The Festival 2007

Most recently he has performed Mozart’s Concert for flute and harp with Marisa Robles and the London Mozart Players and toured the USA in performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto nr 5 with Murray Perahia and Kenneth Silito. He has appeared at major halls throughout the world. Appearances in festivals include performances at the Aldeburgh, Lichfield, Edinburgh, Chelthenham, London and many international festivals.

Michael Cox has recorded for Sony and Naxos as well as frequently for the BBC. Most recently he recorded Bach’s keyboard arrangement of the Brandenburg Concerto nr 4 with Murray Perahia and a Grammy nomitated disc of Bliss chamber music with the Magini String Quartet. Michael Cox has taken part in many first performances and worked with composers such as Takemitsu, Messiaen, Maxwell Davies, Knussen and Berio. A love of chamber music has led to appearances alongside such artists as James Galway, Emma Kirkby, Pascal Roge, Natalie Klein and Nicholas Daniel.

Michael Cox is professor of flute at the Royal Academy of Music and visiting consultant at the Royal Northern College of Music. He has given masterclasses internationally and students from around the world attend his summer flute courses, at his home in Devon and in Australia. Hide Full Profile

She has appeared twice as soloist with the Boston Pops under the directions of John Williams and Bruce Hangen performing Ibert’s Concerto for Flute and Aram Khachaturian’s flute adaptation of his Concerto for Violin. She has appeared numerous times as a soloist, including performances in Japan and in Erevan, Armenia where she performed with the Armenian Philharmonic under the direction of Loris Tjeknavorian. She recently was featured with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame in a performance at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Ms. Gedigian has been first prizewinner in the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition, and the James Pappoutsakis Memorial Flute Competition. She keeps an active schedule as a chamber musician as a founding member of the Boston-based Walden Chamber Players and was formerly a member of the Dorian Wind Quintet.

Ms. Gedigian has served on the faculties of Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, The Boston Conservatory, Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute and the Round Top Institute. Hide Full Profile

A native of New Zealand, Alexa’s first visit to the US was for graduate study at the State University of New York at Stony Brook studying with Samuel Baron and also independently with Thomas Nyfenger, gaining a Masters and Doctorate degrees and numerous competition successes including the New York Flute Club Young Artist Competition, and, East and West Artists Competition for a New York Debut. Alexa then won principal flute of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at the age of 23, and returned home for 11 years. Described as “a National Treasure" (Daily News) in New Zealand, she was heard as a soloist throughout New Zealand both in person and as a recording artist for Radio New Zealand, and she made regular tours to the US for solo engagements and, in 1996, a Fulbright Award. She was appointed Associate Professor of Flute at University of Colorado at Boulder in 1998. Since that time she has presented recitals, concertos and master classes in England, Germany, Slovenia, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and across the United States. She toured China for most of April, 2005, performing and teaching in Tianjin, Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and was invited to return there as a guest artist for the Second Chinese Flute Convention in Beijing in July. Her 13th solo compact disc on Koch (concertos by John Corigliano, Katherine Hoover and Chen-Yi) was released in September 2004 to unanimous acclaim: "This is a superb recording. Still plays with flawless technique. In three demanding works, she never loses the clarity and beauty of her tone. She maintains astonishing control, from moments of screaming brilliance to compelling pianissimos. "American Record Guide, “Anyone who doubts Still's dumbfounding technical ability or complete tonal control should hear these... Still creates a rainbow of colors within the range we might call "beautiful". You just won't hear better-sustained flute playing on disc than this, or more subtle, characterful phrasing: real, warm, communicative musicality.” Fanfare Magazine, “a showcase for the protean talents of Alexa Still, who runs Emanuael Pahud a neck-and-neck race in the new century’s flute sweepstakes “...With all due respect to Galway, and appreciation for his commission, Ms. Still out-flutes him...” (Archive review) Alexa’s live performances receive similar critical acclaim: "This listener found himself so involved in the music at hand that the artist's technical sureness and musical intensity were noticed only in retrospect" New York Times, "her playing matched her impressive stature... Alexa's ability to whisper or shout with her instrument as she needed made her performance very, very, special." Peninsula News, L.A. Alexa’s fourteenth solo CD for Koch; contemporary music for flute and piano with New York-based English pianist Stephen Gosling, will be released late 2005. Alexa was a featured soloist at the National Flute Association conventions in Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. and has contributed to that organization as a board member and program chair for the 31st National Flute Association Convention in 2003. She also contributes pedagogical articles for many flute journals, having particular interest in ergonomic alterations to the flute and the breathing techniques she learned from Arnold Jacobs. She plays a silver flute made for her by Brannen Brothers of Boston with gold or wooden headjoints by Sanford Drelinger of White Plains, New York. When her flute is in its case, Alexa is an avid motorcyclist, and she shares three dogs with her husband and daughter. You can read much more about Alexa on her website: http://www.alexastill.com/. Hide Full Profile

