Australian Hometown: Adelaide & Hobart
Education: Elder Conservatorium of Music, Adelaide
Category: 2017 Moorambilla Project
Natalie Chee
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
Madeleine Easton
Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Royal College of Music, London
PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
The Australian violinist Madeleine Easton is internationally recognised for her versatility and expertise on stage. Throughout her career, a desire to combine period and modern playing has led to unique opportunities to work with a variety of ensembles worldwide. She performs internationally, appearing as soloist, concertmaster and director of some of the world’s most respected ensembles and orchestras.
Madeleine studied with Alice Waten and Chris Kimber at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she graduated with first class honours. Alongside her degree, she studied baroque violin with Lucinda Moon. She was awarded scholarships and was successful in competitions winning the Sydney Conservatorium Concerto Prize with Bartok’s 2nd violin concerto, and was a finalist in both the 1999 Richard Goldner Concerto Competition and the 1998 Gisbourne International Music Competition in New Zealand. In 2000 she was a recipient of a full scholarship to attend the Julliard/Meadowmount Summer School in New York State winning the chamber music prize, and a year later won a place to study at postgraduate level at the Royal College of Music with Dr Felix Andrievsky where she graduated with distinction winning the String Prize for most outstanding performer.
Madeleine’s career as a concertmaster and director has led to engagements with leading orchestras worldwide including the Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid, the Gulbenkian Foundation Orchestra of Lisbon, The English Baroque Soloists, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, The Kings Consort, The Gabrieli Consort, the Musicians of the Globe, The Independent Opera Company, London Orchestra da Camera, the Guildford Philharmonic, Bath Philharmonia, Florilegium, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Northern Ballet Orchestra of England and the Australian World Orchestra. She held the position of concertmaster of The Hanover Band from 2006-2016 and continues to perform with them as both leader, director and soloist. Madeleine also performs with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Academy of Ancient Music, and the Orchestra Revolutionaire et Romantique.
Her talent of combining both period and modern styles of violin playing has led her to form a special relationship with the Royal Academy of Music in London. She has directed the Bach Cantata Series since its inception in 2009, the Baroque Orchestra, the first year String Orchestra and the Modern Instrument Period Orchestra. Other educational opportunities have included teaching period style on modern instruments for the World Orchestra at the Schleswig Holstein Festival in Germany, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and Monash University in Melbourne.
Madeleine has performed on many award winning recordings including the Bach Cantata series and the recently released Bach B minor Mass with the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists for Deutsche Grammaphon, and Haydn’s ‘Creation’, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Mozart’s C Minor Mass with the Gabrieli Consort. She has released the complete piano trios of Alexis de Castillon on Peyrole Records, the Antoine Reicha Bassoon Quintet and variations with the all Australian ensemble, ‘Island’ on the ARS label, and Bach’s Musical Offering for Somm records.
Madeleine returned to Australia in 2019 to devote her energy to her ensemble, Bach Akademie Australia Formed in 2016, it has now become a mainstay on the Australian baroque music scene. Madeleine is also increasingly dedicated to pedagogy and research along side fellow members of the ensemble.
Madeleine plays on a 1682 Giovanni Grancino violin.
Last updated 2023
Sergio Insuasti
Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Royal College of Music, London
PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Sergio Insuasti was the 2019 AWO Academy Player, and is currently completing postgraduate performance studies at the Royal College of Music London.
Since the age of 14, Sergio has studied Viola under the tutelage of Alex Todicescu, Roger Benedict and Justin Williams.
Prior to studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sergio gained orchestral experience at a young age, being selected as Principal Viola of the SBS Youth Orchestra at the age of 15.
This experience continued to thrive through larger music programmes, performing as Principal Viola for Penrith Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra and Australian Youth Orchestra programs.
Sergio has attended masterclass and workshops with renowned violists such as Tobias Lea, William Coleman, Mark Tukh and Caroline Henbest. Sergio was also a participant in last year’s International Viola Congress in Wellington, where he performed for Elias Goldstein and Felix Ungar.
Last updated 2023
Andrew Jezek
Australian Hometown(s): Canberra & Sydney
Education: Canberra School of Music; Hochschule für Musik, Munich
PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Andrew Jezek was born in Canberra and studied viola at the Canberra School of Music with Vincent Edwards and Charmian Gadd, graduating with honours in 1991. He continued his studies in Europe at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich with Jürgen Weber (viola) and at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna with Karl Österreicher (conducting).
He was co-principal violist of the renowned Viennese contemporary music ensemble Klangforum Wien from 1996 to 2013 and has performed at most major contemporary music festivals in Europe. He is a regular guest at the Salzburg Festival, Ruhr Triennale, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Wien Modern, Steirischer Herbst Graz, Wittener Tage, Wiener Festwochen, Berlin Festival, Venice Biennale and Huddersfield Festival.
In 2013, Andrew relocated to Sydney with his wife Emma and daughter Lila.
Andrew performs regularly with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, as guest principal viola with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Opera Australia Orchestra and is co-artistic director of the Sydney Art Quartet.
