Growing up in Newcastle, Liam Pilgrim relocated to Adelaide in 2017 to undertake studies with Elizabeth Layton at the Elder Conservatorium.

Liam then began learning with both Zoe Black and Adam Chalabi at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in 2022, while also studying chamber music with Sophie Rowell. Here he formed the Rosina Quartet with his close friends, receiving masterclasses from the Brodsky Quartet, Thomas Carroll and Matthew Jones.

While at ANAM, Liam had the opportunity to perform with most of Australia’s leading orchestras, with a particular highlight being a part of the Sydney Symphony’s performance of Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder in early 2024. Liam collaborated with Lachlan Skipworth as part of the ANAM Set Festival in 2024, premiering Skipworth’s Villanelle for violin and piano.

A Fellow in 2025, Liam was appointed to trial with the Orchestra following auditions for a Tutti role in our First Violins.

Born and raised in Sydney, Lydia started playing violin at the age of nine. Growing up in a large musical family, she knew that music was the path she wanted to take.  

Lydia completed her Bachelor of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she studied with Janet Davies. Subsequently, Lydia completed three years at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) studying with Head of Violin Adam Chalabi, and previously with Zoë Black. Through her time at ANAM, Lydia has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia. Lydia has also led the ANAM orchestra numerous times and worked with renowned artists such as Simone Young, Anthony Marwood, James Crabb, Michael Collins, Christoffer Sundqvist and the Brodsky quartet.   

When she's not playing classical repertoire, Lydia performs in many musical projects including Arabic, and contemporary chamber music. Some highlights include performing with The Middle East, GODTET, Rahim AlHaj and partnering with NIDA and SBS Australia.  

Sebastian is a dedicated violist whose musical journey began with violin and piano at the age of six. He grew up performing in Suzuki group classes and local contemporary music projects alongside his siblings before transitioning to viola early in primary school. He studied with Louise Ray throughout much of his high school education and later continued at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, studying with Christopher Cartlidge and Gabrielle Halloran.  

After graduating, Sebastian studied at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) under the tutelage of Caroline Henbest, where he was supported by the Georgina Grosvenor Scholarship generously sponsored by the Bokhara Foundation. He is now completing his Bachelor of Music Performance at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, where he studies viola and undertakes a piano minor.    

He was awarded the Brett Dean Prize for Best Performance of an Australian Work at ANAM for the world premiere of Towards the Edge of Google Maps by Stuart Greenbaum, written for him for the ANAM Set Festival. Chamber music highlights include Schumann’s Piano Quartet with Anthony Marwood and Schubert’s Quintet in C with Jakub Jakowicz. Highlights of Sebastian’s training also include masterclasses with Lawrence Power, Tim Ridout and Florian Peelman. 

Noah is a dynamic young musician hailing from Bendigo, Victoria. He has performed side-by-side with most of Australia’s professional orchestras and also as chamber musician and soloist at the Bendigo Chamber Festival and Port Fairy Spring Festival. He was the Principal Cello of the Australian Youth Orchestra in 2024.   

Having completed three years of study under Howard Penny at the Australian National Academy of Music, he is excited to be taking the next step as Fellow with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2025 and 2026. Noah is at home in diverse musical contexts; his goal is always to create connection through performance.  

Based in Brisbane, Rio Kawaguchi is studying under Principal Bass of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Phoebe Russell, at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. In her school years, she studied with the principal bass of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Stuart Thomson.  

A passionate Orchestral musician, she recently performed in Europe as part of the Australian Youth Orchestra’s International tour and has toured regional Queensland with Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra as a 2025 Upbeat artist. She has played as Principal bass with the QCGU Orchestra in 2024 and 2025 and has been a dedicated member of the Australian Youth Orchestra since 2019.  

She has performed with many major Australian orchestras, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra

Kara Thorpe is currently in the fourth year of her Bachelor of Flute Performance degree at Sydney Conservatorium, studying with Emma Sholl. 

Originally from Tasmania, Kara began her musical journey on the piano when she was five, and later started learning flute. Kara was awarded her AMusA on piano in 2017, and her AmusA on flute in 2018. 

Kara has performed as soloist with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the TSO Rising Star competition in 2023, and with the Derwent Symphony Orchestra in 2017. She has won awards at the Flute Society of NSW, Sydney and Hobart Eisteddfods. 

Kara is a founding member of the Orpheus Quintet which is the fellowship ensemble at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music for 2026. 

