Artists | 24
ACMF – Albury Chamber Music Festival
Sally-Anne Russell – Artistic Director and Mezzo Soprano
Sally-Anne Russell is a multi-award-winning mezzo soprano and has performed on the concert platform and operatic stage in twenty five countries and discography in over 40 CD’s /DVD’s on ABC Classics, CHANDOS, MOVE, Toccata UK, NAXOS and DECCA labels, including her solo aria disc “Enchanting” with The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Her awards include an ARIA for Pergolesi Stabat Mater with Sara Macliver, and nominations for Young Australian of the Year, Young Achiever of the Year, Green Room and Helpmann Awards.
Sally-Anne has over 80 operatic roles in her repertoire and enjoys working with all the major Opera Companies, Symphony Orchestras, Musica Viva, Australian String Quartet, ANAM, Peninsula Summer Festival and all major Festivals in Australia. International highlights include The Spoleto Festival in Italy, Washington National Opera (DC), a ten-year association as alto soloist with the Carmel Bach Festival in California. Also recitals in Vienna, Singapore, London, Scotland, and Amsterdam. Recent projects include Hermia in Brittens A Midsummer Nights Dream for Adelaide Festival, Wagners Ring Cycle with Melbourne Opera in Bendigo, Strauss’s Elektra for Victorian Opera, Dido and Aeneas in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, Mahler Das Lied von der Erde for Canberra Festival and Handel’s Messiah with Melbourne Symphony. Concerts with Adelaide Baroque, Sydney Philharmonia, Melbourne Bach Choir, and Beethoven 9th Symphony with Auckland Philharmonic and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.
Sally-Anne is a member of the international artistic council for the Kathaumixw Festival in Canada and chair of The Australian chapter for the Belvedere International Singing competition in Vienna.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Mario Dobernig – Artistic Director, Conductor & Percussionist
On a quest to make a difference, innovator Mario Dobernig is one of the most inspiring music makers of his generation. Mario is Artistic Director and Conductor in Chief for the Art of Sound Orchestra, the Victoria Chorale and co-artistic director of the Albury Chamber Music Festival.
He has conducted among others the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Kapfenberger Symphoniker, the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra’s YMS program, Orchestra Capella Calliope and at prestigious venues in Europe, the Middle East, China and Australia.
Discography includes online releases for ABC Classics and being a featured guest on various radio programs around the globe. He was awarded his PhD in 2014, holds Master degrees in Percussion, Conducting and Musicology as well as Bachelor Degrees in Percussion and Music Education. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Melbourne and Monash University.
Mario has produced a number of highly successful festivals in multiple cities and countries (Australia, Austria, China, Germany, Italy) and also organizes unique cultural exchange tours for cultural groups between Australia and his other native Austria. Mario enjoys conversations in English, German, French and Italian, and has a keen interest in geopolitics.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Teddy Tahu Rhodes – Bass Baritone
Australia’s favourite international star of opera and music theatr has performed with some of the greatest opera companies of the world including Opera Australia, Hamburg State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Theater an der Wien, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet, Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, and New York City Opera.
On the concert platform, he is a regular guest with all the major Australasian orchestras. Other engagements include recitals in Washington DC, three national tours with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Proms. He debuted at New York’s Carnegie Hall (2009).
His numerous accolades include an ARIA (Best Classical Record for The Voice), two Helpmann Awards and the 2006 Limelight Award. Most recently, he has been honoured with a Green Room Award for Best Male Artist in a Leading Role for his performance as Don Giovanni, plus a MO Award (Operatic Performer of the Year) and the Laureate Award for the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi.
Most recently, he has performed in Cenerentola, Capriccio and Mozart’s Requiem (Victorian Opera), Opera by the Lakes (Gippsland Opera), Opera in the Quarry (West Australian Opera), an Australian concert tour with Guy Noble, and The Little Prince (Freeze Frame Opera).
In 2024 Teddy has been appointed to the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music where he will play a leading role in its Classical Voice department as a teacher and mentor. He will also be singing the roles of Scarpia (Tosca) for
Trybooking ACMF | 24Stephen De Pledge – piano
New Zealand pianist Stephen De Pledge studied with Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he won the Gold Medal in his final year. He subsequently spent two years as a Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music, and studied in Paris with Yvonne Loriod.