His outstanding teaching ability sees him in demand at the University of Melbourne, Monash University and Presbyterian Ladies' College where he teaches the youngest of beginners through to tertiary level students. He frequently conducts masterclasses and workshops and adjudicates competitions both throughout Victoria and interstate. He is a regular guest for the Victorian Flute Guild and the South Australian Flute Society. His entrepreneurial skills initiated the highly successful Melbourne Flute Summer School which has inspired and motivated many flautists.

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She has been President of the NSW Flute Society and produced the bi-annual national flute magazine Flute Australasia for 5 years. In 1993 Carolyn was accepted into Indiana University in the USA to further her flute studies with Peter Lloyd. She also studied baroque performance practice with Eva Legene and Stanley Ritchie in the Early Music department.

Since her return in 1995 she has held the full time positions of principal flute and piccolo with Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, ShowBoat, Man of La Mancha, Sunset Boulevarde, South Pacific and Titanic as well as being a member of the orchestra for Australian Idol, which included recording Anthony Callea’s number one Australian single “The Prayer” in 2005. She has been a lecturer in Flute, Aural and Harmony at the Wesley Institute of Ministry and the Arts and has taught sight – singing skills at the Sydney Children’s Choir. Carolyn is the owner and General Manager of Optimum Percussion, Australia’s largest specialist percussion business and is also a part-time postgraduate student researching baroque performance practices at the University of Newcastle. She is an examiner for the AMEB and currently performs in several chamber groups including Opus, the Jazz Ensemble In Good Company as well as in the Proms Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. Hide Full Profile

Her career highlights include CD recordings for labels such as ABC Classics, Walsingham Classics, Vox Australis, Fonit Cetra and Etcetera. She has performed as a soloist with such prestigious groups as the Kammermusiker Zuerich and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and her performances have been frequently broadcast on ABC radio.

Laura studied at the Sydney Conservatorium with Margaret Crawford and Michael Scott. She then moved to Europe to play in masterclasses for William Bennett and Trevor Wye amongst others. After living and performing in Europe for several years Laura returned to Australia in '90 and was instrumental in establishing several groups, notably the Sydney Alpha Ensemble and Symeron. In the last few years she has performed for Halcyon, Aark and with her husband, violinist Thomas Jones and pianist Rachel Valler.

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As a member of the Novalis Quartet, Trio Novalis and Richter/Carrigan Duo she performs regularly for Musica Viva and other concert organisations. She has recently completed a Doctor of Creative Arts, from the University of Wollongong, in the area of Australian post-1970 solo piano repertoire and in March, 2004 released her eighth solo compact disc of Australian piano music.

In 2002 she received the national award of most outstanding contribution to the advancement of Australian music by an individual.

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She won the Evelyn German Prize, and the Kate Leventon Memorial Prize, was awarded the outstanding Piano Accompaniment Final Recital and was supported by grants from the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, the Foundation for Young Australians and The Ian Potter Trust. During her time in London she performed in the finals of the Royal Overseas League, was pianist in The Sueno Duo and gave recitals with The Korros and Camarilla Ensembles.

In Australia Bethany has won the Pianist’s Prize and accompanied the winner of the Mietta Song Recital Competition in Melbourne. She has broadcast on ABC Young Australia and Sounds Australian and performed for Music Clubs on the North and South Coasts of New South Wales.

Bethany has worked with many music organisations in Sydney including The Access Centre at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The Omega Ensemble, The Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, Sydney Children’s Choir, Sydney Flute Eisteddfod and Sydney Philharmonia Choir.

