ARIS CAO
Born in 1994, Aris Cao began learning the violin at the age of six. From that age, she showed early promise, winning a number of eisteddfods and competitions. However, at the age of 11, she commenced her studies with Goetz Richter, the current Head of Strings at the Conservatorium of Sydney.

In 2007, Aris enrolled at the Conservatorium High School and has been doing music seriously ever since. In 2008, she was runner up in the Ku-ring-gai Secondary School’s Concerto Competition playing Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole with the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic at The Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts at PLC. In the same year, Aris also won the Wenkhart Scholarship for young violinists under the age of 16 in the McDonalds’ eisteddfod and third in the open division Violin Award.

As well as having performed in many competitions in Australia, Aris is also keen on chamber music and playing in orchestras. She hopes to one day become a professional musician.

LIISA PALLANDI
Liisa is currently living in Melbourne, studying at the Australian National Academy of Music with Adam Chalabi and learning to be a more discerning coffee drinker. She earned her Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours in 2010 from the Sydney Conservatorium where she studied violin with Goetz Richter and viola with Roger Benedict.  Dr Richter continues to be an inspiration to Liisa, not only musically but also in his passion for philosophy and outlook on life.

Liisa loved playing in symphony orchestras since ever since she joined ‘The Arts Unit Orchestra’ back in 1999. Since then, she has been a member of the Sydney Symphony Sinfonia since 2007, and has participated in numerous Australian Youth Orchestra programs, including their international tour in 2007, and performing as concertmaster in 2011 as recipient of the AYO/Accenture Scholarship. She has also been concertmaster of the Sydney Youth Orchestra and the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra. In 2011, Liisa performed with the Britten-Pears Orchestra in Snape, England, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the Australian World Orchestra in their debut concerts in Sydney. She also works casually with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Chamber music – especially with friends – is something that Liisa feels strongly about. A founding member of the Sydney Camerata, Liisa was a part of the group that won the 2010 Musica Viva Chamber Music Award. She has been mentored by the Takacs and Goldner Quartets, and has performed chamber music alongside musicians such as Elizabeth Wallfisch, Steven Osborne, and Caroline Almonte. Next year Liisa will be performing as one of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s ‘Emerging Artists’ and touring with the ACO2.

In 2009 Liisa was the winner of the SYO concerto competition, which culminated in performances of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Richard Gill and the SYO. The following year, also with the SYO, she performed alongside Kirsty Hilton (Principal 2nd violin, SSO) in Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa. In 2010 Liisa was winner of the Kendall National Violin Competition, including the Bach Prize, Audience Choice Award and the Timberlay Travel Scholarship. Part of her prize was a viola made by Graham Caldersmith. Her violin was made by Charles Clarke for Liisa’s great-aunt in 1946, and Liisa is extremely happy to be playing on two fine Australian instruments.
September 2011

SUJIN PARK
Sujin Park began violin lessons at the age of 6. In 1996 she began lessons with Alice Waten at The Australian Institute of Music as a scholarship holder in the Young Musicians Program. She was awarded a full music scholarship at her high school, Pymble Ladies’ College. She also held the music scholarship while attending the Sydney Conservatorium Access Centre. Sujin received her A.Mus.A at the age of 11, and L.Mus.A at the age of 13, both with distinction.

Sujin is an experienced performer in both solo playing and chamber music as she has had much practice at The Australian Institute of Music, the Conservatorium Access Centre and at school. She was the leader for her school quartet, school’s orchestras and the Conservatorium Access Centre orchestra. She performed several times at the NSW Art Gallery lunchtime concerts and while attending the Australian Institute of Music, her quartet was asked to play at a concert in Kendall.

Sujin has won many awards and medals in the McDonalds Performing Arts Challenge. She won the prize in the Multiple Concerto section of the 2003 KPO NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition and she won the Outstanding Prize in 2004 in the same competition. She then performed with the Penrith Symphony Orchestra at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith, as well as the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra, from invitation.

In 2005, she reached the finals of the 2MBS-FM Young Performers Competition, where she was broadcast live on radio.

After graduating from high school, Sujin spent two years at Macquarie University studying law and business administration. However, she realised that she was much more passionate about music, and she is now studying with Professor Goetz Richter at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

In 2009, Sujin was one of those selected from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music to take part on a world tour. She also won the national Dorcas McClean Travelling Scholarship worth $30,000, and then went on to receive the ABRSM scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London.  She is now studying with Itzhak Rashkovsky.
August 2011