Strings

Thomas Talmacs – Violin

The youngest member of Ensemble Offspring, Thomas Talmacs recently completed a Bachelor of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium. He has also received his L.Mus.A on violin and viola. Thomas won the Ku-ring-Gai concerto competition when only 16, and has played solo with several orchestras in cities both in Australia and overseas. He also loves chamber music as well as solo repertoire, and is currently in the midst of a Masters degree in performance at the Sydney Conservatorium. Thomas is also a keen pipe organist, on which he frequently performs his own compositions.

Freya Franzen – Violin

Freya Franzen is currently studying for a Bachelor of Music (violin performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She has been the recipient of many music related awards and scholarships, such as the ACT Board of Secondary Studies Recognition of Excellence in the Performing Arts (Music) and several Sydney Conservatorium of Music scholarships for excellence in performance. Freya will be completing an Honours year in 2008, specialising in the works of Argentina’s tango revolutionary, Astor Piazzolla.

John Fahy – Viola

John Fahy is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Music Studies in performance (viola) at the Sydney Conservatorium with Caroline Henbest. In addition to performing as part of the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra he is a member of the Everlast String Quartet and recently toured with the Ellipsis Quintet. In 2004, he completed a Bachelor of Music in composition at Sydney University, studying with Anne Boyd. He has a strong enthusiasm for Australian contemporary music and chronology arts has allowed him to combine this with his recent experiences as a performer.

Gemma Laing – Viola

Gemma Laing has just completed her Bachelor of Music majoring in Violin Performance studying with Goetz Richter. A keen chamber musician, she gained considerable ensemble experience in her early music training at the Central Coast Conservatorium in Gosford NSW. She continued this at university level as a violinist of the Bloodwood String Quartet, which represented the Sydney Conservatorium on tour in Asia 2006 and workshopped new works with composers Elena-Kats Chernin and William Barton. In the near future, she aims to combine her love of music and the French language with further study in France.  

Luke Spicer - Viola

Luke Spicer is currently studying for his masters in performance under Roger Benedict at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and has been a recipient of the Henderson Fund Scholarship. Luke is a founding member of the Greenway String Quartet who were finalists at the Melbourne National Chamber Music Competition in 2005, and have recently spent time studying in Freiburg, Germany, and Manchester, England. He has been principal viola with the Australian Youth Orchestra, a soloist with the Sydney Youth Philharmonia, a guest artist with the Sonic Art Ensemble, and is a regular player with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.

Eleanor Betts – Cello

Eleanor completed her Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours in 2005 and is currently completing a Masters of Music, studying with Susan Blake. During 2007 she spent three months studying in Europe with the aid of a Sydney Moss Travelling Scholarship, a Reg Waite Award, and grants from the Ian Potter Cultural Trust and JB Seed Fund. She has performed with the Australian Youth Orchestra and Sydney Sinfonia, and performs regularly in recitals with duo Strelitzia.

Woodwind

Toby Armstrong – Clarinet

Toby Armstrong is currently in the fourth year of a Bachelor of Music Studies/Bachelor of Arts at the Sydney Conservatorium and University of Sydney. During his time at the Conservatorium he performed with the Modern Music Ensemble and premiered several solo works. Having completed his performance major and LMusA in 2006, Toby is now studying the Arts component of his degree, with majors in gender studies and philosophy. Currently focusing on chamber music, Toby recently coordinated a regional tour to North West NSW with the Ellipsis Quintet.

Andrew Smith – Saxophone
		Andrew Smith has been awarded both an A.Mus.A with distinction, and an L.Mus.A on saxophone. He also holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Whilst at the Conservatorium, he received both a Margaret Henderson and a Reuben F. Scarf scholarship. As a member of the Nexas Saxophone Quartet, he was awarded the Wal Hardwick Memorial Scholarship for excellence in chamber music by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Association. Andrew is a strong advocate of new Australian music. www.myspace.com/asmithsax

Janet McKay – Flute

Janet McKay is a prize-winning flautist committed to the performance and development of new music. In the past 18 months she has participated in the Bang on a Can Summer Academy in the USA, completed a Master of Music (Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium, received funding for two solo recitals, appeared live-to-air on ABC Classic FM, and written for the Australian Music Centre’s “Resonate” e-magazine. Janet is currently developing several performance projects, including “Critical Mass” for massed flute ensemble. jcmckay@optusnet.com.au

Samantha Paver – Saxophone

Samantha Paver has recently just completed a Bachelor of Music, with Honours, majoring in classical saxophone performance, at the Conservatorium of Music.  She was awarded her Associate Diploma of saxophone, with Distinction, in 2003 and last year attended and performed at the International European Saxophone Convention in France where she received lessons from some of the world's leading saxophonists, including Claude Delangle and Arno Bornkamp.

