Elizabeth Sellars - violin

Sally-Anne Russell - mezzo-soprano

Peter Rejto - cello

Derek Jones- flute

Anne Gilby - oboe

Douglas Macnicol - violin

Phillip Miechel - clarinet

Jochen Schubert - guitar

Robert Schubert - clarinet

Imogen Manins - cello

Josephine Vains - cello

Cameron Hill - violin

Guest Pianists:

Aura Go - piano

Akira Imai - piano

Elizabeth Sellars

violin

Born in Melbourne, Elizabeth Sellars has enjoyed a career in both Great Britain and Australia with an emphasis on contemporary, solo and chamber performance. She made her concerto debut at the age of 13 and was the winner of the Hepzibah Menuhin and Australian Musicians' Guild Scholarships.

Under the guidance of the Takacs and Gabrieli String Quartets, Elizabeth became a founding member of the Techinski Quartet which went on to become the recipient of the inaugural John Tunnel Trust and Royal Overseas League Ensemble Prize and Miller Trophy. The Quartet toured extensively throughout Great Britain, broadcast for the BBC, played in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and appeared as group soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Elizabeth also played throughout Europe with the Academy of St Martins in the Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra.

Now resident in Australia, Elizabeth has played with Elision, Libra, Ensemble 24, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She has also lead and played with many of the Symphony Australia orchestras. In addition to recording for Naxos, she has broadcast for the ABC on Sunday Live and at Castlemaine and Port Fairy Festivals.

Her trio Temenos, who presented their inaugural series in 2001 were third prize-winners in the 9th Concorso Musicale Internazionale "Riviera del Conero" in Italy.

Elizabeth was appointed Lecturer in Violin at Monash University in 2003. She has recently been awarded an Australia Council grant to commission and record works for solo violin by two prominent Australian composers.

Akira Imai (Japan)

Piano

AKIRA IMAI was born in Tokyo in 1954. At the invitation of Paul Badura-Skoda, Imai moved to Vienna at age sixteen, where he studied under Josef Dichler. Already at age nineteen, he graduated from State University for Music with high honours. He continued his studies under Professor Paul Badura-Skoda in Germany and received a Diploma from the Folkwang Hochschule für Musik, Essen in 1979. Since that time, Mr. Imai has been a prize-winner in several international competitions and appeared as soloist and chamber musician in many major concert halls throughout the world. Numerous critics

Peter Rejto (USA)

cello

Nationally and internationally renowned cellist, Peter Rejto, brings a wealth of experience to the concert stage. Winner of the 1972 international Young Concert Artists, Inc. award (New York), Rejto has since performed as soloist throughout North America, Europe, and South America with such orchestras as the St. Louis Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Filarmonica de Caracas, Venezuela, the California Chamber Symphony on tour in Hong Kong, and the Rio de Janeiro Symphony, Brazil. In 1992 he presented the world premiere of Gerard Schurmann's cello concerto "The Gardens of Exile" with the Bournemouth Symphony, England, broadcast live over the BBC. Rejto has recently appeared as guest artist with the Tokyo, Bartok, Colorado,

American, Orion, St. Petersburg, and Miro Quartets. In July of 2003 he was invited to be a juror for the 4th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition in Australia, and the following summer was invited to return as "visiting artist in residence" at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. In 2004 Rejto performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto in Tejon, Korea, performed at Kumho Hall in Soul, and gave solo recitals at Peking University, Beijing, China and in Dalian, China. In 2006 he performed at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville, and was a featured artist at the national AUSTA conferrence in Brisbane.

As a founding member of the Los Angeles Piano Quartet he has appeared in the world's great halls including the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Wigmore, London, Hamburg's Musikhalle, Santa Cecelia, Rome, and Alice Tully, New York. Mr. Rejto is regularly presented at numerous music festivals including Aspen, Bravo Colorado, Kneisel Hall, Santa Fe, La Jolla, Sitka, Round Top, Texas, and is the founder and Artistic Director of the Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival. For many years Mr. Rejto participated in the touring program of the California Arts Council, and later that of the Arizona Arts Commission as well as the Artist in Residence program for the Michigan Orchestra Association.

In 1992 a CD of works by Martinu, Janacek, Barber, and Kodaly was released by Summit Records, and recently reissued by Round Top Records. His Silva Classics (England) recording from 1996 with the Pecs Hungarian Symphony of the concertos of Gerard Schurmann and Miklos Rozsa received widespread critical acclaim and is available in the USA on the Equilibrium label. He has also recorded for Vox, Pickwick, IMP, the Marlboro Recording Society, and Sony Classical.

