Category: 2017 Chamber 8

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

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

Nat Chee holding violin

Natalie Chee

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Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Natalie Chee began her musical career at the age of 4 on piano. By age 10 she studied violin with Alex Todicescu, a professor at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and member of the Sydney String Quartet.

After winning numerous competitions and prizes in Australia, a young teenage Natalie appeared as a soloist with all of the Australian Symphony Orchestras whist she was in still in high school. In 1994 Natalie was accepted into the Soloist Class of Prof. Igor Ozim in Berne, Switzerland where she received her Soloist Diploma in 1998 with High Distinction.

Still a student, Natalie was invited to become a member of Camerata Bern in the position of 2nd violin leader. During this time, she also co-founded the chamber music ensemble ‘Tiramisu’ and the Mozart Piano Quartet. She toured North and South America, Europe and Australia with these groups and made prominent labels in Switzerland and Germany.

In 2000, Natalie won the position of 1st Concertmaster of Camerata Salzburg – a position she held until 2009. In 2009, Natalie became 1st Concertmaster of the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stuttgart. She is a regular guest Concertmaster of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and was given the honour of leading this orchestra in the ‘Last Night of the Proms’ in 2014.

As of 2019 Natalie became the Concertmaster of the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne.

Last updated 2023

Paul Dean

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Australian Hometown: Brisbane
Education: Queensland Conservatorium

Paul Dean Bio

Brisbane born and bred clarinetist Paul Dean is regarded as one of Australia’s foremost musicians in his multiple capacities as soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, composer and artistic director.

Paul is Associate Professor and Head of Winds at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, he was the Artistic Director of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) from 2010-2015 and is a regular member of the Australian World Orchestra. He is Co-Artistic Director of the outstanding Australian chamber group, Ensemble Q with cellist Trish Dean.

Paul was the Artistic Director of the Four Winds Festival and the Tutti Beijing International Youth Music Festival and was also the founder of the Southern Cross Soloists, the Bangalow Music Festival, the Coramba Chamber Music Festival and the Sunwater and Stanwell Winter Music School. From 1987-2000 he was Principal Clarinet with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra

Paul has performed as soloist with the Queensland, Melbourne, West Australian, Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, Southern Sinfonia NZ, Trondheim Symfoniker (Norway). He has been guest artist with the Navarra Quartet, the Doric Quartet, the Heath Quartet, the Australian String Quartet, the Goldner String Quartet, the Grainger Quartet, the Flinders Quartet, and the Tin Alley Quartet. He has performed as soloist at many Festivals throughout world including the Oxford May Music Festival, the Huntington Music Festival, Alpine Classic Switzerland, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Trondheim Chamber Music Festival, Coramba Chamber Music Festival, Camden Haven Music Festival, and the Melbourne, Christchurch, Brisbane, Queensland, Perth, and Sydney Festivals.

Paul’s recording of the Mozart and Brahms clarinet works for the Melba label, and the clarinet music of English composer Benjamin Frankel for German label CPO have won high praise from critics around the world.

Paul has composed music for the violinists Jack Liebeck and Anthony Marwood, cellists Torleif Thedeen, Trish O’Brien and Patrick Murphy, tenor Andrew Goodwin and pianist Daniel De Borah, harpist Marshall McGuire, horn player Andrew Bain, the Brodsky and Flinders Quartets, Katie Noonan, the Melbourne Symphony orchestra, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival, Ensemble Q, the Melbourne Piano Trio, the Seraphim Trio, the Endeavour Trio, the lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, and the Australian Flute Festival. Paul’s opera commissioned by the Queensland Conservatorium Opera School, premiered in September 2018, with the Orchestral Fragments being performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in August 2017.

