Category: 2021

Tony Bedewi midshot

Antoine (Tony) Bedewi

Posted on | by AWO | Leave a Comment on Antoine (Tony) Bedewi

Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Royal Academy of Music, London

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Antoine Bedewi holds the position of Principal Timpanist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, best known as the host orchestra of the world’s biggest international classical music festival, the BBC Proms.

Prior to joining the BBCSO in 2017 Antoine held the position of Co-Principal Timpanist with the London Symphony Orchestra, whilst simultaneously freelancing with all of the major orchestras in London and the UK. He has also performed around the world with a variety of orchestras and conductors including the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Australian World Orchestra. In 2007 he served as the Principal Timpanist at Chile’s national opera house, Teatro Municipal.

As a percussionist, Antoine appears frequently with the Colin Currie Group, an internationally-acclaimed ensemble founded in 2006 specialising in the music of Steve Reich. With Reich’s personal endorsement the group has performed at international venues including London’s Royal Festival Hall, Louis Vuitton Foundation (Paris), Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Opera City Tokyo.

Antoine currently teaches orchestral timpani at London’s Royal Academy of Music, having previously completed his postgraduate studies there in 2005. Prior to this he was awarded a first-class degree in music from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where he was also presented with the Director’s Prize for all-round excellence and service to the Academy.

His teachers include Simon Carrington and Alan Cumberland, whose virtuosic Two Challenges for Timpani (2003) are dedicated to Antoine.

Last updated 2022

Warwick Adeney midshot holding violin black and white

Warwick Adeney

Posted on | by AWO | Leave a Comment on Warwick Adeney

Australian Hometown: Brisbane
Education: Queensland Conservatorium

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Warwick Adeney was born into a large family of violinists and trained at Queensland Conservatorium alongside three of his siblings. There he learnt with Dr Anthony Doheny, was a member of the Ambrosian Quartet, and emerged as the Gold Medal graduate of 1984.

He joined Queensland Theatre Orchestra under Georg Tintner, and rose to the concertmastership in 1989. During the years of Anthony Camden’s musical oversight, Warwick Adeney played many solos, including the memorable Lark Ascending with Sir Neville Marriner, and directed many concerts.

In 2001, the amalgamation of orchestras in Queensland occurred and Warwick Adeney served (initially as co-concertmaster with Alan Smith) under conductor Michael Christie and then Johannes Fritzsch, and now exults in the glorious reign of Alondra de la Parra. Over the years Warwick Adeney has continued to enjoy the privileged and challenging life of the orchestra, and become something of a specialist in ballet solos and the Four Seasons along the way.

Married to Michele, a fellow musician, Warwick Adeney is blessed with nine children, all of whom learn a variety of instruments, and the family attends a weekly traditional Latin mass.

The violin Warwick plays is a Venetian instrument from the early 18th century, possibly by Carlo Antonio Testore.

Last updated 2022

Kees Boersma

Posted on | by AWO | Leave a Comment on Kees Boersma

Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Victorian College of the Arts, Sweelinck Conservatorium, Amsterdam

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Kees Boersma has held the position of Principal Double Bass with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra since 1990.  He has performed with Australian World Orchestra since its formation in 2011.

In recognition of his solo talents, the SSO has commissioned new works from leading Australian composers featuring Kees as soloist. His 2013 performance of Mary Finsterer’s “Lake Ice Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra was a finalist in the prestigious APRA Awards for ‘Best Performance of a New Australian Work’. He has been similarly recognized with the commission and performances of the Concerto for Double bass and Orchestra ‘Young Tree Green’ by Colin Bright.

In 2012, Kees was invited to be the founding Artistic Director of the SSO ‘Vanguard’ – curating a concert series in innovative and contemporary venues, seeking to encourage young philanthropists to engage and invest in their orchestra. He is currently the President of the SSO Musician’s Association.

The Australian World Orchestra commissioned Elena Kats Chernin to compose The Witching Hour, the first concerto for eight double basses in orchestral history on the occasion of the AWO’s Fifth Anniversary. Kats-Chernin composed The Witching Hour especially to showcase the extraordinary AWO double bass section comprising Max McBride (formerly ACO, Vienna State Opera, Senior Lecturer ANU School of Music), Kirsty McCahon (formerly Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment), Matthew McDonald (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra), Ciro Vigilante (Vienna Chamber Orchestra), Robert Nairn (Professor of Double Bass Juilliard School and Penn State University), Kees Boersma (Principal, Sydney Symphony Orchestra), Tim Dunin (Professor of Double Bass, University of Music, Graz; formerly Vienna Philharmonic) and Alex Henery (Principal, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, formerly Philharmonia London).

A great lover of chamber music, Kees Boersma is a regular artist at Musica Viva’s Chamber Music Festivals and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.

Kees was a founding member of the Australia’s pre-eminent contemporary music group ELISION, premiering, touring and recording the works of Franco Donatoni, Richard Barrett, Liza Lim and Brian Ferneyhough. . 

After studies at the Victorian College of the Arts, Kees travelled to his birthplace in the Netherlands to undertake post-graduate studies at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. He consequently performed for several seasons with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam under conductors such as Haitink, Dorati, Harnoncourt, Chailly and Giulini.

On his return to Australia, Kees performed as Principal Bass with the State Orchestra of Victoria and the Australian Chamber Orchestra before joining the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Kees is a Lecturer of Double Bass at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and enjoys being a regular tutor with the Australian Youth Orchestra and Sydney Youth Orchestra.