Last updated 2023
Mee Na Lojewski
Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Royal Academy of Music, London
PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Mee Na founded Melbourne based Affinity Quartet in 2015 with whom she has toured Europe and UK participating in the 2016 Prussia Cove International Musicians Seminar and in 2020, the Amsterdam String Quartet Biennale. Mee Na also performs with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and as a Principal Player with Sydney Chamber Opera and Victorian Opera. She has performed with Omega Ensemble and Sydney Symphony Orchestra, with whom she toured Japan and Korea in 2011. Mee Na was a Finalist in the 2015 ABC Young Performers Award. She completed a Master of Music jointly with the Royal Academy of Music London and Sydney Conservatorium of Music studying with Susan Blake, Timothy Walden, and Mats Lidström. During her studies Mee Na was an Academist of Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Principal Cellist of Australian Youth Orchestra, and a member of Sydney Symphony Sinfonia. Mee Na also teaches chamber music part-time at Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School.
Last updated 2018
Peter Morrison
Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music
PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Peter Morrison, cellist, born in Sydney and now based in Copenhagen, is a permanent member of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. He previously was employed with the Sydney Symphony and Australian Chamber Orchestras and has guest led a variety of orchestral and ensemble cello sections over a 30-year professional period. He has lectured and given classes at various academies across the EU as well as working with young musicians and teenagers with various projects held in Australia, India, Singapore and Denmark.
Beyond cello performance, Peter is a keen composer with recent commissions from Finland, Denmark as well as performances by BBC National Orchestra Wales, Gidon Kremer, Nikolaj Znaider amongst others. He is also much focused on environmental and humanitarian issues, and in this regard is the spokesperson for Stop Ecocide Denmark and also volunteers on various refugee-related assignments.
Last updated 2022
Thibaud Pavlovic-Hobba
Australian Hometown: Tasmania
Education: Australian National Academy of Music
PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Thibaud, an Australian-French violinist, was born in Tasmania. He began playing the violin after receiving it as his fifth birthday present. He studied in Tasmania under Peter Tanfield and he also attended the Australian National Academy of Music where he studied with Paul Wright and Bill Hennessy.
He has performed with the Tasmanian and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. In 2012 he was an Emerging Artist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra under Zoë Black and Helena Rathbone’s mentorship. He continued to tour with the ACO and ACO2 for the next few years and joined the Orchestra as a part-time musician in 2016.
Thibaud is a very keen chamber musician, having played with many different groups throughout the years. More recently Thibaud won the audience choice prize at the ANAM Chamber Music Competition with his piano trio, as well as being a finalist in the Great Romantics competition. He plays regularly with an ACO quartet, teaching and playing around the country for schools and workshops. He has played with members of the Brodsky Quartet, Nicolas Altstaedt, Alban Gerhardt and Anthony Marwood. He has also performed at many festivals around Australia as well as touring nationally with the Sydney Dance Company.
Last updated 2020
Florian Peelman
Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Chethams School of Music in Manchester; Antwerp Conservatorium; Hochschule für Musik Berlin
PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Florian has played the violin since the age of five, and after absorbing the sound of gamelan in Indonesia, started formal training in Helsinki. At the age of 14 he continued his studies at Chethams School of Music in Manchester. Returning to his Belgian roots at the age of 18, he enrolled at the Antwerp Conservatorium and switched to the viola. He completed his Masters under Walter Küssner at the world leading ‘Hans Eisler’ Hochschule für Musik Berlin achieving the highest distinction and has since continued to work there as Assistant Professor.
As a soloist he has performed the Kancheli concerto, the Mozart and Bruch double concertos and most recently, Pierre Charvet’s ‘And death’. During his time in Belgium he toured with the Production ‘Wanja’ fusing the roles of Musician, Actor and Puppeteer. The groundbreaking production for young children won the 2009 ‘Jungen Ohren Preis’ for Best Children’s Music Theatre.
As a dedicated chamber musician, he has been a member of the Arsis4 Quartet, the Boccherini String Trio, alumni of the Chapelle Musical “Reine Elizabeth” and the European Chamber Music Academy Performing across Europe Canada and Australia.
During the last few years he has been Principal Viola of the Brussels Chamber Orchestra, Principal Viola of the Gürzenich Orchester Köln, a regular guest with the Berliner Philharmoniker and a guest principle with the Dresden Staatskappelle, Munich Staatsoper, the Northern Sinfonia and the Australian Chamber Orchestra amongst others.
Last updated 2023
Alison Rayner
Australian Hometown: Adelaide
Education: University of Adelaide
PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Alison Rayner was born in Adelaide and began playing the violin as a Suzuki student at the age of three. She received her Bachelor of Music Performance from the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide, studying with Peter Tanfield. During her studies Alison was awarded the Florence Cooke Violin prize and was invited into the Golden Key Society for academic excellence.
Soon after completing her degree Alison was appointed to the first violin section of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Alison has held the position of Associate Principal Second Violin with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and has also appeared as Guest Associate Concertmaster with the ASO. In 2010 Alison joined the first violin section of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, of which she was a member until 2020. During the ten years she lived in Norway Alison appeared regularly with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and was a member of the Fragaria Vesca (“Wild Strawberry”) ensemble, which championed and recorded the music of lesser-known Norwegian composers.
Since returning to live in her home city of Adelaide at the end of 2020, Alison has appeared regularly with Adelaide Baroque and has also performed with the Adelaide Cantata Band, the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and the Flinders Quartet.
Alison has been playing with the Australian World Orchestra since 2015.
Last updated 2023