Category: 2015 India

Robert Ashworth

Robert Ashworth

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Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Universitaet Mozarteum, Austria; University of British Columbia, Canada

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Robert Ashworth is having a great time being Principal viola for the Auckland Philharmonia Orches­tra.  He arrived from Canada to New Zealand shores in 2003 for a one-year adventure, he found a connection with the country through its music, people and country-side, his animals and family.

He has been guest-​principal viola for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, as well as assistant-principal for the Calgary Philharmonic Orches­tra. He is violist with the Jade String Quartet in Auckland, and also plays with the Australian World Orchestra.

Robert is a twice recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts Award for Emerging Artists and has performed with various groups at international chamber music festivals in Europe, North America, and Japan. He has had the honour of studying with violists Thomas Riebl and Veronika Hagen at the Universitaet Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria and with Gerald Stanick at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Last updated 2023

Andrew Bain

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Australian Hometown: Adelaide
Education: Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide; University of Music Karlsruhe, Germany

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Andrew Bain was appointed to the Chair of Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic by Gustavo Dudamel in May 2011.

Born and raised in Australia, Andrew was first introduced to music at age 8 when he took up the piano. Four years later, he was enrolled at Brighton High School in their special music program and soon after switched to the French horn because he loved the sound. Andrew ultimately received a Bachelor in Music from the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide studying with Patrick Brislan. He furthered his studies with Geoff Collinson in Sydney, Hector McDonald in Vienna, and in 2003 completed a Graduate Diploma in Chamber Music under Will Sanders in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Prior to moving to LA Andrew held positions of Principal Horn of the Melbourne Symphony, Queensland Symphony, Münchner Symphoniker and the Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra, and Associate Principal Horn of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. From 2003-2012 he was the Principal Horn of the Colorado Music Festival.

A regarded solo artist, Andrew has appeared regularly as a soloist with the LA Phil since joining the orchestra. Andrew has also appeared at the front of the stage with the Melbourne and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, Colorado Music Festival, Colburn Orchestra and Music in the Round Festival. In 2015 Andrew presented the world premiere of Brad Warnaar’s Horn Concerto with the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra and looks forward to recording the work in 2016. A keen chamber musician, Andrew loves to explore the possibilities of the horn in various ensembles and most recently gave the first performance of Geoffrey Gordon’s Winterleben for Mezzo Soprano, Horn and Piano.

In addition to performing, Andrew is passionate about education and is proud to be the Horn Professor at the Colburn School Conservatory. Andrew has held teaching positions with the Australian National Academy of Music, University of Melbourne, Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and Sydney Conservatorium. He has also given master classes and lectures throughout the United States, Europe and Australasia.

Throughout 2015 Andrew appeared as guest principal horn of the Chicago Symphony and Berlin Philharmonic and the Australian World Orchestra’s concerts with Simon Rattle in Sydney and Melbourne and the AWO’s groundbreaking tour throughout India with Zubin Mehta. As Co-host of the 2015 International Horn Symposium here in LA, Andrew was thrilled to welcome over 1000 horn players and musicians to the Colburn School for a week long celebration of everything horn!

Andrew can be heard on numerous Hollywood films and was overjoyed to fulfill the dream of a lifetime working with John William’s as principal horn for the score of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’

As well as appearing at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Phil, over the Summer Andrew is the Principal Horn of the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego and faculty member of the Aspen Music Festival and School.

In addition to music, Andrew loves traveling, cooking and exploring L.A. with his beautiful wife, Rupal. If he’s not working, you will most likely find him on the golf course trying to improve his handicap.

Last updated 2022

Timothy (Tim) Dunin

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Australian Hometown: Canberra
Education: Canberra School of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Tim Dunin was born in Canberra, Australia in 1969.

After 5 years of classical guitar tuition he received his first double bass lesson at the age of 14, from Robert Nairn. Two years later Tim went to the Canberra School of Music to continue his studies with Paul Morton. From 1987 he studied with Max McBride until the completion of his Bachelor of Music degree in 1991. In this time Dunin was already a very busy orchestral musician, performing regularly with the Canberra Youth Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. In the same year he travelled to Austria to take on further studies with Professor Johannes Auersperg at the “Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz, Expositur Oberschützen”.

In 1994 Tim Dunin was Principal Double Bass with the Graz Symphony. In 1995 he won the position for Principal Double Bass with the Vienna Philharmonic / Vienna State Opera Orchestra and remained in the orchestra as a fulltime member until September 2003.

