Biography

Fiona Ziegler commenced her career as a violinist during her final year at the Sydney Conservatorium High School, embarking on a tour of China with the Australian Youth Orchestra. The following year she became a core member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, touring to Asia, Europe and the UK. While a member of ACO Fiona travelled to almost every continent and toured extensively within Australia. After four years with ACO she then became a member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s First Violin section.

Fiona has twice been state finalist in the ABC Young Performers Awards and travelled to the UK on a Sydney Symphony Friend’s Scholarship for master lessons with Eugene Sarbu, Perry Hart, Stanley Richie and Dr Carl Dolmetsch.

Fiona began her violin and piano studies at the age of four with her mother, Sydney violinist, Eva Kelly. While at the Sydney Conservatorium High School she studied violin with Christoper Kimber and Harry Curby, piano with Nancy Salas and cello with Lois Simpson, attending master classes with Valery Klimov, Igor Ozim and the Quartetto Beethoven di Roma.

Fiona is one of Sydney’s leading early music specialists and has led the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, performed with Ensemble de la Reine, the Marais Project, Sydney Baroque with Winsome Evans and her own early music ensembles Concertato and Strumenti Barocci. She was a founding member of The Australian Fortepiano Trio with Geoffery Lancaster and Trio Pollastri, made regular appearances with the Renaissance Players, the Sydney Chamber Choir, Corro Innominata and the Sydney Soloists.

Fiona is a founding member of the Gagliano String Quartet. She was a member of the Sydney String Quartet for four years, and has now formed the Chanterelle String Quartet with her sister Léone and Sydney Symphony Orchestra colleagues.

Fiona leads the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra and since 2006 has been a regular guest of the acclaimed groups the Grevillea Ensemble and Charisma, performing exciting and challenging programs with her friends Wendy Dixon, Ros Dunlop and David Miller.

In 2005 Fiona took up the mandolin and became a member of the Sydney Mandolin Orchestra, PLEKTRA and Completely Plucked. She is also a member of the viola da gamba ensemble Josie and the Emeralds in which she plays tenor viol. Fiona has led the St Paul’s Baroque Consort under Jack Stephens for its productions of three Purcell operas, performed in the grounds of St Paul’s College, and is part of Jack’s very successful Bach Cantata Project performing Bach’s wonderful Cantatas every month in Churches around Sydney.

Fiona is Assistant Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and plays on her mother’s 250-year-old Testore violin.