“Dry River Run adds to a significant canon of operas drawing on Australia’s history – from Richard Mills’ Batavia and Richard Meale’s Voss to more recent works such as Kate Miller-Heidke’s The Rabbits and Deborah Cheetham’s Pecan Summer – holding a mirror up to Australia both at Federation and today.” Limelight

“Paul Dean’s new Australian opera Dry River Run is a powerful and epic piece of theatre. Dry River Run is a masterful addition to the burgeoning canon of new Australian operas. It deserves a long life.” Stage Whispers

Paul was appointed Composer in Residence for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s 2019 season. His clarinet concerto was premiered by the MSO with the composer as soloist and Michael Collins conducting. His violin concerto, A Brief History was dedicated to Stephen Hawking and was premiered in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s “Symphonic Universe” performances with presenter Brian Cox and violinist Jack Liebeck.

“A Brief History by Paul Dean (the 2019 MSO composer in residence) had its world premiere as part of the show. Dedicated to Professor Stephen Hawking and led by violinist Jack Liebeck, the piece expressed soaring themes of joy (albeit sometimes bittersweet), wit, tension and even rage as it evoked the idea of illness ravaging the body of one of the world’s greatest minds. One notable achievement of the evening was the discovery that a piece by a homegrown talent, Paul Dean, could stand proudly in the company of those of Sibelius and Mahler.” Daily Review

His Symphony, premiered and commissioned by the Australian World Orchestra will be first performed in Canberra on June 2, followed by performances in Sydney June 3 and Melbourne June 4.

Future commissions include a solo work for Australian cellist Blair Harris, a Septet for the Melbourne Ensemble and a Double Bass concerto for the Australian virtuoso, Phoebe Russell.

Paul is an endorsed D’Addario Artist and plays D’Addario Reserve Evolution Bb Clarinet reeds and mouthpieces.

Last updatedMay 2021

Daniel Dodds holding violin

Daniel Dodds

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Australian Hometown: Adelaide
Education: Conservatorium of Music, Lucerne, Conservatorium of Utrecht

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Born in Australia, Daniel Dodds performed his first concerts at the age of five. At 14 years of age he lived with his family for a year in Linz, Austria, where he visited the music gymnasium. The positive musical experiences and atmosphere experienced during this year confirmed music making as his vocation. At the age of 17 he left Australia, furnished with scholarships for Switzerland to commence his violin studies with Gunars Larsens at the Conservatorium of Music in Lucerne and with Keiko Wataya at the Conservatorium of Utrecht. Attaining all diplomas “with distinction” he received further inspiration in masterclasses with Rudolf Baumgartner, Franco Gulli and one of the grand masters of the golden age of violinists, Nathan Milstein.

“What Daniel Dodds achieved from the first desk in the Dvorák was simply splendid and lent the piece exemplary melodic intensity, sensuous timbre and vigour.” Neue Luzerner Zeitung

A winner and prize winner of several national and international competitions in his years as a student, Daniel was invited by Rudolf Baumgartner to become a member of the Festival Strings Lucerne, later becoming its first concertmaster in 2001 and in 2012 he was appointed the artistic director of the renowned chamber orchestra, leading it in concerts around the globe.

Like Gunars Larsens, his former teacher and predecessor as leader of the Lucerne Festival Strings, Daniel also teaches a violin class at the Lucerne College of Music.

“Violinist Daniel Dodds enthralled both audience and colleagues.  He accomplished this with the solo part of Edouard Lalo’s “Symphonie Espagnole”, a truly brilliant feat…when a virtuoso soloist brings this inspired acoustical picture with so much hearty and fiery passion, seductively romantic, and with a self-evident enthusiasm for technically demanding artistry and indulgent sound tapestry, the heart of the audience melts.” Giessener Anzeiger

In addition to his regular engagements as guest leader of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Salzburg Camerata, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian World Orchestra, he is a member of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and forms part of the ensemble of soloists in the star-studded orchestra.

“The performance of the ‘Festival Strings Lucerne’ under Daniel Dodds evinced high string culture, sensitive and subtle interpretation and homogeneous sound. Musical aesthetics at their best.” Schwarzwälder Bote

Daniel’s appearances as a soloist include: Brisbane Symphony Orchestra, Folkwang Chamber Orchestra Essen, Philharmonic Orchestra Giessen, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Festival Strings Lucerne, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Thüringer Symphony Zagreb Philharmonic, Orchestra della Svizzera italiana with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Australian World Orchestra with Zubin Mehta and Sir Simon Rattle. He has performed as a soloist in South America, North America, Europe, Switzerland, Australia and Asia.

Daniel has performed an extensive range of chamber music works, from duo to nonett, from works of the early baroque period to world premieres of works by contemporary composers as well as crossover projects with jazz, tango, and far eastern music. His chamber music partners include Dimitri and Vovka Ashkenazy, Ramin Bahrami, Kolya Blacher, Wolfram Christ, Vivane Hagner, Daniel Hope, James Galway, Ivan Klansky, Tobias Lea, Jens Peter Mainz, Alois Posch, Rafael Rosenfeld, Kathy Selby, Julian Smiles, Herbert Schuch, Martin Stadtfeld, Danuscha Waskiewicz and See Siang Wong.

“The five movements appeared to light up from within of their own accord. Baroque rationality and Romantic emotionalism happily complemented each other: the ‘Strings’ proved to be nimble and adaptable.” Frankfurter Neue Presse

His solo album “Time Transcending” released by Oehms Classics has received high praise from fonoforum magazines in the United States, Europe, Switzerland and Japan.

Daniel Dodds performs on the “ex Hämmerle – ex Baumgartner” 1717 Stradivarius, provided by the foundation of the Festival Strings Lucerne.

Last updated 2023

Matthew McDonald

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Australian Hometown: Canberra
Education: Canberra School of Music; Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Berliner Philharmoniker Orchestra Academy

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Matthew went to Berlin in 2000 as a student at the Karajan. Following this Matthew was assistant principal bass of the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, principal bass of Ensemble Modern, principal bass of the Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, principal bass of the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin and since 2009 principal bass of the Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra). As guest Principal bass he has played with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Matthew has given masterclasses throughout Europe and Asia and has held summer courses in Oxford, Canada and in Lisbon, Portugal.  He has played chamber music with Leonidas Kavakos, Christian Tetzlaff, Pekka Kuusisto, Jack Liebeck, Brett Dean,  Nicolas Altstaedt, Alban Gerhardt, Julian Steckel, Adrian Brendel, Till Fellner, Imogen Cooper, Radovan Vlatkovic, Radek Barborak, Mark Padmore, the Kuss Quartet, Atos Piano Trio, Ensemble 360, London Bridge ensemble, Scharoun Ensemble, Berlin Philharmonic Octett. He is a regular guest at the Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music weeks and has performed at the Lucerne festival, Zagreb Festival, Winterfest, Winchester Festival, Music at Plush Festival, Matthew also enjoys playing solo recitals with the pianists Tomoko Takahashi and Yannick Rafalimanana.

Matthew has played in most seasons of the Australian World Orchestra, including the 2015 India Tour. Matthew joined the AWO for the fifth anniversary season in 2016 which featured the AWO’s other 7 double bass players for the world premiere of Elena Kats-Chernin’s The Witching Hour, Concerto for 8 Double Basses and Orchestra.

Last updated 2018

Tahlia Petrosian

Tahlia Petrosian

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Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Hochschule für Musik, Berlin, Universität der Künste, Berlin, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Australian Institute of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Violist Tahlia Petrosian enjoys a multi-faceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, director of KLASSIK underground, creative producer and member of the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Tahlia has performed in Wigmore Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Semperoper Dresden, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Gewandhaus Leipzig, at Tanglewood Music Center, and directly on 5th Avenue in New York. Her chamber music partners have included Leif Ove Andsnes, Joshua Bell, Gautier Capuçon, Leonidas Kavakos, Antoine Tamestit and Nikolaj Znaider.

Having studied with Tabea Zimmermann and Wilfried Strehle in Berlin, Tahlia’s individual playing style has been recognised with prizes including an Artist Development Award from the Australia Council and the Australian Music Foundation Prize in London. In addition, she has received awards from the Paul Hindemith Gesellschaft in Berlin, the DAAD and the Dame Joan Sutherland Fund in New York.
A member of the Gewandhaus Orchestra since 2012, Tahlia also performs with the Australian World Orchestra. She has taught at the Guildhall School in London and the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne.

Tahlia is much sought after as a consultant and creative producer for leading orchestras and arts organisations. In 2016, Tahlia created KLASSIK underground, which has since been profiled in publications from New York’s Travel and Leisure Magazine to the Financial Review and the Japan Times. In 2018, Tahlia was featured in the Gewandhaus project “TwoPlayToPlay” and, in 2019, Tahlia took on the role of Creative Producer at HarrisonParrott in London, where she developed special projects for institutions including Tate Modern and the BBC, and was the producer for the highly successful “50 Years in a Day” concerts at Southbank Centre for the 50th anniversary of HarrisonParrott. Also in 2019, Tahlia directed the national music programs of the Norwegian arts organisation, Talent Norge.

In 2021, Tahlia created the new online concert format, “Resonate”, in collaboration with the Goethe Institute, the Karajan Institute and Symmetrica Creative Technology. Also in 2021, Tahlia conceptualised and produced three concert films based on Dante’s “Divina Commedia”, featuring musicians of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. These films were presented in German cinema and in Australia by the Italian Cultural Institute.

Tahlia has been a guest speaker at the Karajan Conference Salzburg, the ARTS+ Conference Frankfurt and the Avant Première Music + Media Market Vienna. In 2022, Tahlia will be a guest speaker at the national Deutscher Orchestertag and at the Edinburgh International Culture Summit.

Born in Sydney, Tahlia initially studied Law in Australia, completing her studies two years early and winning multiple university prizes. Tahlia also studied Law at Humboldt University in Berlin. Her academic work has been published in the Australian Journal of International Law and has been cited in publications and by institutions including the Chicago Journal of International Law, the Washington College of Law and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Tahlia speaks French, German and Mandarin.

www.tahlia-petrosian.com
www.klassikunderground.de

Last updated 2022

Lyndon Watts

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Australian Hometown(s): Sydney & Melbourne
Education: University of Music and Performing Arts, Munich

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Lyndon Watts became principal bassoonist of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 22. After 18 years in this position Lyndon chose to move back to his home country Australia to accept the position of lecturer in music (bassoon) at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (MCM). Since 2019 he has been Convenor of the annual MCM Concerto-Aria Competition, and since 2020 Convenor of the MCM Early Music Studio. He is a founding member of the Australian World Orchestra and has performed as a soloist or guest principal with numerous European and Australian ensembles on both modern and period instruments. In 2002 he became the first Australian woodwind player to win a prize in the prestigious ARD International Music Competition, in combination with a special prize for the best interpretation of a newly commissioned solo work by Heinz Holliger, who has described Lyndon’s playing as possessing “an ideal balance between utmost precision and wild spontaneity.” From 2005 to 2015 he was professor of bassoon in Switzerland at the Berne University of the Arts, where he also taught chamber music and contemporary music. Lyndon has premiered many compositions for bassoon by composers from his hometowns Munich and Melbourne. Most recently these included Elliott Gyger’s Elude for solo bassoon, two new works for bassoon and percussion by Miriama Young and Linda Verrier, Elizabeth Younan’s wind quintet Kismet, and the first performance of the bassoon and piano version of a new bassoon concerto by Matt Laing. Lyndon loves living close to the Australian bush and surf, and enjoys keeping fit with his partner and their son.

lyndonwatts.com

Last updated 2023