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Described as “marvellous” and “a wonderful player” in the national press, Celia Craig has been one of the UK’s leading oboists, winning the Oboe Prize of the National Festival of Music for Youth in 1988, a student of Nicholas Daniel. In the same year she went on to represent Britain at the European Music for Youth oboe competition. With a degree in Music from York University, she won a postgraduate exhibition to the Royal Academy of Music in 1989. From 1989 to 1992 she was a “Sponsored Artist” of East Midlands Arts, busy with oboe recitals and concerti.

Appointed as principal cor anglais to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra from 1992 with whom she stayed until 1998, she was invited to join the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and became a professor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The Royal Academy of Music awarded her an honorary Associateship in 1996. Her discography with both orchestras is extensive, including the complete symphonies of Walton and Vaughan Williams. In 2003 she moved to the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London. She has performed all over the world on tour, working with Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Leonard Bernstein, Yuri Temirkanov, Pierre Boulez and many other of the world’s greatest conductors. She was invited to be on the jury for the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year competition on national TV in 2006 and as a visiting Professor for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music.

Her solo career began in Wales with a performance of James Macmillan’s “The World’s Ransoming” in 2000. The BBC commissioned a solo work for her from Michael Berkeley, “Tristessa”, which was premiered with Richard Hickox in St. David’s Festival 2003, recorded for Chandos in 2004 and selected as “Editor’s Choice” by Gramaphone magazine. A sell-out performance followed in Gloucester Cathedral for the Three Choirs Festival. Elected as Chairwoman of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2003, she was featured as soloist under the baton of artist-in-residence John Adams. Celia was invited to perform “The Worlds Ransoming” at the Barbican in 2005 with the BBCSO with Sir Andrew Davies.

“the expert soloist...possesses a remarkably wide expressive vocabulary put to telling use here...the beauty of this work still lingers in this reviewer’s memory (especially Craig’s marvellous handling of the cadenza...)” - Seen and Heard International.

She has been a regular guest of the London Symphony Orchestra, both in the recording studio and on tour with principal conductor Valery Gergiev. Since arriving in Australia in 2006, Celia has been asked to play for the leading symphony orchestras in Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania and New Zealand, appeared as principal oboe for the Paris Opera Ballet’s Australian tour of Swan Lake, and in many commercial situations including Australian Idol’s Grand Final live on TV from the Sydney Opera House.

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Melissa has performed chamber music works by Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies, Jonathan Harvey, Julian Anderson and Giles Swayne in the presence of these composers, to critical acclaim. She is also a founding member of the Ossian Ensemble - the New Music Fellowship Ensemble of the Royal Academy of Music. In Australia, she has performed recitals in most capital cities and throughout Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales.

Melissa has performed in Perth, Canberra and Sydney’s Opera House with the Australian Youth Orchestra, as soloist with orchestras in the Middle East and Australia and has had performances broadcast on BBC Radio 3, ABC Classic FM Australia and Bahrain TV. Melissa graduated in June 2006 with a Postgraduate Diploma in Flute from the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied flute with Michael Cox.

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In 1976 she was awarded the Prix d’Excellence (the highest award in The Netherlands). She has taken part in various masterclasses in Europe, including those of Marcel Moyse and William Bennett.

She won the Silver Fock-Medal prize and the Silver Vriendenkrans prize of the Concertgebouw.

Mia Dreese has performed in chamber music ensembles, as well as with piano, harp, guitar and the Diabelli Ensemble. And she has been a soloist with several orchestras. She has performed professionally on both modern and historic instruments, including the traverso and the romantic keyed flutes. One of her solo programs includes eight different flutes which date from the Middle Ages to the present.

She has performed in concerts and on radio and television throughout Europe (West and East), Israel and America, including a television production of Maxwell Davies’ ‘Eight Songs for a Mad King’.

Mia Dreese was a professor of flute at the North Netherlands Conservatory for 25 years and now teaches flute, traverso and the historical development of the flute privately. She is a member of the National Music Examination faculty, and is often asked to be a member of the jury at competitions.

Mia Dreese was founder and president of the Dutch Flute Society 1991-2007 and she still is editor of the quarterly FLUIT.

