What are some of your musical achievements?
One of my biggest musical highlights was touring with the Australian Youth Orchestra to the Americas in 1991, starting off with a performance at Carnegie Hall in NYC where the AYO were one of 5 international youth orchestras invited to take part in a weekend festival celebrating the hall’s 100th birthday. While living and working in Munich I had the opportunity to record and tour as a member of the Munich Radio Orchestra with world famous opera singers and conductors including Placido Domingo and Bobby McFerrin. Winning an orchestral job is a dream of many young musicians and I was very lucky to secure a full-time position in the Theatre am Gaertnerplatz Orchester first violin section in Munich in 2002. In 2016 I moved to Galle, Sri Lanka as founder and director of the non-for-profit organisation Serendip String Tuition offering free lessons and instruments to Sri Lankan children experiencing hardship – “Giving the gift of music education to a child is one of the most rewarding things to do.”
What do you love about playing music?
Nothing beats playing and performing with friends be it in an orchestra or small chamber group. Music is an incredibly emotional artform and looking into the audience and seeing joy and happiness on their faces is priceless.
What inspired you to teach music in Bellingen?
After returning from Sri Lanka in 2021, I chose to move to the Macksville/Talarm area to be close to family. “What’s not to love about living in one of the most beautiful parts of the country so close to the beach and in such a welcoming community.”