He is a regular Guest Principal Bass of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

As a result of his enthusiasm to explore historically informed performance practice, Kees has enjoyed recent opportunities to play with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (London), the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Pinchgut Opera.

In collaboration with his vivacious life partner Kirsty McCahon, his ‘Bass Extravaganza’ concerts as part of the ‘Resonate’ series at the National Art Gallery of NSW explore new ways of presenting music for their beloved basses!

Last updated 2023

Philip Arkinstall

Posted on | by AWO | Leave a Comment on Philip Arkinstall

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

David Berlin midshot

David Berlin

Posted on | by AWO | Leave a Comment on David Berlin

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

Harry Bennetts

Posted on | by AWO | Leave a Comment on Harry Bennetts

Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music High School; University of Melbourne; Australian National Academy of Music

Professional Biography
Harry was born in Sydney where he began violin lessons in the Suzuki method at the age of four. He attended the Conservatorium High School, studying violin with Philippa Paige whilst also participating in both the Sydney and Australian Youth Orchestra programs. He then spent several years studying in Melbourne, first with Mark Mogilevski at the University of Melbourne and then with Dr Robin Wilson at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). During his time with Dr. Wilson, Harry won the ANAM concerto competition two years consecutively, performing in the final with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He was also a member of the winning string quartet in the 2015 ANAM chamber music competition, and later that year won the Kendall National Violin Competition. He completed his studies with two years in Berlin at the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, mentored by First Concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley. 

Since his return to Australia, Harry has appeared as soloist with the Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra Symphony Orchestras. He has performed in recital in the Ukaria cultural centre, Melbourne recital centre, Sydney Opera House Utzon room, Canberra School of Music as well as a number of regional centres. His love of chamber music has seen him perform at The Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville as well as joining with Ensemble Q, a group which he now regularly collaborates with in Brisbane. Before moving to Germany, he was a member of the Affinity String Quartet with whom he toured Europe and the UK, presenting concerts and participating in the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove, in the class of Thomas Adès. On this same tour the group received chamber music tutelage from members of the Doric and Belcea string quartets and performed as quintet with Australian Composer and Violist, Brett Dean.

Orchestral Music has long been a passion of Harry’s. After his two year period playing with the Berlin Philharmonic he has performed as guest concertmaster and associate concertmaster with the Queensland and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, and has toured with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. He is currently serving as associate concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. 

Last updated 2021

Nick Byrne

Posted on | by AWO | Leave a Comment on Nick Byrne

Australian Hometown: Sydney & Canberra
Education: Simone de Haan; Ian Perry; Ronald Prussing; Michael Mulcahy; Charles Vernon; Jay Friedman; Edward Kleinhammer; Arnold Jacobs

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Born in Sydney, Nick Byrne completed his Bachelor’s degree at the Canberra School of Music in 1991. He subsequently undertook further postgraduate study with Charles Vernon at De-Paul University in Chicago. His other teachers have included Simone de Haan, Ian Perry, Ron Prussing, Arnold Jacobs and Michael Mulcahy.

Nick Byrne joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1996, prior to which he held the position of Solo Trombone with the Hofer Symphoniker in Germany. He has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and in 1994 was chosen by Sir Georg Solti for his Carnegie Hall Festival Orchestra.

Nick Byrne has also performed with Summit Brass, Millar Brass, Chicago Symphony Lower Brass Ensemble, Canberra Trombone Quartet (prize winner at the UMI Chamber Music Competition in Arizona, 1993), and is a founding member of the Sydney Symphony Brass Ensemble.

He is also a recognised performer on the ophicleide (an early keyed tuba) and has performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, World Orchestra for Peace (Moscow and St Petersburg, 2003) and in solo recitals at the Melbourne International Festival of Brass (2003 and 2009).

In 2002, Nick Byrne was the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship which allowed him to undertake ophicleide studies in Lyon, France, and in 2006 he recorded the world’s first solo ophicleide recording Back from Oblivion.


Last updated 2022

Myee Clohessy

Posted on | by AWO | Leave a Comment on Myee Clohessy

Australian Hometown: Sydney & Bowral
Education: Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London; Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts; Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Sydney born violinist Myee Clohessy began learning the violin from Ernest Llewellyn (former Concertmaster of the SSO) in 1981 and furthered her studies with Janet Davies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and with Alice Waten at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. 

In 1994 she was invited to be the Acting Principal Second Violin with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and later became their Acting Assistant Concertmaster in 1997. During her years in Europe, Myee also worked and recorded with the Swedish Kammerorkester, London Festival Orchestra and Norsk Barokkorkester and became the Artistic Leader of the Arctimus Ensemble performing over 150 concerts across Scandinavia each year. 

Prior to moving to Norway, Myee completed her post-graduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, with Prof. David Takeno and the Takacs Quartet. She won First Prize of the Royal Overseas League Competition in London and proudly represented Australia for two years as Concertmaster of the Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra performing in the major concert halls of Prague, Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Warsaw, Madrid, Montreal and Oslo.

Since returning home to Australia in 2003, Myee has performed and recorded with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Pinchgut Opera. In 2010 she became a founding member of the Acacia Quartet and has dedicated the last ten years to playing chamber music with many of Australia’s finest musicians and working closely with Australian composers. Acacia Quartet have recorded ten albums, been finalists of both ARIA and APRA Awards of Excellence and their performances are regularly broadcast on ABC Classics and Fine Music 102.5 fm.       

Myee has been the Artistic Director of the Bowral Autumn Music Festival since 2015 and is passionate about working with our new generation of young musicians. 

Last updated 2021