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She is a senior AMEB examiner and frequently gives flute master classes and adjudicates competitions. Jocelyn regularly performs with Windfall ensemble, a Sydney based wind/piano 6-tet.

Jocelyn has a special interest in working as associate artist on piano with flutists; she frequently collaborates in recitals with Janet Webb. They released their CD, Tango and all that Jazz, in 2002. In 2004, Jocelyn was awarded a prestigious AMEB Shield Award for best teaching results in NSW.

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In 2003 Julia completed a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) at Rice University in Houston, studying with Leone Buyse. Julia’s DMA major was in Flute Performance, and her thesis topic was about the Asian Influences on three flute works by Australian composer Anne Boyd.

Julia has held one-year positions with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington, and the San Antonio Symphony in San Antonio, Texas. Music festival participation includes the UBS Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra in Verbier, Switzerland; the Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts; the National Repertory Orchestra in Colorado; and Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.

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Alan was born in Ghana, West Africa, but grew up in England. He began studying the flute when he was 11. As an adult, he was awarded the Performer’s Diploma in Flute from the Royal College of Music in London. He also had lessons with the distinguished English flautist William Bennett and played at Masterclasses given by Bennett, Trevor Wye and the late Geoffrey Gilbert at the International Summer School in Canterbury and Ramsgate, U.K.

Alan took his degree in Classics at the University of Hull, and also obtained a Certificate of Education at Cambridge University. He moved to Australia in 1979. From 1981 until 1992 Alan taught Latin, French and English at Melbourne Grammar School. While at Melbourne Grammar, Alan met the pianist Lyn Dernelley and the ’cellist Anna Daniel with whom he formed the Alinana Trio which performed regularly in Melbourne and throughout Victoria in the 1980’s. From 1987 until 1996 Alan and Lyn Dernelley also provided music for Sunday Afternoon Tea at the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne covering a repertoire ranging from Baroque to Broadway.

Alan and wife Helen are becoming well known as a Flute Duo, giving recitals in Australia and England.

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Born in Whyalla, South Australia, Leigh completed undergraduate and post-graduate studies at The University of Adelaide with concert pianist Gil Sullivan. During this time he had many successes including being a National Finalist in the Young Performer Awards, a semi-finalist in the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, twice winner of the Geoffrey Parsons Memorial Award and recipient of the prestigious Beta Sigma Phi Classical Music Award. He moved to Melbourne in 2003 to take up a full scholarship at the Australian National Academy of Music under the mentorship of Geoffrey Tozer and in 2004 was made the Academy Fellow - the first person in the institution’s history to be chosen as such after just one year of study.

As a soloist, Leigh has performed with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the ANAM Chamber Orchestra and the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, and is broadcast regularly on ABC-FM and the MBS radio network. He maintains a fruitful and ongoing relationship with the composers of ‘The Firm’ and has had several piano works written for him as a result. In 2006 he was their Artist-in-Residence performing a highly acclaimed cycle of 6 concerts, causing the Adelaide Review to remark ‘...few have as magical touch as Harrold. Every phrase glowed with a radiant intensity that has become [his] hallmark.’

As a chamber musician he has earnt an international reputation, having performed as duo partner with such luminaries as Thomas Reibl, lecturer in viola at the Salzburg Mozarteum; Michael Cox, principal flautist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra; Daniel Gaede, ex-concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; Swedish cellist Mats Lidstrom; and British pianist Mark Gasser. He has been an official accompanist for masterclasses run by flautist Emmanuel Pahud, violinist Charles Castleman and cellist Howard Penny, amongst others.

Other significant international collaborations have included performance and studies with Andrew Ball at the London Royal College of Music; French-Canadian conductor Lorraine Vaillancourt; New York-based pianist Lisa Moore and English composer Peter Maxwell Davies. In June 2002, Leigh traveled to the Orkney Islands to perform a concert of Maxwell Davies’ works in the presence of the composer and in 2003 was the only participant of the 700-strong International Salzburg Summer Festival selected to perform as both soloist and chamber musician in the Weiner-Saal of The Mozarteum.