Son of the late Hungarian cellist, Gabor Rejto (former Professor at the Eastman School and the University of Southern California) most of his study was with his father. He also participated in master classes with Pablo Casals, Gregor Piatigorsky, and Pierre Fournier.

Professor Rejto has held full time positions at several universities in the USA including Michigan State University, California State University, Northridge, and the University of Arizona, Tucson. Rejto is Professor of Cello, Emeritus, at the Oberlin College Music Conservatory. In 2004 Rejto gave master classes in Korea, and at the Central Conservatory in Beijing and at the Sichuan Conservatory, China.

An experienced pilot, Peter Rejto often pilots his own plane - a Mooney 201 - to concert and festival appearances. In August 2005 Peter Rejto moved to Australia with his wife, Nicole Divall (violist with the Australia Chamber Orchestra) and his two children Sofie and Nikolas.

Sally-Anne Russell

Mezzo Soprano

Sally-Anne has performed in concert recital and on the operatic stage in the Netherlands, Austria, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan and Canada. At the invitation of Bruno Weil she will make her American debut at the 2002 Bach Festival in Carmel.

Roles include Rosina - Il Barbiere de Seviglia (N.Z.), Mistress Quickly - Falstaff (U.K.), Lucienne - Die Tote Stadt (Spoleto, Italy), Amastris - Xerses (Köln Germany), Suzuki - O.A./State Opera of S.A.) and fifteen roles as a resident principal for the Victoria State Opera.

Sally-Anne appears regularly with all the Symphony Australia orchestras, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Bach Ensemble and in all of the major Australian festivals. Recent performances include Mendelssohn - Midsummer Night's Dream (MSO), Bach - St Mathew Passion (Sydney Phil.), de Falla - El Amor Brujo (TSO), Copland - In The Beginning (Vancouver), Britten - Spring Symphony (NZ) and Mozart's Requiem (ASO, MSO, ACO).

Approaching engagements include CD recordings for ABC Classics, Pergolesi - Stabat Mater (TQO), Rossini/Handel Arias (MSO), Ino/Juno - Semele (Pinchgut Opera), Bach B Minor Mass (Melb. Chorale), Mahler - Songs of a Wayfarer (ASO) and will be a member of the International Jury at the Kathaumixw Festival in Canada where she will also perform Handel's - Dixit Dominus, Bach cantata 170.

Jochen Schubert

Guitar

Guitarist Jochen Schubert graduated from the Vienna Academy with further studies at the Mozarteum, Salzburg under Nicolaus Harnoncourt. He has worked with numerous orchestras and renowned musicians including the Vienna Philharmonic

Orchestra and Guitarists John Williams and Paco Pena. He is active as performer, lecturer, conductor and Publishing Editor and has recorded for CD, film, radio and TV. He specializes in solo- and Chambermusic Repertoire and also accompanies singers etc. Recent Performances include the Australian premiere of Concertino Mexicano for Guitar & Orchestra by Ramon Noble , Duo performances with Soprano Merlyn Quaife for the Lippizaner Shows for audiences in the thousands in all Australian major cities, Flute & Guitar recitals with Thomas Pinschof. He maintains a busy teaching schedule at his Ripponlea Guitar Studio .

Derek Jones

Flute

Derek Jones completed studies in flute at the Victorian College of the Arts after which he was awarded German and French Government scholarships.

His performing career has included solo performances with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the State Orchestra of Victoria and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the latter involving solo appearances in Carnegie Hall, New York, and the Kennedy Centre, Washington DC. He has also performed as soloist for ABC Radio in live broadcasts. He has appeared with such artists as Joan Sutherland, Pinchas Zuckermann, Jane Manning and Michael Finnissy. His career includes principal flute positions with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tasmania Symphony Orchestra, and the State Orchestra of Victoria. Derek has also been invited to audition for principal flute positions in Europe. He is Lecturer in Flute at Monash University School of Music - Conservatorium and teaches at the Victorian College of the Arts and the University of Melbourne Faculty of Music.

His repertoire consists of music from the Baroque period including all of Bach's flute works, from the classical period including works of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, the romantic period with such composers as Chopin, Schubert, Schumann, Faure and Debussy, music from the twentieth century including the sonatas of Prokofiev, Poulenc, Martinu and Hindemith and works of more contemporary composers such as Berio, Varese, Maxwell Davies, Fukushima and Boyd.

From 1983 to 1984, he studied clarinet with James Campbell at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Canada and with James Morton (Principal Clarinet, National Arts Orchestra of Canada). He then went on to study with Larry Combs (Principal Clarinet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra).

