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.