After winning the NFMS Young Concert Artist Award he made his debuts in the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and St John’s Smith Square in London, and broadcast for BBC Radio 3 and BBC2 television. His concerto performances have included appearances with the Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony, New London, BBC Scottish Symphony and all the major New Zealand orchestras. His solo performances in recent seasons have taken him to Cologne, Paris and New York, as well as throughout New Zealand and Australia.
Stephen has given recitals with many musicians, including Dame Felicity Lott, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Viktoria Mullova, Raphael Wallfisch, Alan Hacker and Rivka Golani, and given chamber performances with the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, Chamber Domaine and the Scottish Ensemble. His extensive discography includes works by Bliss, Barber, Messiaen, Shostakovich, Brahms, Mussorgsky and Prokofiev. He takes a particular interest in contemporary music and has worked with a great number of composers, making world premiere recordings for Arvo Pärt, Henryk Gorecki and Ned Rorem. The 1st piano concerto of Lyell Cresswell was written for him in 2012, and has been performed with four different orchestras and recorded both for Naxos and BBC Radio 3. In addition to his performing schedule Stephen De Pledge is Head of Piano at the School of Music, University of Auckland.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Mairi Nicholson – Living Legend
Mairi’s long love-affair with radio and music began after she graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, majoring in Piano and Singing.
She spent the first decade of her ABC career reading radio news in Sydney, presenting TV’s Behind the News, broadcasting the Sydney Symphony’s concerts, hosting In Tempo (now The Music Show on Radio National) and the Sydney International Piano Competitions. Mairi also hosted in-flight video and audio programs for Qantas.
From 1988 to 1997 Mairi was based in the UK and hosted shows for BBC Radio including the long-running Woman’s Hour on Radio 4 and on Radio 3, the Drive program In Tune. She also hosted many BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall and toured with the BBC Philharmonic in Europe and the USA as the BBC broadcaster.
Since returning to Australia Mairi has hosted arts programs for Radio National and most programs on ABC Classic the interview program Music Makers, and currently The Opera Show and Legends. Mairi regularly presents pre-concert talks and panel discussions and hosts ‘live’ broadcasts from Melbourne for the MSO, Opera Australia, Musica Viva and the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. She has toured to Europe twice as broadcaster with the MSO.
Mairi currently ‘lives the dream’ combining her twin loves of music and travel leading annual Renaissance Tours to Europe and the USA.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Roy Theaker – Violin 1
Equally at home on the big stage of the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall NY or in London’s West End, he has shared centre stage with the likes of Robbie Williams, Hugh Jackman and even The Three Tenors.
A former Concertmaster with the Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore Symphony Orchestras, he is known for his musical diversity, engaging stage presence and blistering technical ability, and more recently his spectacular Violin Shows are regularly heard by thousands of theatre goers around the globe from East Africa, to India, South East Asia, Japan, Polynesia and New Zealand.
The Sydney Morning Herald wrote “for audience enjoyment, honours went to sensational violinist Roy Theaker”.
Growing up in the UK he attended the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin International Music School, studied at the Royal Academy in London and the Vienna Conservatoire, before touring the world with a variety of major symphony and chamber orchestras such as the Academy of St.Martin in the Fields. He lived in Portugal for a number of years where he was a Conductor and Concertmaster with the Orquestra do Algarve, before moving to Australia where he now divides his time between orchestral conducting and performing.
Appealing to all musical tastes, prepare to be charmed and enthralled!
Trybooking ACMF | 24Sophia Kirsanova – Violin 2
Praised as “always appealing and intriguing” (Marshall McGuire, CutCommon) and “demonstrating outstanding technique and musicality” (Latvietis), Latvian violinist Sophia Kirsanova enjoys an international career, having performed across Europe and Australia.
Sophia appeared as a soloist with renowned orchestras, including the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Concertante (LV), and Israel Camerata. Her orchestral career includes title chairs with esteemed chamber orchestras, Sinfonietta Riga (2005/6) and Israel Camerata (2009-18).
Evolving from her extensive solo and orchestral career, Sophia followed her passion for pedagogy and performance research. In 2018 Sophia moved to Melbourne, to complete a PhD (UoM) research exploring post-Soviet Latvian classical violin music and anticipates a solo debut album release of Latvian composers under the record label SKANI. Sophia has presented lecture recitals on her project at the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Latvian Academy of Music and Amherst College (USA).
