Judy & Sam Weiss Chair

Sydney-born violinist Harry Bennetts studied at the Australian National Academy of Music under Dr. Robin Wilson, and in the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra mentored by concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley. His first years of violin lessons were in the Suzuki method and his subsequent teachers were Philippa Paige and Mark Mogilevski.

Following a series of success in national competitions, Harry has performed concerti as soloist with the Melbourne, Tasmanian, Willoughby, and Canberra Symphony orchestras. He has performed recitals in concert halls that include the Melbourne Recital Centre Salon, Ukaria Cultural Centre, Sydney Opera House Utzon Room, as well as numerous regional centres. He has performed chamber music at festivals in Townsville, Huntington, Baden-Baden, Cologne, Berlin and Melbourne.

Whilst still completing his studies, Harry was accepted into the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove in the class of Thomas Adès, and performed as an Emerging Artist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra (with whom he now tours as a guest). During his time studying in Germany he performed regularly with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at their home in the Philharmonie and on their European tours. He has participated in masterclasses and lessons with Pinchas Zuckerman, Boris Kuschnir, Midori Gotō, Christian Tetzlaff and members of the Belcea and Doric string quartets.

Harry Bennetts plays a 1716 Grancino violin, affectionately named the ‘Hazelwood’ violin, formerly belonging to Donald Hazelwood AO OBE, concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony from 1965–1998.

The Hazelwood violin is generously loaned to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra by Vicki Olsson.

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.

Nelson Meers Foundation Chair

Matthew Wilkie grew up in Canberra and in 1979, after studying at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, went to Europe, where he ended up staying for 23 years. While studying bassoon in Hanover, Germany with Klaus Thunemann, he was a prize winner at the International Music Competition in Geneva. He has since appeared as soloist with many orchestras, including the Orchestra de la Suisse Romande, Württemberg Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe, as well as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which he joined as Principal Bassoon in 2000.

He has been a member of the COE since 1986, travelling to Europe five times a year, and has worked under such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Meta, Roger Norrington, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Bernard Haitink. He appears on countless recordings with the COE, many of which have received international awards. His solo and chamber music recordings include concertos by Mozart, Vivaldi and Richard Strauss; the complete wind chamber music of Mozart and Richard Strauss; and six trio sonatas by Zelenka. His 2009 recording of Bach and Telemann sonatas, The Galant Bassoon, was shortlisted for an ARIA award and has been praised internationally. He has also appeared at many international festivals and is a regular guest at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville, and is much in demand as a teacher, giving masterclasses in Europe and Japan.

Matthew Wilkie’s solo appearances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra include Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto (2008), the premiere of James Ledger’s Outposts bassoon concerto (2011), which was written for him, and a Playlist series concert (2018).

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.

Emma Jezek was born in Adelaide and at the age of eight began violin studies with Alita Larsens and Beryl Kimber. She received her Bachelor of Music Performance degree with First Class Honours from the Elder Conservatorium in 1992. She then studied in the United States with Franco Gulli at Indiana University Bloomington and Isaac Malkin at State University of New York.

She was a member of the Melbourne Symphony from 1995 to 1997, and in 1998 took up the position of Assistant Principal Second Violin in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, where she has also acted as Principal 2nd Violin. She has a keen interest in chamber music and performs regularly in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s chamber music concerts at the Sydney Opera House Utzon Room and St James’ King Street. She also plays with the Australian World Orchestra.

In 2010, she took a sabbatical from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and moved to Vienna. While there, she performed with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and Klangforum Wien, Austria’s premier contemporary music ensemble, before returning to her position in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2013.

She has twice received the Sydney Symphony Friends Scholarship, enabling her to study with David Takeno in London and Boris Belkin at Academy Chigiana in Siena, Italy.

John & Jane Morschel Chair

Rosemary Curtin has been a member of the Sydney Symphony’s Viola section since 2014 and is an alumna of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Fellowship program.

Rosemary began her music studies on the violin at the age of four with the Suzuki method. She changed to the viola when she entered the Sydney Conservatorium High School, studying with Winifred Durie and was the recipient of numerous scholarships from organisations including the Queen’s Trust, the Big Brother Movement and the Australian Youth Orchestra.

Rosemary has over twenty five years’ experience working as an orchestral musician. Her professional career commenced in Europe working with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields following graduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich.

After returning to Australia, Rosemary held the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Viola Fellowship in 2003 and pursued an active freelance career with other Australian orchestras, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Opera Australia Orchestra and the Australian World Orchestra before joining the viola section of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as a permanent member. In June 2017 she represented the orchestra performing with the New York Philharmonic in their Global Orchestra Project.

Rosemary’s enduring interest in orchestral management also began with work and studies in Europe. She has been deeply involved with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Musicians’ Association (SSOMA), serving as its President for six years, and Vice-President for the year prior to that, during which time she sat on the Executive of Symphony Orchestra Musicians’ Association (SOMA), the national body for Australia’s professional orchestra musicians. She has also been a member of the Classical Music, Opera and Choral Artform Advisory Board for Create NSW. Rosemary holds a B.Mus (Syd), a Diploma in Management Studies from the University of Cambridge, UK and has graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.

Rosemary plays on an A.E. Smith viola made in Sydney in 1930.

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.