Apart from solo performances in Australia and Europe Tim has appeared as a chamber musician with ensembles such as the “Wiener Streichersolisten” , “Küchl Quartett” , “die Wiener Virtuosen” , “Wiener Kammerensemble” , “Salzburg Orchestra Soloists”, “Camerata Salzburg” and “Klang Forum Wien” and was a member of the double bass sextet “Bass Instinct” alongside Ernst Weissensteiner, Herbert Mayer, Gerhard Muthspiel, Gina Schwarz and Peter Herbert from 2005 until it disbanded at the end of 2012.

Tim Dunin has remained a passionate orchestral musician and performs regularly with ensembles such as Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Australian World Orchestra, “Recreation” Graz, Vorarlberg Symphony Orchestra, “Niederösterreichische Tonkünstler Orchester”, Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic / Vienna State Opera Orchestra.

Since October 2002, Tim has held the position of Professor for Double Bass at the Graz University for Music and Performing Arts, Institute Oberschützen.

Last updated 2023

Jonathan Allen

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Australian Hometown: Canberra
Education: Canberra School of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
The Australian violinist Jonathan Allen first studied at the Canberra School of Music with Vincent Edwards and Josette Esquidin before moving to Hobart to further his studies with Jan Sedivka.  His reputation quickly grew with public performances and broadcasts of concertos by Prokofieff, Tchaikovsky, Haydn, Samuel Barber and Vaughan Williams. However, it was his talent and vital interest in chamber music that led to the appointment as leader of the Petra String Quartet (Quartet in Residence at the University of Tasmania). The Quartet‘s enthusiasm for commissioning and premiering new works resulted in the CD recordings of twelve Australian quartets.

In 1987 Jonathan Allen was awarded an International Study Grant that led him through Canada to Europe attending master classes and studying with prominent musicians such as Zoltan Szekely, Lorand Fenyves, Max Rostal and Sandor Vegh.

After a short term in the London Symphony Orchestra he moved to the musically inspiring city of Vienna. Using Vienna as his base and working with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, he also toured extensively as concertmaster of the Konzert Ensemble Salzburg, Neue Wiener Solisten and Klangforum Wien.

An invitation in 1989 as guest assistant concertmaster of the Australian Chamber Orchestra led to extensive tours of Australia, South America and Europe.

Alongside commitments as a member of Philharmonia Zürich – das Orchester des Opernhauses Zürich since 1991, Jonathan Allen has appeared as Concertmaster with the Zürich Chamber Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and the 21st Century Orchestra. During 2006 – 2007 he was acting 2nd Concertmaster at the Zurich Opera House, Philharmonia Zurich. Jonathan Allen regularly performed with Ensemble Zero and is the founding member of Ensemble/Piano Trio Il Trittico, in which the latter received outstanding critiques in the “Strad” and “Musik und Theater” for their premier recordings of the complete Joachim Raff Piano Trios, www.trittico.ch. In 2011 the prominant CD label Divox released the world premier recording of Joachim Raff’s two Piano Quartets which were nominated for the renowned Echo Prize. Jonathan Allen has for many years taken an interest in discovering undeservingly neglected chamber music works and dedicated himself to making public forgotten masterpieces. His performing schedule has included live broadcasts for Radio and TV, chamber music concerts in various Festivals  (America, Canada and Europe) and CD recordings (Divox, Arte Nova – Sony BMG, Gallo, ABC classics and ProViva). Directly inspired from the years of working with N. Harnoncourt and William Christie, (predominantly in the ensemble “la Scintilla”) Jonathan has enriched his musical spheres not only with early music performing with the historical instrumental practise but has also branched out to include jazz concerts in his musical adventures. Jonathan continues to reside in Zurich as a member of Philharmonia Zurich.

Last updated 2023

Philip Arkinstall

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Australian Hometown(s): Sydney & Melbourne
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Philip has been the associate principal clarinet of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2008. He was Principal of the Malaysian Philaharmonic in KL for 11 years prior to  that, and has appeared as guest principal  with every Australian orchestra except Adelaide. Philip has worked with the ACO, the Camerata Bern and the MCO amongst others and is a founding member of the Plexus Trio with Monica Curro and Stefan Cassomenos. He is also a founder of the  Melbourne Ensemble septet which is currently artist in residence at the MSO.

Philip has appeared as soloist with the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, West Australian and Tasmanian, Corpus Medicorum and Zelman symphony orchestras and also with the Malaysian and Royal Melbourne philharmonics in repertoire ranging from Mozart to Heinze. He was the young performer of the year for 2MBSFM in 1996 and for the ABC in 1997.

Philip teaches at Melbourne University and has been a guest teacher at ANAM, Monash, ANU and NMC.  He studied with Peter Jenkin at the Sydney Con, Valentin Sacharov in Strasbourg and earlier with Stephen Kenyon and  Bernard Wattelet. 