Amy Clough is a New Zealand oboist who completed her Bachelor of Music at the New Zealand School of Music, studying Classical Performance Oboe, in 2023.

In 2024, she was awarded the Deane Orchestral Studies scholarship to work towards a Master of Fine Arts (Creative Practice) in Orchestral Studies, which included an internship with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Amy was a recipient of the Victoria University of Wellington Cammick Scholarship in 2023, which funded travel to Europe to have lessons with renowned oboists.

As well as having freelance experience with a variety of New Zealand orchestra such as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Wellington, Amy was a Fellow with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2025 and has also worked with ensembles such as Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Ensemble Apex.

Amy is excited to once again be Oboe Fellow with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2026. 

Justin is currently completing his Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium under the tutelage of Frank Celata where he is the recipient of the Myron Kantor Bequest Scholarship. As a young artist, Justin is enjoying a multifaceted career as a soloist, orchestral musician and chamber player, both in Australia and abroad.  

Recently, Justin has performed at international music festivals including the Brevard Music Festival, USA, the Voksenåsen Summer Academy in Norway and the XIV International Clarinet Seminar in Madrid where he worked with prominent clarinettists, including Yehuda Gilad, Mark Nuccio, Andreas Sundén and Björn Nyman. He is a founding member of the Sydney-based Orpheus Wind Quintet, who have recently been selected as the Fellowship Ensemble at the 2026 Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Cairns. 

Justin performs regularly with ensembles including the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Sydney Youth Orchestra and Ensemble Apex.  

Jay Lee is currently in his third year of bassoon studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Andrew Barnes. A recipient of the Quinquin Foundation Scholarship, Jay has been a part of distinguished ensembles including the Australian Youth Orchestra, Sydney Lawyer’s Orchestra, Caesura Ensemble and the Sydney Youth Orchestra, in which he currently holds the principal chair.

Jay is also a new member of the Orpheus Quintet which was recently awarded the Australian Festival of Chamber Music Fellowship. He has also participated in numerous masterclasses, including Whitney Crockett and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Wind Quintet.

Growing up in Sydney, Lucy began learning the horn in high school with Rafael Salgado. She moved to Melbourne in 2022 to study with Carla Blackwood at the Melbourne Conservatorium.

In 2025, Lucy returned home to study with Rachel Silver and Sam Jacobs at the Sydney Conservatorium, graduating with first class honours.

She has been lucky enough to play casually with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria. Lucy loves orchestral music and the teamwork required to play in a horn section and is incredibly excited to take part in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellowship this year.

Sophie Kukulies is a professional musician building a flourishing career as a classical trumpeter and educator. Based in Brisbane, she maintains a dynamic portfolio career as both a freelance performer and dedicated teacher. She has recently returned from London where she completed her Master of Performance degree at the Royal Academy of Music graduating with a Distinction and earning the Regency Award for all-round contribution and achievement. In 2023 she held a 12-month contract as associate principal trumpet with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and has continued to enjoy working with them as a casual musician. 

Sophie’s musical journey began at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, where she attained her Bachelor of Music with an academic excellence award in 2021. Her acclaimed performance of the Gregson Trumpet Concerto at the Queensland Conservatorium Concerto Festival in May 2021 showcased her talent. During her time in London, she worked with the Philharmonia Orchestra and performed with Septura Brass and the London Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Royal Academy of Music’s side-by-side projects.

From a young age, Harrison was surrounded with the sounds of brass, his parents and family all being involved in brass bands. Quickly captivated, he began playing the trombone at the age of 8. Harrison’s love for the trombone grew with his love for classical music, and in the later years of high school, he began dreaming of a career in classical music and performing in one of the world’s best orchestras.  

Having grown up predominantly as a soloist in his high school years, Harrison has won numerous solo state- and nation-wide competitions, including sections in the Australian National Band Championships since 2015, finalist and winner of the Australian Youth Classical Music Competition in 2021, and finalist in 3MBS The Talent in 2019. Since 2019, Harrison has been involved in frequent Australian Youth Orchestra programs and was a part of its most recent International European Tour this year, performing in some of the most famous concert halls in the world like the Musikverein in Vienna and The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.   

