2022 | Australian World Orchestra

Miles Mullin-Chivers

Posted on 19 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

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

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Miles’ musical education began at age 4, with cello lessons from Takao Mizushima. He then was accepted into the Rising Stars program, and began his studies Under Susan Blake, and then Julian Smiles. Continuing under the guidance of Julian Smiles, Miles received his Bachelor of Music Performance with First Class Honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at the age of 19.

Throughout his musical education, Miles has had the opportunity to learn from many accomplished musicians, including Fred Sherry, Tamas Varga, Timothy Walden, Hannu Kiiski, Howard Penny, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Umberto Clerici, and Kasia Hans.

Miles has performed as a soloist and chamber musician at the Canberra International Music Festival, the Four Winds Festival, for Musica Viva, and Live At Yours, collaborating with many of Australia’s leading musicians. He has also appeared as soloist with the Western Sydney Philharmonic.

In 2019, Miles was awarded the 1st prize at the Gisborne International Music Competition.

Miles has also had the opportunity to work with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as a Guest Principal and Contract Cellist, and with the Opera Australia Orchestra as a Causal Cellist. In 2020 and 2021, Miles was a Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellow. He has been a member of the Australian World Orchestra since their 2022 BBC Proms Tour.

Last updated 2023

Robert Ashworth

Posted on 25 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

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

Jonathan Békés

Posted on 25 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

Australian Hometown(s): Sydney & Hobart
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Australian National Academy of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Jonathan Békés is one of Australia’s leading cellists and is a renowned solo artist, chamber musician, orchestral musician and educator.

Békés grew up in Campbelltown, Sydney and began playing the cello at the age of 10. He studied a Bachelor of Music (performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and completed the Professional Performance Program at the Australian National Academy of Music. He studied with some of Australia’s leading cellists including Howard Penny, Julian Smiles and Susan Blake. He has worked with and played for some of the world’s leading cellists including Steven Isserlis, Pieter Wispelway, Nicholas Altstaedt, Alban Gerhart and Peter Bruns.

Békés is based in Hobart, Tasmania where he is the Principal cellist with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He also plays regularly with the Australian World Orchestra, with whom he toured to Singapore in 2016 and India in 2018. He has also played with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Békés has been principle cellist of the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Momentum Ensemble, the Musician’s Project, the Australian International Symphony Orchestra Institute and the Sydney Youth Orchestra.

Békés is high demand as a chamber musician and frequently performs alongside world-renowned artists including Anthony Marwood, Stephan Dohr, Ole Bøhn, Howard Penny and Timothy Young. He is a founding member of the world renowned Tasmanian String Quartet, the award-winning Clarendon Trio; semi-finalists in the 2018 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, First Place in the 2017 ANAM Chamber Music Competition; as well as the Estivo Trio, who have performed across the world including acclaimed concert tours of China, America, Italy and Norway. Békés tours for Musica Viva and regularly presents chamber concerts across Tasmania as an artist for Virtuosi Tasmania.

As a solo artist Békés performs often across Australia and throughout the world. He has played as soloist with many orchestras across Australia including the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Hobart Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney Youth Orchestra, the Beecroft Orchestra and the South Coast Orchestra. He presents a series of his own solo recitals and regional tours and frequently tours across Tasmania and mainland Australia.

As an educator Békés is a passionate advocate for music for all people at all forms of life. He has taught extensively across Australia and runs a number of different projects and workshops throughout the country. He regularly takes masterclasses at conservatoriums and schools across the world. As an orchestral tutor and chamber coach Békés teaches around Australia at various institutions and orchestras including the Residential Summer String Camp, the Australian Doctors Orchestra, the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra and the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music.

Békés, in his spare time, is a keen sportsman and an outdoors enthusiast. He is an overly passionate golfer, crazed squash player and a true AFL fanatic. He follows the Sydney Swans and the Hobart Hurricanes, and goes on hiking and mountain biking adventures across Tasmania on a regular basis. For more information see www.jonathanbekes.com

Last updated 2022

Justin Beere

Posted on 24 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

Australian Hometown(s): Melbourne
Education: Australian National Academy of Music; Queensland Conservatorium of Music; University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Clarinetist Justin Beere is a passionate and vibrant musician with an innate drive to perform and create.

Justin is the Associate Principal Clarinet of Orchestra Victoria and the founding Artistic Director of the Melbourne Chamber Players. Justin has enjoyed a varied career, guesting regularly with leading Symphony Orchestras and chamber music festivals across Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Justin has appeared on numerous live broadcasts for ABC and 3mbs radio, Radio New Zealand, Opera Europa, and ABC Classics.

As a chamber musician, Justin has worked with leading chamber ensembles, Orava Quartet, Flinders Quartet, Arcadia Winds, Hindemith Wind Quintet, and the Melbourne Ensemble. He is currently a member of the Tailors ensemble, Reeds, Bending (reed quintet), and the Glenfern Trio. Justin has also performed in the Port Fairy Music Festival, Peninsula Summer Music Festival, Bendigo Festival, Melbourne Festival, Music by the Springs, the Banff Summer Music Festival (Canada) and the Mackay Chamber Music Festival.