In 1988 he was appointed Principal Clarinet with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Japan, under Hiroyuki Iwaki, a position he held until his return to Australia in 1996.

During this period, he also performed as guest clarinet with the NHK Orchestra in Tokyo and guest principal clarinet with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra. In 1991, he was a finalist in the Tokyo International Clarinet Competition.
Active as a chamber musician and soloist, he appeared frequently as soloist with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa and in performances with the Ebony Ensemble, which he formed in 1993. The same year Japanese composer Nishibe wrote a clarinet quintet for him and a particular highlight of his international career has been participation in the Affinis Music Festival, an event held in Japan, which brings together professionals from around the world.

He has recorded both standard and contemporary orchestral repertoire with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa on Deutche Gramophone, Victor and Sony labels. In Melbourne Robert performs regularly with the Melbourne Symphony and Orchestra Victoria, and has appeared in both the Melbourne International Festival and in live broadcast for the ABC. He is currently Lecturer in Woodwind at the Victorian College of the Arts.

In 1997 he formed Ensemblinx (woodwind trio & string trio) which aims to promote closer ties with Asia, especially Japan, through commissioning of new music from the region, to be performed throughout the region together with the standard repertoire for winds & strings. Mark Pollard and Julian Yu have both recently composed clarinet quintets for Robert and Ensemblinx. The group has recorded Julian Yu's chamber music with assistance from the Australia Council.

Douglas Macnicol

Violin

Douglas Macnicol grew up in Canberra and had his first violin tuition from Josette Morgan and Vincent Edwards. He won numerous Eisteddfods and awards as a boy, including third prize in the National Youth Concerto Competition. He studied at the Cologne Musikhochschule with Igor Ozim, and then travelled to Oslo for further study with Leif Jørgensen.

While in Norway he played in the Oslo Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, and Stavanger Symphony Orchestras, and performed the Vieuxtemps Concerto no.5 with the conservatorium orchestra. Following his return to Canberra, Douglas completed a degree in History and German Literature at The Australian National University before returning to musical studies at a graduate level, studying with Tor Frømyhr, completing his Masters degree in 2001.

Douglas performs regularly as a member of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and as concertmaster of the Canberra Choral Society Orchestra. He is an experienced recitalist whose repertoire stretches from Bach to the present day, with a special focus on the period from 1870 to 1950. As well as works from the standard European composers, Douglas has given themed recitals of Australian and American works. He currently teaches in Canberra and concertizes around the East of Australia as well as abroad.

Cameron Hill

Violin

Cameron is a 22 year-old violinist who has just completed his Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the University of Melbourne studying with William Hennessy. He topped the year by receiving the highest mark across all instruments in 2005 and was subsequently awarded the Catherine Grace McWilliam Prize. At five, he commenced violin studies with Cathryn Bills, progressing

Since commencing the B.Mus at Melbourne in 2002, he has appeared as Concertmaster of the Orchestra (2003-05), been a soloist and founding member of the Melbourne University Chamber Orchestra (2001-), was the representative string player for a concerto with orchestra in 2005 and has been heavily involved in chamber music. University awards include:
The Lady Turner Exhibition, the William Bardsley Award (2002-4), the C.D. Hume Violin Scholarship, the Ormond Exhibition and the 2003 Bertha Jorgensen Award, given to the violinist with the top mark at the faculty. At the end of 2004, Cameron received the highest mark across all instruments in the 3rd year. At the end of 2005 Cameron topped the Final year, receiving the McWilliam and Peg Oldfield Prizes.
He has also won several of the Universities competitions, including the 2003 Mozart Concerto Competition and the 2004 J.S. Bach Prize for Strings, the Chamber Music Competition in 2003 & 2005, and the 2004 Faculty Concerto Competition, playing the Sibelius Violin Concerto.

Other successes include winning the Musical Society of Victoria's Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Award and being the string finalist in the 3MBS Performer of the Year in 2002 & 2005. In 2005 Cameron was one of 2 violinists selected nationally for the Australian Youth Orchestra String Quartet and was also a state string finalist in Symphony Australia's Young Performer Award. Cameron has recently won the 2005 Dorcas McClean Violin Scholarship, Australia's leading violin competition.

Cameron performs regularly with the Australia Pro Arte Orchestra and has been broadcast as a soloist on both ABC Classic FM and 3MBS FM. In 2006 Cameron commences study on a full scholarship at the Australian National Academy of Music, learning with Alice Waten.