Landa Family Chair, in memory of Dr Barry Landa

Carolyn Harris began playing the flute at the age of eight, studying with Margaret Brooke in country Victoria. While in high school, she was chosen to perform as a soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on their regional tour to Shepparton. She was the first country flute student to win the junior section of the Leslie Barklamb Scholarship at the age of 11, and went on to be the winner of the Senior Scholarship in 1992. She received her Bachelor's degree with Honours from the Canberra School of Music, where she studied with Vernon Hill and Virginia Taylor.

Other awards include the NSW Flute Society's John Lehner Flute Scholarship and the Geelong Advertiser Music Scholarship. She was also the recipient of a special award from the Australian Musical Foundation in London.

She has performed recitals in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Benalla, Victoria, and toured Europe with the Australian Youth Orchestra in 1994, after which she attended the Pablo Casals Festival in France. She has also appeared as a soloist with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded for ABC Classic FM as a soloist and collaborative performer.

In 1998 Carolyn was appointed Second Flute with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, a position she held for seven years before joining the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Second Flute in 2005.

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

Matthew Wilkie grew up in Canberra and in 1979, after studying at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, went to Europe, where he ended up staying for 23 years. While studying bassoon in Hanover, Germany with Klaus Thunemann, he was a prize winner at the International Music Competition in Geneva. He has since appeared as soloist with many orchestras, including the Orchestra de la Suisse Romande, Württemberg Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe, as well as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which he joined as Principal Bassoon in 2000.

He has been a member of the COE since 1986, travelling to Europe five times a year, and has worked under such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Meta, Roger Norrington, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Bernard Haitink. He appears on countless recordings with the COE, many of which have received international awards. His solo and chamber music recordings include concertos by Mozart, Vivaldi and Richard Strauss; the complete wind chamber music of Mozart and Richard Strauss; and six trio sonatas by Zelenka. His 2009 recording of Bach and Telemann sonatas, The Galant Bassoon, was shortlisted for an ARIA award and has been praised internationally. He has also appeared at many international festivals and is a regular guest at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville, and is much in demand as a teacher, giving masterclasses in Europe and Japan.

Matthew Wilkie’s solo appearances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra include Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto (2008), the premiere of James Ledger’s Outposts bassoon concerto (2011), which was written for him, and a Playlist series concert (2018).

Judge Robyn Tupman Chair

Marnie Sebire was introduced to the piano at a young age and then violin before blowing her first notes on the French horn at age thirteen. She began a Bachelor of Music degree in Canberra and later transferred to Sydney where she graduated with honours from the Conservatorium in 1998.

During those years of study Marnie was also involved in Sydney’s musical theatre scene and many programs run by the then newly formed Australian National Academy of Music. In 1997 she was principal horn of the Australian Youth Orchestra and in 1998 was contracted by the Adelaide Symphony for the first Australian production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. In 2000 Marnie successfully auditioned for a permanent position in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Highlights have included performances at the opening ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics and the Rugby World Cup; playing in the centre of the SCG before a Swans match, and most recently strapping on her horn to climb the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and blast out a few fanfares with the Symphonyʼs Brass Ensemble. In 2008 Marnie played solo French horn with the rock band Silverchair and toured with them for the national Big Day Out performances. Other collaborations include performances and recordings with Powderfinger, The Whitlams, The Sleepy Jackson, Billy Thorpe and Josh Pyke.

Marnie has toured with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra throughout Europe and Asia. She has also played with the major Australian orchestras, the New Zealand Symphony and Malaysian Philharmonic.

Brent Grapes is the Associate Principal Trumpet of the Sydney Symphony. He received his musical training in his hometown of Perth, Australia, and at the Juilliard School in New York, studying under Raymond Mase, and Mark Gould.

Brent served as the Principal Trumpet of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra from 2013 until 2022. Prior to this, he was the Principal Trumpet of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (2009-2013) and a member of the Australian Army Band Corps as both a reservist and full-time musician (2002-2007).

Brent has performed as a guest Principal Trumpet for the Australian World Orchestra and as a member of the Australian Brass Quintet. As a soloist, Brent has performed concerti in Australia, New Zealand, China, and the United States. In 2022, he premiered a newly commissioned trumpet concerto by the renowned Australian composer Nigel Westlake. Brent also won the Juilliard School concerto competition in 2007 and the US National Trumpet Competition graduate soloist division in 2007 and 2008.

When not practicing the trumpet, Brent loves to spend time with his kids, kicking the footy, or bowling at the cricket nets. Brent is also a keen student pilot and enjoys taking to the sky whenever he gets the chance.

Christopher Harris was born in South Africa and moved to Australia in 1987, completing his secondary schooling at Armidale High School. He was accepted to the Canberra School of Music to study with Michael Mulcahy and Ron Prussing, and completed his Bachelor of Music Performance degree in 1992. In 1993 he undertook intensive studies in America with teachers including Charles Vernon and Gene Pakorny of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Max Bonecutter formerly of the New York Metropolitan Opera orchestra. While in America, he also attended the Raphael Mendez Brass Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was a finalist in the International Trombone Competition, and performed as a member of the Canberra Trombone Quartet, which finished runner up at the International Brass Ensemble Competition.

On his return to Australia, Christopher Harris was appointed Principal Bass Trombone with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He has held lecturing positions at the Canberra School of Music and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music since 1996. In 1998 he was awarded a scholarship by the Friends of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to study Contra Bass Trombone in Europe.