In recent years, he has developed a particular affinity for contemporary piano and chamber music, having performed such demanding scores as Peter Maxwell Davies’ Hymnos, Charles Ives’ First Piano Sonata, Theodore Dollarhide’s Ragings of a One Pot Screamer and Pierre Boulez’s Sonatine for Flute and Piano. As official accompanist of the Flutes of Adelaide European Tour in 2005, he studied the Sonatine with Sophie Cherrier - the flautist in Boulez’s Ensemble Intercontemporaine. He is currently researching the piano works of Robert Muczynski and is in the process of recording his complete piano sonatas for ABC Classics. In 2007 he is traveling to America to give lecture-recitals on Muczynski’s music.

In between studying for a Ph.D. in piano performance, and working at the Australian National Academy of Music, Leigh finds time to go on long walks, read voraciously, write musical articles and programme notes, and drink lots of (decaf) coffee.

He holds two University medals - one for Music and one for Applied Science.

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He has performed concertos with all of the Australian Symphony Orchestras in addition to numerous solo recitals in all of our capital cities. On his European solo concert tours he has performed in London, Hungary and the former Yugoslavia, at the Jerash Festival in Jordan, for the Israel Philharmonic Society in Tel Aviv, and with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Greece.

His overseas concert tours with the Canberra Wind Soloists have also been quite extensive, taking him through Japan, Russia, Yugoslavia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Korea and Vietnam, and in 1996 he toured Asia as Guest Principal Flute with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

He has recorded for EMI, Festival, Peter Mann, Move, Fluteworks and the ABC, in addition to playing on many film soundtracks and an Olivia Newton John CD. His EMI recording of the Colin Brumby Concerto received wide acclaim and sold out almost immediately. It has since been re-released on a CD featuring Australian compositions. (The slow movement is also featured in a “swoon” collection CD!) He has also recorded all of the Bach flute sonatas on 2 CD's.

Vernon is a highly respected master teacher of the flute and is the author of "The Flute Players Book with Demonstration CD" by Vernon Hill which is now in its second edition.

Mr. Hill’s teaching career spans more than 35 years and in that time he has had a profound influence on helping to raise the quality of flute playing in Australia. He joined the faculty of the Canberra School of Music in 1980, was Head of the Woodwind Department from 1983 – 1999, and is now continuing his association at the School as a Visiting Fellow for the Australian National University.

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In 1976 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study with Maxence Larrieu in Paris. She has performed in masterclasses with Jean-Pierre Rampal, Alain Marion, Andras Adorjan, James Galway, Susan Milan and William Bennett.

In 1992 Elizabeth attended International Flute Conventions in London and Paris, inspiring her to direct her own summer schools in Adelaide and Darwin. Elizabeth has been on the staff of many National Music Camps for Youth Music Australia and she will direct her ninth State Music Camp in Adelaide in July 2007.

In 1999 and 2005, Elizabeth took several of her tertiary flute students to participate in masterclasses in London, Paris and Basel. The master teachers were William Bennett, Kirsten Spratt, Michael Cox, Susan Milan, Sophie Cherrier, Philippe Bernold, Felix Renggli and Paul Edmund-Davies. Elizabeth has written about the 2005 experiences and masterclasses in the current Flute Talk issues 2006/2007.

Elizabeth was recently appointed Associate Professor. She continues her passion for teaching, with many of her former students playing and teaching professionally both nationally and internationally. In June 2006, Elizabeth was awarded an OAM for her services to flute music and for the mentoring of young musicians.

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Ann-Marie, Alana and Karen are all graduates of the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide and have studied with teachers such as Louise Dellit, Elizabeth Koch, Zdenek Bruderhans and Michael Scott. Michal, a recent inductee into the Australian music scene, has spent most of his career to date in Europe.

Kshema performs in a variety of settings such as formal recitals, weddings and various functions. Kshema is a Sanskrit word meaning "the place your soul calls home".

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In Asia, Mr. Lewis has appeared as soloist with the Taejon City Symphony, the Royal Metropolitan Orchestra, and the Taipei Conductors Orchestra. Activities in Central and South America include recitals and master classes in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Peru. His solo recitals include performances in such countries as Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, the French West Indies, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Japan, as well as appearances on the What Makes it Great? series. Mr. Lewis has made highly acclaimed recital debuts at Wigmore Hall in London, and New York's Lincoln Center on the Great Performers Series. He has recorded six CDs, most recently for Delos as soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra of music by Leonard Bernstein and Hollywood composer Michael McLean.

