 |
GU CHEN (winner)
By the age of 9 Gu Chen had won the Shanghai Musical Competition for talented young musicians and given his first public performance. After his winning performance in the 5th National Violin Competition of China in 1993 he performed extensively throughout China and in Shanghai. He moved to Sydney in 1996 to study for his Bachelor of Music degree at the Australian Institute of Music. In that year he won the National Chopin and Wienawski Competition in Townsville, and then continued to carry off prizes in various prestigious international competitions, including the Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition in Folkestone, England (2000).
In 2001 Gu Chen became a permanent member of the 1st violin section of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with which he made his solo performance debut in 2005 before becoming its Acting Associate Concertmaster in the 2005-2006 season. Throughout these years he gave frequent recitals in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong as well as giving solo performances and being involved in chamber music groups in Sydney.
In 2005 he was invited to play as Guest Concertmaster with the Macau Orchestra at the Macau International Music Festival and returned the following year to play as the leader of an outdoor performance of Mahler's 8th Symphony during the 20th anniversary festival celebrations. In mid 2007 he left Australia to become Concertmaster of the Macau Orchestra.
Among his important musical influences Gu Chen lists Charmian Gadd, Lois Simpson, John Hardy and Pinchas Zuckerman.
The Macau Orchestra gives Gu Chen on-going opportunities for solo recitals on his 1766 Guardagnini violin, and a collaborative performance of the Bach Concerto for two violins with John Harding.
Other highlights of Gu Chen’s 2010-2011 season have included an appearance as soloist in a performance of the Brahms concerto for violin and cello with Macao Orchestra under our music director Maestro Lu Jia. And a performance of Piazzolla's four seasons in our chamber music series. He also had a guest concertmaster appearance with the Malaysian Philharmonic.
August 2011 |
 |
SUN ROH
After finishing her Masters degree at the Sydney Conservatorium in August 2006, Sun Roh continued to perform extensively both as a soloist and in chamber music groups.
She continues to hold a full time position as the 2nd concertmaster with the St Gallen Symphony Orchestra and has settled down to life in Switzerland.
In March 2011, she was invited to play as a soloist in the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante along with the principle violist from the St Gallen Symphony Orchestra.
Sun Roh was an adjudicator at the 2011 KNVC semi-final round held at Government House, Sydney.
August 2011 |
 |
ERICA KENNEDY
www.ericakennedy.com.au
Erica is a Masters graduate of The Faculty of Music, The University of Melbourne where she studied with William Hennessy. As a soloist she has won numerous awards, recorded for national television and radio and performed with various Australian orchestras including the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, the Soirées Musicales Orchestra, the Stonnington Symphony and the Melbourne Musicians. Performance highlights have included the Sibelius, Stravinsky and Korngold violin concertos with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra as well as the Beethoven violin concerto and the Brahms double concerto for violin and cello with the Stonnington Symphony and Zoe Knighton and the Bach double violin concerto with Nigel Kennedy and the Sydney Chamber Strings.
As first violinist with the Flinders Quartet, she performs regularly throughout Australia and overseas including residencies undertaken at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada, recording cds and performing with artists including Menahem Pressler and Geoff Nuttal, and at the International Musicians’ Seminar in Prussia Cove (UK). The quartet has also toured the UK Switzerland, Sweden and Singapore.
As a chamber musician, in Australia Erica has performed in most of the major festivals including the Bangalow, Barossa, Coriole, Huntington and Port Fairy festivals as well as the Melbourne International Festival, with acclaimed groups and artists including Duo Sol, the Goldner Quartet, the Tang Quartet, members of the Melba Quartet and the Southern Cross Soloists as well as David Thomas, Keith Crellin, Janis Laurs and Dutch duo Grace Kim and Teije Hylkema. Erica also performs in a duo with pianist Kristian Chong.
Having studied in the USA, Switzerland, London and at the Australian National Academy of Music with masters including Gabor Takacs-Nagy, David Takeno, Hatto Beyerle and the Vermeer and Emerson String Quartets, Erica is now sought after as a chamber music mentor and tutors for Youth Music Australia, Mt. Buller Chamber Music Summer School, Mellbourne Youth Music and the University of Melbourne. She has also given masterclasses in Singapore.
Erica has worked as concertmaster with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria. She is a core player with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and also performs with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. She currently works with Orchestra Victoria as associate principal second violin.
Commercial recordings include the solo violin arrangement of Richard Meale’s “Cantilena Pacifica” with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, “Reinventions” with the Flinders Quartet and Genevieve Lacey featuring works by Bach, Mozart, Kats-Chernin and Bowman, “Fandango” with the Flinders Quartet and guitarist Karin Schaupp and guitar and violin duos with Italian guitarist Massimo Scattolin.
August 2011 |
