed as a guest Principal Horn with numerous leading symphony orchestras. In the Southern Hemisphere, he often collaborates as guest Principal Horn with the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras and played a significant role in the 2016 Ring Cycle in Melbourne.

Sam has made numerous commercial recordings for the film and pop industries, including albums with Sting, Sam Smith, and Florence & the Machine, and soundtracks for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Interstellar, The Martian, and the James Bond film Spectre. He has also contributed to scores for television and video games, including the Halo franchise. He has recorded on the LSO Live label and numerous live BBC Radio 3 broadcasts and as Principal Horn on the Deutsche Grammophon, Dutton Epoch, and RPO record labels.

Some of Sam's career highlights include performing with Sting at iconic venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, New York Met, and MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He also played Principal Horn on the Star Wars In Concert tour across America, Canada, and Europe with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

As a soloist, Sam has performed concertos by Haydn, Mozart, Hoffmann, Franz Strauss, and Richard Strauss, as well as Schumann’s Konzertstück on Principal Horn. He recorded John Rimmer’s Horn Concerto with the NZSO, and his performance of Mozart’s Fourth Horn Concerto with Sinfonia Viva was broadcast on Britain's Classic FM. Samuel also toured this concerto with the NZSO in 2016.

Sam's previous teachers include Richard Kennedy, Beccy Goldberg, Julian Plummer, Martin Owen, Michael Thompson, and Richard Watkins. He has given masterclasses at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, and the Royal Northern College of Music. Currently, he teaches horn at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University Wellington.

Besides music, Sam has been an extra in the hit Bollywood movie Blue and appeared on four UK television quiz shows, including Countdown.

Anne Arcus Chair

David Elton joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Principal Trumpet in 2012, having previously held principal trumpet positions with the West Australian and Adelaide symphony orchestras. He has performed and toured as a guest principal with orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He has also performed on several occasions with the Australian World Orchestra.

As a soloist, he has performed concertos with the ACO and the Sydney, Adelaide, West Australian and Canberra symphony orchestras, including, with the WASO, the premiere of James Ledger’s Trumpet Concerto, which was written for him. As a chamber musician, he is a member of the Australian Brass Quintet and has participated in many chamber music festivals including the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville. He has also toured in Germany with World Brass and Mahler Chamber Brass.

Raised in Sydney, David Elton began studying trumpet at the age of nine, and became a student of Paul Goodchild on reaching high school. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Queensland Conservatorium (where he studied with Yoram Levy), and a Master’s degree from Northwestern University in Illinois (studying with Charles Geyer and Barbara Butler).

David Elton is on the Brass faculty at the Australian National Academy of Music. He was formerly Head of Brass at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and a guest faculty member at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore.