New patrons for AUSTA

From its earliest days of establishment, AUSTA has invited eminent musicians to become patrons. Our first patrons were Jan Sedivka, Robert Pikler OBE and William Primrose CBE. AUSTA’s proud lineage of patrons includes Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Max Rostal CBE, Sheila Nelson, Eduard Melkus, Jon Curro AM MBE, Richard Gill OAM, Graham Wood OAM, Barry Green, Simon Fischer and, of course, AUSTA’s founder, Elizabeth Morgan AM. At the National Conference, three new patrons were announced, including our first cellist patron! We welcome them to AUSTA and acknowledge the contributions they have made in the world of strings.

Patricia Pollett1

Patricia Pollett is one of Australia’s leading string players. Well known as an advocate of new music for the viola, she has commissioned, performed and recorded numerous solo works by leading Australian composers. She was honoured for this work with an APRA Australian Music Centre Classical Music Award for the ‘Most Distinguished Contribution to the Presentation of Australian Composition by an Individual’.

Patricia has performed as soloist and chamber musician with major Australian ensembles and orchestras and has extensive international performance experience, particularly with the Italian string ensemble, I Solisti Veneti. A founding member of the contemporary ensemble, Perihelion, in 2014 Patricia launched her new ensemble, White Halo, also resident at the University of Queensland.

Patricia is in demand as a teacher, giving masterclasses for leading education institutions in Australia and overseas including the Australian National Academy of Music and New York University. She has directed and tutored courses for the Australian Youth Orchestra and was a member of their board and artistic committee.

Patricia is Professor of Music at the University of Queensland where she is Director of Performance and Engagement at the School of Music.

AUSTA is very honoured to welcome Patricia as a new AUSTA Patron.

Robin Wilson2

Internationally regarded pedagogue

Dr Robin Wilson is Resident Faculty of Violin at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne. Previously, he held appointments as Lecturer in Violin and Pedagogy at the University of Sydney and the Australian Institute of Music, and String Pedagogy Fellow at the University of Queensland. He serves on the faculty of the Keshet Eilon International String Mastercourse in Israel, Valdres Festival in Norway and Morningside Music Bridge at The New England Conservatory in Boston. His students are regular prize-winners of all of the major national Australian competitions and many international competitions, including first prize (2018) and second prize (2021) in the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition. They hold professional positions and regularly perform as soloists with the major Australian Orchestras and play in orchestras around the world such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Opera, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Nationaltheater Orchestra Mannheim and London Philharmonic.

Robin has given solo recitals and been broadcast on ABC Classic FM, and the entire MBS FM network throughout Australia and Classic FM in NZ. His solo discography includes two discs of violin encores released by Universal Music on Decca and the complete Schubert sonatas for violin and piano with pianist Kemp English on Ode Records. As a member of the acclaimed historical performance ensemble Ironwood, he regularly tours nationally and internationally, performing at major venues and festivals throughout Australia, the US and the UK and has recorded for ABC Classics, Vexations840 and VDE-Gallo. Robin is the former Leader of the ARCO Chamber Orchestra, member of the Australian Octet and has appeared as guest violinist with leading Australian ensembles such as the Sydney Omega Ensemble, Ensemble Liaison, Australia Quartet and Nexus 2MBSFM Virtuosi, and played for several years with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Orchestra of the Antipodes and Pinchgut Opera.

Holding a PhD from the University of Sydney on the historically informed performance of music by Brahms, Robin’s research was awarded the prestigious international 2014 Karl Geiringer Prize from the American Brahms Society. He has lectured and performed at numerous major international conferences and universities such as Yale University, Stanford University, City University of New York, Eastman School of Music, Leeds University, Royal College of Music London, and the Royal Northern College of Music Manchester, as well as being selected to represent the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at the DDCA Australasian Symposium, ‘The Outstanding Field’. As a pedagogue, he is regularly invited to give masterclasses throughout Australasia, USA, UK and Singapore. A regular tutor for AYO chamber players, he has presented at national pedagogy conferences and AUSTA conferences and for several years designed and taught undergraduate and postgraduate pedagogy curriculum at several universities and delivered professional pedagogy courses in Sydney. He has participated twice in the Delay Starling Symposium at the Julliard School in New York and spent considerable time at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England observing renowned teacher Natasha Boyarsky.