Phillip Miechel

Clarinet

Phillip Miechel is well known to concert audiences as a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra which he joined in 1962, becoming Principal in 1964 in which role he continued until his retirement in 2000. He has also been in great demand as a soloist and chamber musician and has been constantly noted in the press for his exceptionally beautiful tone and matchless phrasing.

He obtained his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at the University of Melbourne and was the 1963 Commonwealth winner of the ABC Concerto and Vocal Competition. In 1967 he studied further as a Churchill Fellow with Professor Jost Michaels in Germany and with other leading clarinettists in London.

In 1975 he undertook a duo-recital tour with the pianist Brian Chapman, visiting centres in Mexico City and the United States as well as performing Mozart's Clarinet Quintet with the Rowe Quartet. Phillip is a founding member of the Australian Chamber Soloists with whom he currently appears in concert at BMW Edge Recital Hall, Federation Square. He is active as a teacher, both privately and at the Victorian College of the Arts, the University of Melbourne, Monash University and various secondary colleges in Melbourne.

Josephine Vains

Cello

Josephine was born in Melbourne. After winning the inaugural National Chamber Music Competition with Trio 3.0.3, she worked and studied in Europe for five years, returning in 2002. She counts as her seminal influences Hatto Beyerle (Alban Berg Quartet), Walter Levin (La Salle Quartet) and Tilmann Wick (Hannover Hochschule - cello), and it was with these masters that her main classical training focused. She has worked with myriad artists in Europe and Australia on diverse projects including, piano trio, clarinet trio, piano

At fourteen years of age she was granted a scholarship to study at the Meadowmount School of Music with Tanya Carey and since has become a member of the Golden Key Honour Society, a winner of the Nelly Apt Study Grant in 1997 and has three times won the Mazda Prize for excellence in music. Imogen has performed as soloist in the Rigg Estate Recital Series, Monash Lunchtime Concert series and as concerto soloist with Monash Sinfonia. Recently Imogen has given performances for the Bendigo City Council as part of the popular 'Summer in the Park' concert series, and with the Team of Pianists at Rippon Lea, Labassa, Glenfern and at the Eastbank centre, Shepparton.
In 2002 Imogen was awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) and is currently in her final year of the Master of Music Performance at the Victorian College of the Arts, studying with Nelson Cooke.

Anne Gilby

Oboe

Anne Gilby is one of Australia's best known oboists and teachers. She studied in Europe with Leon Goossens, Helmut Winschermann and Maurice Bourgue and has been Principal Oboist of the Städtischesorchester Bremerhaven, the Elizabethan Melbourne Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra as well as appearing as principal oboe with all the Symphony Australia (formerly ABC) orchestras. She appears as principal oboist with the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra.

For four years from 1988 Anne lectured at the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music and then for six years was the Head of Woodwind of the Victorian College of the Arts. She is currently a lecturer in the Monash University Department of Music and Co-ordinator of the Monash University Music Enhancement Programme.

Anne performs regularly as soloist and chamber musician on the modern and early oboes. She is particularly interested in the development of young musicians. She developed and coordinated the 1998 Junior Academy Programme for the Australian National Academy of Music. Anne is President of the Australasian Double Reed Society, oboe advisor for the Victorian AMEB and chairs the Artistic Committee of the Australian Youth Orchestra Ltd.

Aura Go

Piano

Aura Go has been the recipient of many awards ands cholarships. In 2002 and 2003 she was a National Keyboard Finalist in Symphony Australia's Young Performers Awards. She was the winner of the 5th Yamaha Australian Youth Piano Competition in Sydney in 2001, and the Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Award and Paul Morawetz Scholarship in 2000.In 2001 she was selected to participate in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's Young Artists Program, recording Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3. Her performances ave been broadcast on both ABC Classic FM and 3MBS FMradio, and in 2002 she recorded a solo

She has given the Australian Premiere performances of the Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 of Einojuhani Rautavaara with the Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras in 2002 and 2003. She has also performed the solo piano music of Rautavaara (including the Australian Premiere of his second Piano Sonata "Fire Sermon" in 2001), Sofia Gubaidulina, and Galina Ustvolskaya, and Australian composers including Ross Edwards, Helen Gifford, Anne Boyd, Peggy Glanville-Hicks and Elena Kats-Chernin.

Aura is currently studying for the Bachelor of Music Performance degree at the Victorian College of the Arts, where she was awarded the Agnes Robertson Scholarship for the duration of her course. She has also been offered a scholarship place at the Australian National Academy of Music for the year 2005. She studies piano under Professor Max Cooke.