He has performed at the Aspen Music Festival, the Sunflower Music Festival, the St. Barth's Music Festival, The International Festival Institute at Round Top, the Casals Series, the Cape May Music Festival, the Evian Music Festival conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich, and at the Cabrillo Festival performing The Red Violin for composer John Corigliano's 60th birthday celebration.

Mr. Lewis has won numerous young artists' competitions, including the grand prize in the Mid-America Violin Competition. In addition to the Waldo Mayo Talent Award, he holds both the Peter Mennin Prize and William Schuman Prize awarded by Juilliard for outstanding achievement and leadership in the field of music.

Mr. Lewis was one of the first recipients of the Sony ES Award for Musical Excellence, and he has received two Elizabeth B. Koch Fellowships from the Kansas Cultural Trust. As a student of Eleanor Allen, Mr. Lewis began his violin studies at the age of four, and participated in the Ottawa Suzuki Strings program under the direction of his mother, Alice Joy Lewis. He later studied with Tiberius Klausner, and twice traveled to Japan where he studied with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto.

He holds both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School where he was a student of Dorothy DeLay, Masao Kawasaki, and Hyo Kang.

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At the University of Texas at Austin he is Professor and Head of The String Division and was the recipient in 2007 of the School of Music Teaching Excellence Award.

He has been associated with some of the nation’s most prestigious summer festivals including the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival in Maine and the International Festival Institute at Round Top, Texas and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Music Program.

Roger Myers was born in Sydney, Australia where he played with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra while still a student. He has lived in the United States since 1987 when his Sydney Conservatorium String Quartet was invited to become the international quartet in residence at Michigan State University. Later he studied on scholarships with Donald McInnes at the University of Southern California and on completion of his Masters degree the string faculty named him its most outstanding graduate of the year.

Roger Myers has given chamber music performances with such artists as Lynn Harrell, Jean Barr, Martin Canin, Steve Doane, Sidney Harth, Yehonatan Berick, Norman Fischer, Jorja Fleezanis, Ronald Leonard, Martin Lovett, Donald McInnes, Kurt Nikkanen, James Parker, Tsuoshi Tsutsumi, Zvi Zeitlin, the Cavani and Miro String Quartets and the Dorian Wind Quintet.

He has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, as principal violist with the Santa Fe Pro Musica and had the honor of being asked to play with the New West Symphony Orchestra in Los Angeles as principal viola on tour with Andrea Bocelli. Chamber performances include concerts with the Camerata Pacifica chamber music organization in California and at the Niagara International Chamber Music Festival in Canada.

In 2004 Roger had the honor of performing as a featured soloist on the 100th birthday tribute concert to the great violist William Primrose at the XXXII International Viola Congress in Minneapolis and in 2005 enjoyed a successful Carnegie Hall debut with his newly formed Texas Piano Quartet. His students have achieved success as symphony musicians and teachers in major institutions and his graduates are regularly found in the most prestigious conservatories, universities and summer festivals. Hide Full Profile

She went on to represent Australia in several international piano competitions including the first Madame Butterfly Competition in Japan, the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium, the Concert Artists Guild Auditions in New York where she reached the semi-finals, and the International Competition for Musical Performers in Geneva in which she was also a semi-finalist.

From 1981 to 1991 Gabriella was a lecturer with the keyboard department of the Sydney Conservatorium and in this role enjoyed many examining and adjudicating opportunities. Since leaving the Conservatorium to resume her teaching and concert career, Gabriella continues to give regular solo recitals and works in conjunction with Australian musicians such as (singers) Jenny Duck-Chong and Alison Morgan, (cellist) Belinda Manwaring, and Matthew Wilkie and Diana Doherty who are both presently principal members of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Gabriella is in demand as associate artist for the Sydney Flute Society and is the official accompanist for the International Flute Festival in July 2006. She has teamed with visiting international flautists such as Alexa Still, James Kortum, Felix Renggli, Paul Edmund-Davies, William Bennett and most recently, Leone Buyse and Michael Webster.