Passionate about new Australian music, Justin commissioned many new works by Australian composers and has performed with award-winning new music ensembles Syzygy, Arcko Symphonic Project, Opus House and was a founding member of the Rubiks Collective. Memorable premieres include works by Deborah Cheetham, Nigel Sabin, Paul Dean, Brett Dean, Sam Smith, and Matthew Laing. Justin is also the director of the Continuo Commissioning Circle, a Victoria-based initiative to support the creation of new chamber music and the musicians who bring them to life.

As an Alumnus and Fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), his teachers have included David Thomas, Paul Dean, Stephen Kenyon, and Floyd Williams. He has also performed in masterclasses with clarinetists Andrew Marriner, Michael Collins, Paul Meyer and Dimitri Ashkenazy, Thorsten Johanns, James Campbell, and Frank Celata to name a few. On full scholarship, Justin undertook study in the Professional Performance Program at ANAM, a Master of Music Research degree at the Queensland Conservatorium and several post-graduate degrees on an orchestral woodwind scholarship at the University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music. He was also the winner of the Nelle Ashdown Memorial Award in 2011 and Robert and Elizabeth Albert Scholarship in 2019.

Justin is active as a music educator with extensive experience teaching in schools across Queensland and Victoria. He is currently the casual lecturer of chamber music at the Melbourne Conservatorium Young Artists Academy and has also conducted masterclasses for the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne and Tasmanian Youth Orchestras.

Last updated 2023

Andrew Bain

Posted on 25 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

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

Warwick Adeney

Posted on 25 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

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

Kylie Davies

Posted on 23 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

Australian Hometown(s): Sydney & Melbourne
Education: Melbourne University VCA; The Royal Conservatorium The Hague, Netherlands

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Kylie began her double bass studies at Melbourne University VCA in 1993. On graduating her honours degree she continue her studies at The Royal Conservatorium in The Hague, The Netherlands. During this time she worked with Het Residentie Orkest, The Schönberg Ensemble, Asko Ensmeble and The Netherlands Chamber orchestra. On completion of her studies she moved to the UK where she enjoyed a diverse freelance career performing, recording and touring with many UK orchestras and ensembles including The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, The Royal Northern Sinfonia, National Orchestra of Wales and Britton Sinfonia. She has recently been appointed Associate Principal double bass with Orchestra Victoria.

Last updated 2022

Alexandre Oguey

Posted on 18 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

Australian Hometown(s): Sydney
Education: Zurich Conservatorium

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Originally from Switzerland, Alexandre Oguey has been Principal Cor Anglais in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra since 1997. Since living in Australia, he often gets called “Mr Doherty”, and is not too bothered by this; Diana Doherty and he have been happily married for 32 years . . . they also are the proud parents of two beautiful adult children and a cheeky Sheepadoodle puppy!

When he’s not washing the dishes, he likes playing chamber music, was a founding member of the New Sydney Wind Quintet for 9 years and loves his “Cor Plus Four” ensemble (Cor anglais, violin, viola, cello and double bass). He has also performed regularly in Australia with the Australia Ensemble and throughout Europe with the prize-winning Wildwind quintet and other Swiss-based chamber Ensembles.

Before moving to Australia, he was Associate Principal Oboe in the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra from 1990 to 1997. Alexandre was lecturer in oboe at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music for 17 years, and is now dedicating more time to his passion of arranging. His arrangements are published by Trevco Music and Hofmeister. His album “Pastoral Fables” with pianist Neal Peres Da Costa of romantic repertoire that he arranged for the cor anglais is available on ABC Classics. Alexandre is a Marigaux artist.

Last updated 2022

Pei-Sian Ng

Posted on 18 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Elder Conservatorium of Music; Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Ng Pei-Sian was Commonwealth Musician of the Year in 2007, winner of the Gold Medal and First Prize at the 55th Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition held in London. He has performed concertos with the major Australian symphony orchestras, Singapore Symphony (SSO), Malaysian Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Estonian National Symphony, Oulu Symphony, Sinfonia ViVA, City of Southampton Orchestra, Philippine Philharmonic and the Orchestra of the Music Makers and performed around the world in venues including Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Konzerthaus (Berlin), Lincoln Centre and Carnegie Hall.

Born in Sydney in 1984, he began studies in Adelaide with Barbara Yelland and later with Janis Laurs at the Elder Conservatorium of Music before winning the prestigious Elder Overseas Scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Ng Pei-Sian completed his studies under Ralph Kirshbaum during which he was awarded the RNCM Gold Medal, the highest prize given by the college.

Ng has had appearances in important music festivals including the Brighton, Edinburgh, Manchester International Cello Festival, Kronberg Academy, Mecklenburg-Vorpormmern Festival and Adelaide International Cello Festival. Ng performed Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger Cello Concerto with The Festival Orchestra under the baton of the Academy Award-winning composer and also performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, Cho-Liang Lin and Renaud Capuçon.

Recent highlights include a performance of Kalevi Aho’s Double Cello Concerto with his twin brother Ng Pei-Jee and the SSO and also the Asian premiere of John Tavener’s Flood of Beauty with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra under Jason Lai as part of Tapestry, A Sacred Music Festival. Recently, Pei Sian played alongside Yo-Yo Ma and the SSO performing the fresh and exciting double cello concerto Violoncelles Vibrez! by Giovanni Sollima.

Pei Sian is currently Principal Cellist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and a faculty member at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore. He performs on a 1764 Giovanni Antonio Marchi cello, Bologna.

Last updated 2022

Jonathan Allen

Posted on 25 August 2020 | by AWO | Leave a Comment

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