Monica Curro

Australian Hometown(s): Brisbane & Melbourne
Education: Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Michigan State University

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Violinist Monica Curro has been Assistant Principal 2nd Violin of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 1997, and was a core member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra for 5 years before that. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 1987 and completed a Masters Degree at Michigan State University in 1991, studying with Walter Verdehr. She has played with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, as Principal 2nd Violin with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and as Guest Concertmaster of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and The Auckland Chamber Orchestra.

Monica is a member of the Board of Directors of the Australian Youth Orchestra, and regularly tutors for their orchestral and chamber music programs. She has taught violin at The University of Melbourne and the Victorian College of the Arts, and has coached chamber music and taught violin and viola at the Australian National Academy of Music and its Young Academy.

In 2009 Monica was honoured to be invited as the only Australian to play in the World Orchestra for Peace conducted by Valery Gergiev for concerts in Poland and Sweden. She joined them in 2010 for concerts in London and Salzburg, in Abu Dhabi for 2011, in New York and Chicago for 2012, and in London for 2014. Monica is also a member of the Australian World Orchestra, who in 2015 performed with Sir Simon Rattle in Sydney and Melbourne, and with Zubin Mehta on tour in India.

Monica recently gave the world premiere, as co-soloist with her sister Sarah, of Stefan Cassomenos’ Double Violin Concerto for acoustic, semi-acoustic and electric violins. In October 2013, she appeared as a soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and appears regularly as part of MSO’s Chamber Series.

Monica is a founding member of acclaimed ensemble PLEXUS, with pianist Stefan Cassomenos and clarinetist Philip Arkinstall. Since launching in 2014, PLEXUS has commissioned over 100 composers and premiered over 100 new works. PLEXUS was a shortlisted finalist in the Melbourne Prize for Music 2016 Outstanding Musicians Award. In 2018, PLEXUS was invited to be Artist-in-Residence with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Last updated 2023