Robin holds Bachelor and Masters degrees in performance and pedagogy studying with Alice Waten, and worked with Janet Davies in Sydney. Robin also studied with James Buswell at The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Beryl Kimber at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide, Pamela Dowsett and Jan Tawroszewicz in New Zealand and Felix Andrievsky and David Takeno in London.

Robin is currently Resident Violin Faculty at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in Melbourne, where he is now based. He plays a Gagliano workshop violin, Naples, 1784.

AUSTA is very honoured to welcome Robin as a new AUSTA Patron.

Howard Penny3

Howard Penny was born in Canberra and after studies with Nelson Cooke moved to Vienna, studying with Tobias Kühne, and elsewhere with André Navarra, Boris Pergamenshikov and William Pleeth. Winning the ABC Young Performers Competition, and a finalist in the Prague International Cello competition, concerto performances include Sydney Opera House, Vienna Musikverein and Konzerthaus, Berlin Schauspielhaus, Suntory Hall Tokyo and Casals

Festival Prades. A regular principal cello with Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg and Vienna Radio Symphony, he is a long-standing member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, working regularly with the world’s leading conductors and soloists, participating in over 100 CD and video recordings with such artists as Abbado, Harnoncourt, Solti, Kremer, Argerich and Domingo.

As a chamber musician he has appeared in Wigmore Hall, Salzburg Festival, Beethoven Festival Bonn and KREMERata Lockenhaus, and was awarded the Gold Medal for services to the Republic of Austria. Fifteen years with the Beethoven Trio Vienna also took him to major halls in the US and Japan. A regular guest with Concentus Musicus (Harnoncourt) and for ten years Lecturer in Historical Performance Practice at the University Mozarteum Salzburg, he was musical co-director of two Mozart operas for the 2006 Salzburg Festival complete cycle. A specialist in recitative realisation, he was engaged for a new production of Don Giovanni for the Vienna Festival, a prize-winning Coronation of Poppea in Melbourne, and for seminars during the Mozart Week in Salzburg with Angelika Kirschlager. Frequently directing from the cello, he has led a large variety of repertoire including a Haydn opera with Sara Macliver and Steve Davislim at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM).

His numerous CD recordings include works for solo cello, a live recording of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto from the Vienna Konzerthaus, major works for piano trio with the Beethoven Trio Vienna, first recordings of Boccherini quintets and sextets, and many other chamber works. Since returning to Australia in 2010, he has appeared at most prominent chamber music festivals, including his own Sanguine Estate Music Festival, and works closely with AYO, also as guest director of National Music Camp and Chamber Players. He has been a member of the Artists of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in Melbourne since 2007, where he is now very happily based.

AUSTA is very honoured to welcome Robin as a new AUSTA Patron.

1 Source: https://www.ayo.com.au/content/patricia-pollett/ gk5iz6

2 Source: https://anam.com.au/about/artists/robin-wilson

3 Source: https://www.australianworldorchestra.com. au/1312-howard-penny/]

Makers and Suppliers page

Alex W Grant Violins celebrated its 25th anniversary with a new website. ‘The highlight of the new site is the Fine Instrument and Bow Gallery, which showcases some of the finest instruments and bows available in Australia. Featuring stunning photography and detailed information, we hope this archive will serve the playing community for years to come. Come for a visit and explore!’

Saraband Music is now creating silk bags for violins and violas. Two types are available so far, with more to come – brilliantly coloured recycled saris for a gorgeous surprise when opening the case, and plain white silk bags with a coloured ribbon. Coming soon: natural undyed silk bags for people with allergies. Email patrice@saraband.com.au for more info or go to the website for prices and more photos: https://www.saraband.com.au/Bags1.html

For many years, cellists have been longing for a stool that is lightweight, height-adjustable and affordable. After searching high and low, The Sydney String Centre has found the perfect solution.

Introducing the Telescopic Height Adjustable Cello Stool! These stools are perfect for parents looking for a chair that can be adjusted as their child grows, and for teachers who need a studio chair that will suit students of all ages (including adults). They come in 6 different colours and are an absolute steal at $29.95. Available for purchase online at www.violins.com.au

Due to the recent La Nina weather events in NSW and Queensland, The Sydney String Centre is now stocking a new product that will help protect your string instrument against the harmful effects

Deluxe string range for cello provides a lot of core sound, effortless playability and a very even string to string balance.

Quality Instruments

Since 1991 we have been sourcing quality string instruments from all over the globe, for beginners to professional players. All of our instruments are beautifully handcrafted from maple and spruce tone-woods, and set-up by our luthiers to ensure ease of playability and quality of sound.