Leah's percussion journey began at the age of 10. During her school years, she competed in various categories at the Australian Percussion Eisteddfod, winning first place in Junior High Timpani (2015), Intermediate 2-Mallet (2017), and Intermediate Snare Drum (2017). In 2018, she earned a Distinction for the Associate of Trinity College London Diploma in Percussion Performance. She later pursued a Bachelor of Music with Honours at the University of Melbourne, where she received the Wright Prize Award for Proficiency in a Musical Instrument during her second year. In 2022, she was awarded first place in the MSO Snare Drum Award.  

Leah currently performs as a casual musician with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. In 2025, she was featured as a marimba soloist with the Stonnington Symphony. Additionally, she served as principal percussionist for the Australian Youth Orchestra from 2023 to 2025, recently returning from AYO’s international tour, where she performed in Germany, the Netherlands and Austria.

Aija Draguns is a Sydney-based emerging composer and conductor. Her compositions draw inspiration from her Latvian heritage, particularly the folk and choral traditions.

She studied piano, saxophone and singing before attending the Sydney Conservatorium of Music to pursue composition. Aija holds a Bachelor of Music and an Honours degree and is currently completing her Master’s studies, specialising in language in vocal composition under Paul Stanhope.

Her works have been programmed by ensembles such as The Australian Voices, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Orchestra, the National Youth Choir of Australia, Sydney Chamber Choir, the Melbourne Trinity College Choir and various ensembles across the country.

In addition to teaching music theory at the University of Sydney, Aija is an emerging orchestral and choral conductor. She regularly leads ensembles across Sydney, including the Leichhardt Espresso Chorus and the Sydney Latvian Male Choir: the longest-running Latvian male diaspora choir in the world.

In 2021, she was awarded the Ensemble Apex Conducting Fellowship. The following year, she received the Create NSW Conducting Fellowship with the Sydney Youth Orchestras (2022–23) and continues to work with various community and tertiary ensembles around Sydney. In 2023, she premiered her first full orchestral program with the Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting works by Kodály, Mozart, and Schubert. In 2024, she participated in conductor training programs with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra under Benjamin Northey and Jessica Cottis.

Aija has also been mentored by various conductors including Elizabeth Scott, Zahia Ziouani, Kira Omelchenko, Fabian Russell, Ivars Cinkuss, John Lynch and Brett Weymark. She was selected for the 2025 Australian Conducting Academy, where she trained with state orchestras across the country.

Most recently, she premiered and conducted her new opera In Cosmic Utero at NIDA’s Parade Theatre, in collaboration with director Lindy Hume. For her, composing and conducting go hand-in-hand, offering unique insights into each artform – insights she hopes to share with her players, singers and audiences. 

Panagiotis Karamanos, also known as Pani, developed a passion for music at an early age, which led him to pursue formal studies in music teaching and conducting.

His musical journey began at the Conservatorium of Music, where he attended the Conservatorium High School starting in Year 7 in 2009. After graduating from the Conservatorium High School he began his Bachelor of Music Education in 2015 and graduated in 2018. He has recently completed his Master’s degree in conducting under the guidance of Dr Elizabeth Scott at the end of 2025.

In 2016, Panagiotis founded the Modést Orchestra comprised at the time of University students, aiming to create a collaborative and stress-free environment focused on the joy of making music. Over the years, the Modést Orchestra has grown and matured to expand its roster to include professional musicians from various parts of Sydney. This has enabled the orchestra to perform significant works, including The Planets and Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony.

Panagiotis has also been active in the Australian music scene, contributing to various projects and performances that highlight contemporary compositions and sound art. He has worked with various university ensembles at the University of Sydney and UNSW, conducted an Opera Gala concert with Pacific Opera, and collaborated with emerging artists, providing performance opportunities for young concerto soloists and engaging with established Australian composers on significant projects in both Sydney and Melbourne.

As a conductor, Panagiotis also has a strong background in musical theatre, having led musical productions of The Addams Family, Chicago and Carrie. Most recently, he served as an assistant conductor for the combined NIDA and Conservatorium Opera Project in 2024 and was the assistant conductor for their production of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld in 2025.

As a music educator, Panagiotis works extensively with young musicians through orchestral camps, intensive ensemble programs, and classroom teaching. He is also the conductor of Symphonic Encounters, an educational concert series for primary and secondary schools.

Neil Wang is an emerging Australian conductor and violist. He is currently a first-year student undertaking a Bachelor of Music (Performance) in Viola at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying under Stuart Johnson and Roger Benedict. He is also a member of the Australian Conducting Academy. 