Gabriella has recorded numerous broadcasts for the ABC, 2MBS, and has toured extensively giving recitals and concerto performances throughout Australia. Working closely with Theme & Variations for the past 20 years, she also maintains a busy teaching schedule whilst also travelling throughout Australia giving workshops to teachers and students including remote areas such as Mount Isa. She is known for her logical, academic and sensitive approach to teaching. Her musical collaborations have earned her great accolades both as a consummate musician and a spectacularly accomplished pianist.

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Returning from Paris, Jane Rutter was appointed lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, formed the eclectic chamber group "Posh" and toured extensively for Musica Viva. She produced and starred in many concerts in the Sydney Opera house. Since 1990, she has been a household name in Australia, appearing on every major television variety and current affairs show, including a 60 Minutes feature. At the 1992 Edinburgh Festival, her one-woman show, Tutti Flutti, was nominated for Fringe Award.

Jane Rutter presented on Channel Nine’s Getaway in 1994, winning a "Peoples Choice" award. She has performed in UK, Europe, USA, South-East Asia, the South Pacific, South America and China.

Jane Rutter received critical acclaim as a composer with her album, blo, collaborating with Oscar nominee David Hirschfelder, Peter Bowman, Janis Siegel and Virgil Donati. She played the role of Titania in the Karnak Playhouse production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for which she wrote the incidental music.

In 1999, she played in an international tribute concert to the late Alain Marion at the National Flute Convention in Atlanta, USA and in 2000, Jane was international guest artist and lecturer at the International Flute Festival, Brazil.In2005 Jane was the patron of the Australian International Flute Convention.

Jane Rutter appeared as guest soloist with Michael Crawford at Leeuwin Estate and has recently toured for Musica Viva Australia with guitarist Greg Pikler and with music theatre star, Angela Toohey, in the cabaret spectacular Broadway Babes. She has appeared as a soloist in Sydney's "Mozart by Moonlight" Series and performed at many festivals in Australia and overseas. Jane Rutter has performed with most of the Australian symphony orchestras, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney Bach Orchestra, the Seymour Group and the Sydney Youth Orchestra. She has also performed as a soloist with Christopher Hogwood, Gerard Willems, Marshall McGuire,Guy Noble, Suzanne Johnston, David Hirshfelder, Simon Tedeschi, Tommy Emanuel, James Morrison, Don Burrows, Judy Bailey, Rick Price, Tina Arena, Peter Cousens, Simon Gallaher, Jennifer McGregor, Tommy Tycho, Dennis O’Neill,Richard Bonynge and stars of the Australian Opera, Slava and Leonard Grigoryan, and the Manhattan Transfer.

A true disciple of Alain Marion, and Jean Pierre Rampal, Jane Rutter is known for her dynamic and communicative performing and teaching skills.

Jane has recently become an established artist with ABC Classics. She recorded a hit single with acclaimed American new age pianist, Suzanne Ciani. Other recordings include a flute concerto (written for her by Guy Noble for ABC Classic FM broadcast) as well as a pop recording of Silent Night for the chart toppingSpirit of Christmas album. A limited edition CD recording of Pan (as part of her endorsement of Brookland Valley’s Verse 1 wines) featured new compositions by Jane.

Jane Rutter released the CD Brazil with guitar virtuoso Slava Grigoryan. This album went to Number 1 in the Classical charts and was nominated for a 2004 Aria award for Best World Music Album. The duo enjoyed a sell-out Australian tour. She has also performed on tour with David Helfgott.

2004 saw the release of the hit ABC classics album "Fire and Water: An Irish Fantasy" (Jane's 8th solo album) with the Queensland Orchestra. She is currently touring a new chamber version of this repertoire with string trio and harp. Forthcoming projects include a ballet score, a concert/classical cabaret piece Paris, a theatre piece Titania's Dream with actress Jackie Weaver and recording collaborations with conductor Richard Bonynge, pianist Simon Tedeschi and recordings of esoteric works for solo flute.

June 2005 of ABC classics released "The Very Best of Jane Rutter" which reached number 1 on the ABC's Best seller list, as well as the top five in the Aria classical charts. Jane has completed a recording an all Gershwin album, Embraceable You with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, to be released March/ April 2007.

Jane will be touring Paris, and Embraceable You in 2007.

