Featured artists
Anna McMichael, Coordinator of Strings at Monash
Anna McMichael performs as a solo violinist and with many ensembles and orchestras, being in demand as an experienced musician able to perform diverse styles of music. She enjoyed a successful career in Europe performing at many music festivals with a number of Dutch chamber ensembles and toured extensively with groups such as the London Sinfonietta, Amsterdam Sinfonietta Chamber Orchestra, Nieuw Ensemble, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Anna performs regularly with groups including: Omega Ensemble, Australian Haydn Ensemble, Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra and is a core member of leading early music specialists, Ironwood. She performs at many festivals around Australia, with appearances at Mona Foma, the Canberra International Festival of Music, the Sydney Festival, the Adelaide Festival, and Metropolis in Melbourne. She has recorded her own CD on the Dutch label Unsounds, and two CDs on the Tall Poppies label. Anna has been Co-Artistic Director of the NSW Tyalgum Music Festival between 2014 and 2019. She joined the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance as Coordinator of Strings in 2019. www.annamcmichael.com
Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra
The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra specialises in historically informed performance (HIP) of late 18th- to early 20th-century orchestral and chamber music repertoire on period instruments and is at the forefront of the HIP scene, staying abreast with the latest research and developments around the world by collaborating with key guest musicians and musicologists. Under the co-artistic direction of Rachael Beesley and Nicole van Bruggen, the orchestra has been highly praised as “rich, impassioned, and faultlessly realised ... a thrilling example of HIP with all the right strings attached” ( The Age ).
Founded under the artistic direction of renowned musician and educator, the late Richard Gill, the orchestra’s goals of performance, education and connection are delivered through live concerts in Australia’s cities and regions, collaborations, broadcasts, innovative education programs, deep-dive presentations and online resources. With leading Australian and international musicians, the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra brings historical insights and new perspectives to masterpieces from the Classical and Romantic periods. www.arco.org.au
Rachael Beesley
Rachael Beesley (Melbourne) is ARCO’s conductor, concertmaster and co-artistic director. An internationally renowned Australian/British violinist, director and music educator, she performs with distinguished orchestras worldwide, is highly regarded as a chamber musician and soloist, and teaches at prestigious music conservatories.
Stephen King
Stephen King (Adelaide) is ARCO’s principal violist. He was a long-term member of the Australian String Quartet and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. He now performs around the country and teaches at the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide.
Rosanne Hunt
Rosanne Hunt has worked with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony and Orchestra Victoria, and as a contemporary music specialist she was the founding member of ELISION, and has also played with the Libra Ensemble, Chambermade Opera, Aphids, and, currently, with Forest Collective and Halcyon. Among her extensive discography are recordings with indigenous musicians Richard Frankland, Archie Roach and Gurrumul. She was encouraged in period cello by Paul Dyer of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, of which she was principal cello for many years, and she has also played with the Australian Classical and Romantic Orchestra, Genesis Baroque, Accademia Arcadia and the Melbourne Baroque Orchestra, of which she is a founding member.