Dr. Kirsanova teaches violin at the University of Melbourne, at international courses and maintains a private violin studio in Melbourne. Sophia performs extensively as a solo recitalist (Melbourne Recital Centre, Hanson Dyer Hall, Melba Hall) and as a chamber musician, collaborating with distinguished musicians and ensembles. Sophia is the founder and Lead Violinist of Melbourne Strings, an all-female string ensemble that has presented concerts at the Hanson Dyer Hall, regional Victoria, and the Brunswick Music Festival and is the recipient of the City of Melbourne Arts Grant and the Rosemary and John Hopkins Award.
Sophia started her music studies in Latvia at the prominent E.Darzins music school. Later she enhanced in numerous courses and masterclasses in Europe (Aurora Masterclasses, Holland Music Sessions, Perlman Music Program) and continued her studies with the renowned pedagogue Hagai Shaham at Tel Aviv University.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Simon Oswell – Viola
Simon Oswell, trained in Australia (Jan Sedivka), and the United States (Donald McInnes). He gained national recognition performing the Hindemith Viola Concerto with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, in the ABC National Concerto competition, and went on to co-found the Petra String Quartet in Tasmania. Simon has performed and recorded as a soloist and chamber musician in Australia, Europe and South East Asia and subsequently in the United States, in the LA based chamber music groups, the Capitol Ensemble and Pacific Serenades.
In California he occupied several Principal Viola positions including the Carmel Bach Festival, Mozart Classical Orchestra and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and recorded for the motion picture industry, on over 800 film soundtracks.
Since returning to Australia Simon has appeared as Guest Principal Viola with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Tasmanian and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, Principal for the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra (ARCO), Australian World Orchestra, and chamber music groups, Ensemble Liaison, Firebird Trio, Ensemble I, Wilma and Friends, Quartz, Trio Dali, Ironwood, and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.
A recent recording, on ABC Classics, of the Sydney based IRONWOOD ensemble, playing the Piano Quintets of Louise Farrenc and Camille Saint-Saens garnered critical acclaim. Other highlights have included performances in the UK at the Oxford May Chamber Music Festival, www.oxfordmaymusic.co.uk, the North York Moors Festival, and performances with the Australian World Orchestra, with Zubin Mehta and Simon Rattle, in Sydney, Melbourne, Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi.
Simon currently directs an annual chamber music school, in Clunes, Victoria, www.clunesmusic.com and plays on a Gaspare Lorenzini viola, made in Piacenza, Italy, in 1740.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Kalina Krusteva – Cello
Described by Janos Starker as “a cellist of the highest quality who will play an important part in musical life”, Kalina was born in Sofia, into a family of cellists and regularly performed as soloist with all the Bulgarian Orchestras, winning numerous competitions and prizes.
Her concerto recordings include Schuman and Elgar with the Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra alongside numerous new works, and as a chamber musician she’s performed with Yuri Bashmet and Misha Maisky.
Before moving to Melbourne, she was Principal Cello of the Orquestra do Algarve in Portugal, and since, has played as a Guest Principal with Orchestra Victoria, as a casual with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and teaches at the Melbourne Conservatorium.
Kalina holds a PhD from Sofia National Academy and a postgraduate from the Royal Academy, London.
Performance highlights include sharing a desk with Yo-Yo Ma and playing as a principle with Gergiev’s “World Orchestra for Peace” at the Proms.
Michael Fortescue – Double Bass
Michael’s early musical training was in Canberra, playing with Canberra Youth Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, and Australian Youth Orchestra. After a year with Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, he moved to Tasmania to study with Jan Sedivka at UTAS.
He commenced work with TSO in 1976. He undertook studies in 1988-89 with Francois Rabbath at Conservatoire Lili et Nadia Boulanger Paris IX. He left TSO in 2013. He is former board member of TSO, deputy chair Music Fund of Australia Council, chair of Music Panel of TAAB, president of Hobart branch of Musicians Union and lecturer in double bass and improvised music at UTAS.
Currently chair of Kickstart Arts and freelance specialist in whiskers and kicks.
Trybooking ACMF | 24John Bolton-Wood – Baritone
Born in Sydney, John Bolton Wood studied voice with Mr Max Speed and opera at the NSW Conservatorium of Music and London Opera Centre. He made his UK debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Bosun in Billy Budd.In Australia he has appeared as a principal artist with all the State Opera companies, Opera Australia and Symphony orchestras in every State.