Jane Rutter describes herself as a "Bel Canto flute player" - a term coined by disciples of the Rampal School of flute playing after the passing of Jean-Pierre Rampal and Alain Marion. "The flute is always first and foremost a voice, and music is the secret language the whole world understands" says Jane.

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Subsequently, Virginia went on to win The National Australian Flute Competition and then, a short while later, 1st Prize in the ABC’s “Young Performer of the Year”, – winning outright in the overall category section.

Along side her love of solo and orchestral repertoire, Virginia has always equally enjoyed playing chamber music with some of her long-standing friends and colleagues. Her collaboration with Australian guitarist Timothy Kain has continued for more than 15 years, and they have continued to expand the Flute and Guitar repertoire by commissioning new works for this instrumental combination. The duo has been augmented on many occasions to include cellist David Pereira. Virginia has also recorded 2 CDs with Timothy for the Tall Poppies and ABC labels. Their CD entitled “For Flute and Guitar” was listed as a best selling classical release.

Overseas concerts have taken Virginia to the USA, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, India and Saudi Arabia. She has appeared as Soloist with The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and The Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra. 2007 sees Virginia returning to China to perform as soloist with 2 of China’s leading orchestras in performances of Mozart Flute Concerti, as well as at Festivals in New Zealand and Australia, including the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, where she will appear in a number of performances with Australian and International artists.

In 2008, Virginia will perform in the Concert Hall of the Forbidden City in Beijing as part of The Aurora Festival.

Virginia was Principal Flute with The Australian Chamber Orchestra for over 10 years, and has toured extensively with this orchestra.

Complementing Virginia’s busy schedule of performances is her love of teaching. She holds regular master classes at Conventions and universities in Australia and internationally, and her own flute class at The Australian National University is considered to be of an international standard. Virginia is currently Head of The Woodwind Area at The School of Music, Australian National University and Senior Lecturer in Flute.

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Brett was selected as a finalist in the instrumental section of the ABC Young Performers Award in 1990 and also the Sixth National Flute Competition. He has appeared as concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician for numerous concert series, ABC radio broadcasts and recordings. Brett has also given a number of world premiere performances, recordings and broadcasts of new Australian flute works.

During 1991-92, Brett spent twelve months in London with the assistance of an Australia Council Overseas Study Grant where he studied with Paul Edmund-Davies and Susan Milan. Since returning to Australia he has performed and recorded regularly with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and played Guest Principal Flute with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and the Hunter Orchestra in Newcastle. Brett has also completed the Graduate Diploma in Education at the University of Sydney and is presently Head of Woodwind at the Tamworth Regional Conservatorium of Music. He is deeply committed to quality rural music education and has been a guest artist at several inland workshops and is the coordinator of the 2007 Tamworth Woodwind Festival. He enjoys working with a broad range of flutists from beginners to tertiary level and many adult learners.

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As soloist, recitalist and chamber musician Michael has worked with many outstanding artists and ensembles including the Cammerata of Western Australia, Pianists Graeme Gilling and Jennifer Fox-Russell, WASO 20th Century Ensemble with Roger Smalley, Pierre-Andre Vallade and Harrison Birtwistle also with Cathie Travers in the Nova Ensemble and with Soprano Mary-Attracta Connolly and renowned Harpist Jane Geeson in the Romance Ensemble. Michael has also been seconded to play with several other orchestras including a memorable series of concerts with the Odessa Philharmonic.

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In the year 2000, Mark received his Associate of Music Diploma for the flute. In 2001, he commenced studies of the flute with Alan Hardy. Also in the same year, Mark began attending the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS) where he continued his high school education. In 2002, Mark was awarded a Licentiate Diploma with distinction by the A.M.E.B. (Australian Music Examination Board).

Mark has appeared on ABC Classic FM twice as part of their Young Australia program and was also a Runner-Up in the 2004 3MBS Young Performer of the Year award in Victoria. In 2005, due to his outstanding achievements in VCE, he was invited to perform in the Top Acts concert at the Iwaki Auditorium.

In 2006, Mark was the winner of the Solo Competition in the inaugural Sydney Flute Festival.

Currently Mark is a third year student working towards a Bachelor of Music Performance degree at the Canberra School of Music under the tutelages of Vernon Hill and Virginia Taylor.

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