Last updated 2021

Lucas Barr

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Australian Hometown: Melbourne
Education: Victorian College for the Arts

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Lucas grew up in Melbourne where he could be found busking on the streets of Box Hill at the age of just 15. While studying at the Victorian College for the Arts, Lucas was invited to study in Austria where his teacher and mentor Brian Finlayson was appointed. With the help of a music loving Melbourne arts patron Lucas moved to Klagenfurt in southern Austria at 16 years of age.

Barr moved to Cologne two years later to continue his studies where he met his future wife Suzanne, a clarinettist. During this time Lucas played, toured and recorded with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra as well as playing as a soloist with various string quartets.

Lucas played with the prestigious Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and has played in almost all Australian World Orchestra concert seasons, including tours to India and Singapore. He currently holds a position with WDR Symphony Orchestra in Germany.

Last updated 2023

David Clarence

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Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Sydney Conservatorium High School

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
David was a member of the percussion section of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and percussion ensemble Synergy from 1980 to 1982.

From 1983 to 1985 David lived and worked in Scotland, the highlight being a week spent assisting James Blades in a regional education tour.

He has been the Principal Timpani of the Opera Australia Orchestra (formally known as Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra) since 1986.

Last updated 2023

David Berlin midshot

David Berlin

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Australian Hometown(s): Sydney & Melbourne
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Juilliard School of Music, New York

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
David Berlin studied the cello with Lois Simpson at the Sydney Conservatorium and with Channing Robbins at the Juilliard School of Music in New York.

For over 25 years David has been at the forefront of music performance in Australia, as Principal Cello of both the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (1985-1988) and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (since 1989).

David has made numerous appearances as soloist with these and other Australian orchestras and has been invited to play guest Principal Cello with the Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony orchestras, Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Australian World Orchestra.

In London in 1992, David gave the world premiere performance of the complete works for cello and piano by Franz Liszt, with Leslie Howard.

David has performed chamber music with violinists Kolja Blacher, James Ehnes, Nigel Kennedy, and Sarah Chang and pianists Garrick Ohlsson, Emanuel Ax and Yefim Bronfman, as well as tenor Ian Bostridge.

He has appeared in numerous festivals, and in chamber music projects has toured to Japan, Taiwan and New Zealand.

Along with solo recordings for ABC radio he has appeared as soloist on the Tall Poppies, Chandos and Naxos labels. His recital disc Barber & Debussy with pianist Len Vorster on the Tall Poppies label was nominated by James McCarthy as one of the best classical CDs of 2011 in Limelight magazine.

In 2020 together with Benjamin Martin he released French Cello Sonatas on the ABC Classic label, it has enjoyed highly positive reviews and streaming activity  through Spotify.

David plays on a cello made by Ivan Zgradic in Sherman Oaks, California in 1982.

Last updated 2022

Lukas Beno

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Education: Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY 
Lukas Beno is Principal Trumpet of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and is also a member of both the Australian World Orchestra and the historic Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. In addition, he is a founding member of the Gewandhaus Brass Quintett, which successfully tours throughout Europe. 

He has played as Guest Principal Trumpet with many prestigious international orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg and the Bavarian Radio Symphony.

Also as a celebrated soloist, Lukas Beno has performed with many European orchestras including the Gewandhausorchester, the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra and the Camerata Bern. 

Parallel to his performing career, Lukas Beno holds a professorship at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts and gives regular master classes in Germany, USA, China, Australia, Venezuela, Cyprus, Brazil, Taiwan and Singapore.

Last updated 2022

Damien Eckersley holding double bass

Damien Eckersley

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Australian Hometown(s): Canberra & Melbourne
Education: Canberra School of Music; University for Music and Fine Arts in Graz

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Damien Eckersley was appointed Associate Principal double bass of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2020 after 13 years in Melbourne as a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He serves on the faculty at the Australian National Academy of Music. He has performed as principal bass with orchestras in Australia and all over the world including the Tasmanian, Melbourne, Queensland Symphony Orchestras, the Australian World Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Graz Philharmonic, the Tönkunstler Orchester and Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa.

He has also performed with the Sydney Symphony, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Opera Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Philharmonic and the WDR Symphony Orchestra Köln.

Damien studied with Max Mcbride at the Canberra School of Music and with Professor Tim Dunin at the University for Music and Fine Arts in Graz, Austria.

As a soloist, Damien has performed with orchestras and in recital in Australia, Austria, Germany, China , Hong Kong and Japan.

Damien has appeared in chamber music festivals throughout the world as a player and director.
Damien is passionate about education and combines his studio teaching with coaching young musicians in chamber music and orchestral technique as well as giving master classes throughout Australia and Asia.

He has worked with young musicians of the Kanazawa University Orchestra, the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy, and most extensively with members of the Australian National Academy of Music. His students perform professionally throughout Australia and the world.

Last updated 2023