As Old Deuteronomy in the original Australian production and Asian tour of Cats, he sang 1498 performances. He has won five Green Room Awards – for Papageno, Colonel Frank, Major- General Stanley; Lord Mountararat ; Germont in La Traviatia .
Other notable engagements include Dr Bartolo in Il Barbiere Di Siviglia for Welsh National Opera and the title roles in Rigoletto and Gianni Schicchi for Opera New Zealand. Roles for Opera Australia include Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, Alcindoro -Benoit-, The Preacher in Batavia, Baron Zeta ; Bruschino padre, Germont , Pooh-Bah , Sir Joseph Porter ;Somarone-Beatrice and Benedict; Counsel for the Plaintiff in Trial By Jury,Major General Stanley.,Bartolo-Barber, Melitone-Forza del Destino, Sacristan-Tosca-and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly for Opera Queensland. John was a guest lecturer in voice at the International academy of voice in Cardiff 2007 and was awarded and A.M for services to Opera in 2009.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Konrad Olweski – Piano
Pianist Konrad Olszewski is in great demand as a performer, accompanist, repetiteur and teacher. He completed his Master of Music degree with a postgraduate scholarship at the University of Melbourne in 2012, studying with Glenn Riddle. While at Melbourne University Konrad received many awards including the J.S Bach
Prize, the Lady Turner Exhibition Prize and the Searle Piano Faculty Merit Scholarship. He was selected as one of 20 finalists to participate in the Sydney International Piano Competition (2012) and won the John Allison/B.M.
Henderson Piano Scholarship at the Sydney Eisteddfod (2012). Konrad has also studied overseas with leading virtuosos including Leslie Howard (London), Piotr Paleczny (Warsaw) and Klaus Hellwig (Berlin). He is regularly invited to perform recitals around Australia, including performances at the BMW (now Deakin) Edge in Melbourne, and the Sydney Town Hall where he recently performed the Paderewski Piano Concerto. As accompanist, he has won numerous awards, notably at the Liederfest and Mietta Song competitions.
Konrad also enjoys composing and performing jazz and popular works.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Glavia Aldana – Harp
Glavier Aldana is a classical harpist studying a Master of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. She has been the recipient of the EC Wellisch Bequest, Mabel Kent Scholarship and Cassidy Bequest Scholarship for excellence.
She began her musical training in 2009 at the renowned Simon Bolivar Conservatory (El Sistema) in Venezuela. She was the first harpist to join the Los Altos Mirandinos Youth Orchestra in Venezuela from 2014 to 2016, receiving guidance from acclaimed harpists, Isabel Moretti, Zoraida Avila and Judy Loman.
Glavier has performed with the Australian Conservatoire Ballet, Victoria Chorale, Australian Contemporary Opera Company, Forest Collective, Melbourne Opera and Australasian Orchestra. Glavier’s experience extends to the international stage, where she performed in 2016 and 2014 at the National University of Colombia, in Bogotá. In 2014, Glavier attended the 12th World Harp Congress in Sydney, Australia and the Young Artist Harp Seminar in Atlanta, the USA, in 2016. Glavier was also a finalist in the Concerto Aria Competition 2022
Trybooking ACMF | 24Sally Walker – Flute
With a repertoire ranging from early music to works composed especially for her, most notably Elena Kats-Chernin’s “Night and Now” Concerto, performer, academic and music educator Dr Sally Walker has toured internationally with the Berlin Philharmonic and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestras, was Principal Flute of the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss and the Omega Ensemble, and has performed as Guest Principal Flute with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Manchester Camerata, Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra and Salut! Baroque (on period instruments) and has a long-standing association as Guest Principal Flautist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Sally has collaborated with pianists Simon Tedeschi, Kathryn Stott, Denes Varjón Vivian Choi Milton, Tamara-Anna Cislowska, cellist Steven Isserlis and harpist Emily Granger (with whom she has recently recorded the album “Something Like This” that received great critical acclaim) and has performed at festvals including: Salzburg, Lucerne, BBC Proms, Tanglewood, Prague Spring, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Canberra International Music Festival, Sydney, Melbourne International, Adelaide and Bowral Autumn Music Festival.
