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.