Percussion

Alex Masso – Drums
		Alex is a drummer,  primarily involved with contemporary jazz and improvised music. His own projects include Trio Apoplectic, a solo project and a duo with saxophonist Peter Farrar. Masso is also a member of The Vampires, The Splinter Orchestra, Marc Hannaford Trio and Aerobleu, and has collaborated with Asim Gorashi, Kris Wanders, Jeff Henderson, Rod Cooper and Peter Schaeffer. www.myspace.com/massoalex &  www.trioapoplectic.com

John Dewhurst – Percussion

John Dewhurst is a Sydney percussionist and drum-kit player. He has performed with The Song Company, Ensemble Offspring, and Aark Ensemble.

Voice

Joel Roast – Tenor

Joel's fledgling singing career began in 2004 in a Public Access course at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. His interest in new music has led him to continue vocal study with soprano, Alison Morgan. Joel made his solo debut in his performance at the December 2007 Chronology concert of Andrew Batt-Rawden's ensemble piece Words, Les Mots, but choral highlights to date include singing with Cantillation in its acclaimed performances of Rachmaninov's The
Bells, and earlier in 2007, in Sydney Chamber Choir's performance with The Tallis Scholars of Tallis' rarely heard 40-part motet, Spem in alium. Joel is currently completing a PhD in Psychology.

Michaela Elizabeth Hodgson – Soprano

Michaela Elizabeth Hodgson lived in Sydney as a child, where she was regularly involved in the musical theatre scene, including the title role in 'Annie', "Tootie" in 'Meet Me In St Louis'and "Mozart" in 'Of Mice And Mozart'. She began classical training at age sixteen with Deborah Miles Johnson in London, and continued her vocal studies at the Royal College of Music under the tutelage of Eiddwen Harrhy. Michaela returned to Australia after graduating with BMus(Hons) in 2006, and is continuing her vocal development with private tuition from Deborah Riedel. www.satin.net.au

Piano

Jocelyn Ho – Piano

Jocelyn Ho has won competitions in Sydney and overseas, such as the Rolland Undergraduate Pianists' Competition at the University of Illinois and the Sydney Conservatorium Concerto Competition.  She also received the 2007 Australia Day Award by the National Council of Women. An exceptional new music interpreter, she has gained accolades from prominent composers such as Chen Yi and Chester Biscardi. Jocelyn is also a composer and her works have been performed and commissioned in Australia and the USA. www.jocelynho.com

Mingzhi Li – Piano

Mingzhi Li began piano lessons at the age of six, studying with Yao Jingzhuang, Piano Professor and Dean of the Wuhan Conservatory of Music. In 1993, he was enrolled in the music school attached to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing where he studied with Professor Ling Yuan and in 2001 began his University piano education in the Central Conservatory of Music with Professor Li Qifang. In 2005, he graduated, with distinction and since 2006 he has been undertaking postgraduate studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Paul Rickard-Ford.

Reomi Mito – Piano

Reomi has been studying the piano with Neta Maughan. Reomi attended Roseville College on a full music scholarship. In 2005 she completed her HSC, and was placed first in HSC Music Extension and second in Music 2. She was selected to perform at Encore, and her composition was also listed in the honour roll. Reomi has won over 100 prizes in competitions around Sydney. She has also had successes in international competitions in Italy, Japan and the USA.

Harp

Clare McDonogh – Harp

Clare McDonogh is in her first year at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music completing her Bachelor of Music (Performance), studying with Louise Johnson. Clare performs regularly with the Central Coast Symphony Orchestra and is looking forward to working with the Australian Youth Orchestra next year. In October Clare performed with the Halcyon ensemble and is very excited at having the opportunity to perform new Australian music with chronology arts.

Condutors

Adrian Chong – Conductor

Adrian holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London where he studied composition, voice and organ. He is now completing a Masters of Music in Conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Professor Imre Pallo. Adrian is currently the Music Director of St Stephen’s Uniting Church in Sydney, the newly appointed Music Director of St Andrew’s College (University of Sydney), and also the Assistant Conductor of the Willoughby Symphony Chorus.

David Griffin – Conductor
		David graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium in 2004. He is currently conductor of the Northern Sydney Youth Orchestra (Beecroft), Fisher's Ghost Youth Orchestra (South-West Sydney), and is also a freelance conductor. Although David has a great love for the traditional repertoire, he also has a particular interest in new music, and has conducted the premiere performances of many new works.