Jessica is a Melbourne-based emerging conductor. Currently the 2025 Assistant Conductor with the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra, she has also worked with the Victorian Youth Symphony Orchestra, Maroondah Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Summer Orchestra and Melbourne Bach Choir. In addition, she is a founding co-Artistic Director of Ascolta Qui, a Melbourne not-for-profit organisation supporting young musicians. 

In 2024, Jess completed an Honours year in conducting, studying with Luke Dollman at the Elder Conservatorium in a program delivered in collaboration with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in masterclasses and training programs with Jessica Cottis, Alice Farnham, Guido Rumstadt and Keitaro Harada, and is currently mentored by Rick Prakhoff at ZMSO. 

Prior to her recent conducting studies, Jess completed Bachelor’s and Honours degrees in flute performance at Monash University and the University of Melbourne, respectively, during which time she played with the Melbourne Opera Orchestra and various university orchestras.

Jess also has experience in classical vocal training and enjoys choral singing. 

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).

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.

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.

Dr Rebecca Chin & Family Chair

Alexandre Oguey was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and initially studied oboe in La Chaux-de-Fonds with Françoise Faller. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the Zurich Conservatorium, with Thomas Indermühle, and participated in courses with Maurice Bourgue and Emanuel Abbühl. He is the winner of several competitions including the French Swiss Radio 'Bourse des jeunes interprètes', the Migros Chamber Music competition and the Martigny International Chamber Music competition.

Before moving to Australia to join the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Principal Cor Anglais, Alexandre Oguey was Associate Principal Oboe in the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra (1990–1997). He has also played guest principal oboe with the Musikkollegium Winterthur, Zurich Opera Factory, Basel Chamber Orchestra (previously Serenata Basel), Opera Orchestra of the Bayreuth International Youth Festival and the Jeunesses Musicales Symphony Orchestra. And in 2006 he was invited to play Principal Cor Anglais in the World Philharmonic Orchestra in Paris.

As a chamber musician, he has performed throughout Europe, appearing with the prize-winning Wildwind quintet, the Lamalo and La Pâtisserie trios, and the wind ensembles Banda Classica and Octomania, as well as the contemporary music group Opus Novum Ensemble. In Australia he is a founding member of the New Sydney Wind Quintet and performs with the Australia Ensemble and contemporary music group Elision. He also performs and records 19th-century music with pianist and early music specialist Neal Peres da Costa.

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).

Sue Milliken AO Chair

Rachel Silver joined the horn section of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2013, having previously been a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Australian World Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and all of the Australian professional orchestras.

Raised in Melbourne, she came to the horn relatively late, after learning other instruments. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree with First Class Honours at the Victorian College of the Arts, studying with Graeme Evans. She then went on to complete the Advanced Performance Program at the Australian National Academy of Music. As a member of the Jeunesses Musicales World Youth Orchestra, she toured Europe and Asia.

Rachel Silver is committed to teaching and has taught at tertiary institutions in both Melbourne and Perth, as well as tutoring at the Australian Youth Orchestra’s Chamber Players, National Music Camp and Young Symphonists programs. She is also an accomplished pianist, having completed her Licentiate in Music Australia diploma, and performs regularly as an accompanist and associate artist in recitals.

Anthony Heinrichs was born in Perth in 1970 and began playing the trumpet at the age of ten. He studied with Kim Harrison at Hale School, winning several awards, and at the age of 14 he became one of the youngest members of the West Australian Youth Orchestra.

He studied at the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music with Kevin Johnson, and received his Bachelor's degree in 1991. During this time, he worked regularly with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, performing the Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto, and giving the Australian premiere of Dialogue for Trumpet and Orchestra by Wayne Senior.

Between 1990 and 1993, he played principal trumpet with the Australian Youth Orchestra and Camerata Australia and toured nationally and internationally with these orchestras. He studied with Daniel Mendelow in Canberra, and was Principal Trumpet of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra from 1993 to 1994. He acted as Principal Trumpet at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, where he studied with members of the Vienna Philharmonic and London Symphony orchestras, and travelled to Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1999 to study with Reinhold Friedrich.

A member of Sydney Brass, he gave the premiere of Joe Wolfe's Trumpet Concerto in 2003, and has performed at the Arcadia Music Festival, with the Frankfurt and Saarbrucken radio symphony orchestras, and as Principal Cornet with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.