She was prize-winner in numerous competitions, including the Friedrich Kuhlau International Flute competition (Germany), and has been nominated for an APRA-AMCOS Award for both for Arts Excellence and Outstanding Contribution by an Individual.
Sally is Senior Lecturer in Performance at the Australian National University, guest teacher at the Australian National Academy of Music and contributes to socially driven projects including 1:1 CONCERTS, the Equal Music program (Illumina Festival), and is the Ambassador for the Symphony for Life Foundation.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Scott Marshall – Oboe
Originally from Sydney, Scott began his musical studies at the age of fourteen. After graduation from the Conservatorium High School, he continued at the Sydney Conservatorium to complete his Bachelor of Music, graduating with merit in 1992. In the same year Scott was awarded a Big Brother Scholarship coupled with an Australian Music Foundation in London Scholarship to further his studies in the United Kingdom.
Upon return from the UK Scott travelled to Los Angeles to study with one of Americas finest Oboists, Allan Vogel. It was during this time he had the opportunity to perform in the National Repertory Orchestra, in summer residence at the Breckenridge Music Festival. Scott has performed with the Adelaide, Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras as well as touring with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and The Brandenburg Orchestra.
Scott was an examiner of woodwind for the Australian Music Examinations Board for 14 years before moving to Wodonga in 2019. He is currently a Junior School Teacher at Trinity Anglican College, Albury.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Robert Schubert – Clarinet
Robert studied with Isobel Carter-Stockigt, Phillip Miechel, Canadian soloist James Campbell and Larry Combs, Principal Clarinet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As Principal Clarinet with Hiroyuki Iwaki’s Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, he recorded on Deutsche Grammophon, Victor and Sony.
Hehas released two CD’s of Julian Yu’s music, China Wind and Old and Yu were released in 2012 and 2018 respectively and he has appeared in many international music festivals including: Shanghai International Music Festival, Melbourne International Festival, the Affinis Festival in Japan and the Composers’ Week Festival in Ankara, Turkey. Robert has also appeared in broadcasts on the ABC and SBS.
He has performed with the Melbourne Symphony, Orchestra Victoria and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Robert held the position of lecturer in Woodwind (since 1996) and the Alexander Technique (since 2008) at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and The Victorian College of the Arts until 2017.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Bruce Mathiske – Guitar
“The Authentic Guitar Virtuoso!” – Sydney Morning Herald
World renowned guitar Virtuoso Bruce Mathiske captivates with his musically evocative celebration of this vibrant and diverse instrument. Inspired by classical styles and Latin flavours, rhythms and sounds, Mathiske’s acclaimed and distinctive style has led to standing ovations worldwide. His music has been featured in numerous ABC documentaries and TV stories but most notably he has composed the entire soundtrack for the Australian Geographic series THE BEST OF AUSTRALIA.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Anthony Halliday – Organ
Dr Anthony Halliday
Dr Anthony Halliday is invited annually to give piano and organ recitals and concerto performances throughout Europe and Australasia. His playing won critical praise from several internationally renowned conductors. Walter Susskind hailed his performance of Beethoven’s fourth piano Concerto as “magnificent”.
His Ph.D. thesis Written Text: a resource for performance-interpretation of Beethoven’s piano sonatas Opp.106, 110 and 111 in a Christological context for the first time provides a substantiated narrative explaining the significance of the Hammerklavier sonata. The thesis has been placed in the library of the Beethoven Birth-House.
He has performed in international music festivals in Cologne, Bonn, Rome, Bochum and Bocholt. In London he has performed in the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul’s Cathedral and performed concertos with soloists from the BBC Symphony Orchestra and St. Cecilia Chamber Orchestra. He received outstanding reviews from London’s Times, Daily Telegraph and Guardian.
He won the ABC Commonwealth Concerto competition playing Bartok’s second piano concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and recorded all thirty-two piano sonatas by Beethoven and performed the complete Well Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach from memory. In a rare feat he scooped all seven first prizes at the Royal College of Organists, London Fellowship examinations and the Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, London.
His compositions include Symphony for Kleve Germany, Three fugues for piano and Missa Celebrationis for double choir and orchestra, premiered in 2017 in Bonn, Germany. He serves as Associate Director of Music and Principal Organist to Melbourne’s St. Francis Church and the Blessed Sacrament Community.