He has taught at St Andrews Cathedral School and the Sydney and Newcastle conservatoriums, and was featured in the Visiting Artist Programme at Hale School in 2008.

Anthony Heinrichs joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1995.

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.

I Kallinikos Chair

Rebecca Lagos began her musical studies on the piano and later studied percussion with Richard Miller. She gained her Bachelor's degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, under the tutelage of George Gaber, and on her return to Australia she worked with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra as Acting Principal Timpani, before taking up the position of Principal Timpani with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. In 1987 she was appointed to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as a member of the percussion section.

That same year, she joined Sydney-based percussion ensemble Synergy. Over the next decade she worked with musicians including Trilok Gurtu, Evelyn Glennie, Dave Samuels, David Jones, Mike Nock, and Kazue Sawai. Synergy has premiered and recorded works by numerous Australian composers, and has toured Australia, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region (including performances at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, where they gave a private performance for Toru Takemitsu of his percussion trio, Rain Tree). She has toured Australia and the Asia-Pacific region with Synergy and the Sydney Dance Company for their Synergy With Synergy collaboration. The group has also recorded concertos for percussion ensemble by Carl Vine and Toru Takemitsu with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Rebecca Lagos has performed with the Seymour Group, Sydney Alpha Ensemble, Australia Ensemble, Taikoz and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, (including a performance of Messiaen's From the Canyons to the Stars, in the presence of the composer).

In 2006, she performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of Nigel Westlake's percussion concerto, When the Clock Strikes Me, and was subsequently awarded the prize for Best Performance of an Australian Composition at the APRA 2007 Classical Music Awards. She is also the resident cimbalom player for the SSO.

Rebecca Lagos was appointed to the position of Principal Percussion with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2006.

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.

Sandro Costantino was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to Italian parents. He began his musical studies on the violin and joined the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional when he was 17.

In 1980, he moved to Portland, Maine, to study with the Portland String Quartet. It was during his studies with Julia Adams and the Portland Symphony Orchestra that he turned his attention to the viola.

Sandro Costantino moved to Italy in 1982 and studied with Armando Burattin at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan. Following his studies he worked with the Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali, the RAI Orchestra of Milan, and at the Teatro alla Scala.

In 1987, he moved back to the USA to undertake postgraduate studies with Walter Trampler and Louis Krasner at the New England Conservatory in Boston. While in Boston, he auditioned for the New Zealand String Quartet, and subsequently moved to Wellington. He spent the next few years performing with the NZSQ before returning to Italy where he worked with the Angelicum Orchestra of Milan and later with I Solisti Veneti in Padua.

In 1991, he returned to Wellington and joined the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He moved to Sydney in 1995 and joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra the same year.

Sandro Costantino plays an Arturo Fracassi viola made in Cesena in 1933.

Deborah Anne Jones Chair

Kristy Conrau studied cello with Nelson Cooke and graduated with Honours from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1998. In 2000, she completed the Advanced Performance Program at the Australian National Academy of Music where she studied with both Australian and international artists. She moved to Sydney in 2003 to study with Julian Smiles and participated in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellowship Program in 2004. Kristy Conrau joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2006.

In 2001, Kristy Conrau received a grant from the Australian Youth Orchestra and was a recipient of the Elisabeth and Keith Murdoch Travelling Scholarship, which enabled her to travel to Vienna to study with cellist Howard Penny.

With the AYO, Kristy Conrau has toured Europe, China and America and was the principal cello for the 2000 season. She has also performed with Orchestra Victoria and was the principal cellist with the Geminiani Orchestra on their 1998 European tour.

A keen chamber musician, Kristy Conrau was a member of the Florizel Piano Trio, who were finalists in the 2001 Melbourne National Chamber Music Competition. As a member of the Young Piano Trio of Melbourne, she took part in tours to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London, Frankfurt and performed at the 2001 International Chamber Music Week in Graz, Austria.

Benjamin is a musician and composer based in Sydney, Australia. Since 2009, he has been a member of the Sydney Symphony double bass section. A career highlight was his collaboration with Jasmin Sheppard; a piece after the poems of celebrated Yankunytjatjara/Kokatha writer/poet Ali Cobby Eckermann.

Recently, Benjamin has performed a solo recital, including his own compositions, at the Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery; played a solo set of double bass works at the Alice Springs Beanie Festival; and volunteered at the Garma Festival in north-east Arnhem Land for the Yothu Yindi Foundation.