‘One of the great international organists’ Leipzig Volkszeitung
‘Grand Master of the keyboard’ Diario, Spain
Trybooking ACMF | 24Edward Higgs – Timpani
Having grown up in Bendigo, Edward Higgs studied percussion at the Victorian College of the Arts under Peter Neville, graduating with Honours. Throughout these formative years, Edward began to delve deeper into his great passion and affinity with timpani and the orchestra. In the following years, Edward spent considerable time honing his craft with Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Principal Timpanist Matthew Goddard; and was rewarded with the position of Principal Timpanist of the Australian Youth Orchestra for their 2008/09 seasons. In 2009/10, Edward worked and studied in Sydney with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Sinfonia, under the guidance of SSO Principal Timpanist Rick Miller.
Throughout the European winters of 2010 and 2011, Edward travelled to Germany to study with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. During these tours, intensive lessons were undertaken from Berlin Philharmonic Principal Timpanists Rainer Seegers and Wieland Welzel, among other prominent teachers in Germany. Throughout his career, Edward has worked as a Guest Principal Timpanist and Percussionist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, as well as performing as a soloist with the Australian National Academy of Music and the Monash University Academy of Music Orchestra.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Michael Evans-Barker – Percussion
Michael Evans-Barker is a musician with over 30 years experience performing and teaching on the full range of percussion instruments.
Apart from his classical work with the Art of Sound Orchestra, Michael performs regularly in the Melbourne jazz scene.
His recording with the Nadav Rayman Trio was nominated for the 2021 Australian Music Prize. Michael has composed music for the Australian Shakespeare Theatre Company, and recorded and toured with Australian music icon Steve Kilbey and All India Radio.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Australian String Trio
Formed in 2015, this unique and versatile group of three of Australia’s top chamber musicians – Roy Theaker, violin; Simon Oswell, viola; & Kalina Krusetva, cello – are collectively and individually recognised as outstanding performers within their field. Having significant experience both in Australia and overseas, all are musical leaders in a variety of genres and pathways in the industry, and are constantly in demand as performers and pedagogues. Together they comprise both an outstanding ensemble known for it’s engaging and adventurous programming, and the only group of it’s type within Australia.
Previous engagement highlights as an ensemble include live broadcasts for the ABC, as a featured chamber group at the Peninsula Summer Music Festival, and the Beethoven@4 Festival, Windsor.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Wodonga Brass Band
It is unclear as to exactly when the Wodonga brass band was first established and commenced serving the Wodonga community. From early newspaper reports we know the band was active before 1875 as a report states that their conductor at the time was Carl Heinrich Albert Eulenstein. The first mention of a band playing in Wodonga was at the opening of the Wodonga Athenaeum on Monday 11th October 1886; Middleton’s Carpets presently occupy this building at 78 High Street. Newspaper archives also show that in 1922 the Wodonga Band ran weekly local picture nights (silent movies) for the community.
Despite going into recess during war years and for a brief period during the 1950s the band has been active within the community since its early establishment.
In 1976 the band initiated the first public Carols by Candlelight in Albury-Wodonga. It has organised Wodonga’s Carols ever since then and has overseen the event’s development from an initial crowd of 400 in Woodland Grove to the 2016 Carols event in Willow Park that attracted a crowd in excess of 10,000.
A philosophy of brass bands has always been maintaining accessibility to all levels of the community regardless of their economic or social circumstance. Instruments and uniforms are usually provided by funds obtained from local councils and the general community so that the entry cost is very low. To this end Wodonga Brass has enjoyed a very strong community support.
Trybooking ACMF | 24Lux Alba – Chamber Choir
Lux Alba Founded by its director Rebekah Beall, the choir debuted in December 2017. Typically, the repertoire performed by the choir is sacred a cappella music.
The name ‘Lux Alba’ when translated means ‘white light’ and was inspired by a quote from Arvo Part, ‘I could compare my music to white light which contains all colours.
Only a prism can divide the colours and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener’. We were drawn together because of our love for music and feel blessed for every opportunity we can share this passion with you, our prism.
Trybooking ACMF | 24ACMF ’24 – featuring Australian Composers:
- Brett Anthony Jones
- Jodie O’Regan
- Bruce Mathiske
- Andrew Goodwin
- William Schmidt
- Noel Fidge
- Brenda Gifford
- Michael Leighton-Jones