Musicians: Classical

Contact the Artists Booking Service on +61 3 9685 9080 or click here to email us directly

Classical music ensembles are a sophisticated choice for the discerning event planner. Add a touch of class with beautiful music that has stood the test of time.

Over many years, the Faculty of the VCA and Music has trained and developed a large number of classical artists who work as both solo performers and with ensembles. Many have played with the major Australian Symphony Orchestras, toured overseas and represented VCAM for major corporate clients.

Far from the staid ensembles of days gone by, the Artists Booking Service's classical artists have repertoires that reflect great diversity, from the traditional through to avant-garde. Whether you would like an operatic duo to open your conference, or a brass quintet to accompany your walk down the aisle, we'll have access to the ensemble you're looking for.

ÉLAN STRING QUARTET

The Élan quartet personifies the French concept their namesake ‘spirit’ represents. Élan combines a youthful energy with a musical maturity beyond its years. Members of the quartet were awarded the 1999 Athanaeum Chamber Music Prize, invited to tour London and Wales and performed in the 1999 Collins Street Chamber Music Festival. Recently, the quartet performed with the internationally renowned guitarist Slava Gregorian at the Melbourne Concert Hall and at the opening of the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. Having established a solid musical relationship whilst completing their tertiary studies at the Victorian College of the Arts, Élan are fast gaining a reputation as one of the most dynamic young chamber ensembles in Melbourne.

View Élan String Quartet's sample repertoire list

KIRA STRING QUARTET

The Kira Quartet met whilst studying at the Victorian College of the Arts, where they gained a reputation for an approach to music that is both mature and exuberant. They have been playing together for four years, and have had an increasingly busy schedule performing privately as an ensemble around Melbourne, and making a number of recordings as a group. Individually, players have performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the State Orchestra of Victoria, and the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra. The Kira Quartet is a dynamic ensemble of four young women with a highly professional and energetic approach to music.

View Kira String Quartet's sample repertoire list

LUCCA STRING ENSEMBLE

With an impeccable musical pedigree, the Lucca String Ensemble combines professionalism and artistic excellence to deliver consistently superb performances that are guaranteed to deliver a touch of class to any event.

SILO STRING QUARTET

Silo contests aloof, classical traditions by performing sexy, slinky, gritty sounds, driving rhythms and ethereal minimalism. Silo play in venues that are readily accessible to a wide variety of audiences, which means they play in pubs as well as in concert halls. This Melbourne-based string quartet was founded in 1998 by cellist/composer Caerwen Martin out of a need for a string quartet that could workshop, record and perform new and contemporary works by local Australian composers. The Silo String Quartet actively supports the creation and performance of new works for string quartets, regardless of whether it’s jazz, tango, Manchester New Wave, minimalism or avant guard. All the members of Silo are young, working at a highly professional level, and dedicated to the advancement of contemporary repertoire for string quartets.

SOUNDWOOD STRINGS

VANGUARD BRASS QUINTET

The Vanguard Brass Quintet was formed from the elite brass students of the Victorian College of the Arts.

The group's performances have included concerts for the Melbourne International Brass Festival, concerts and a recording with the Australian Children's Choir, a Christmas Gala concert in the Melbourne Town Hall with a one hundred and twenty voice choir, and performances at the Portland Festival.

At times a good-time crowd pleaser, at times a haunting medieval chamber ensemble, Vanguard Brass Quintet are everything you want them to be.

COLECTIVO 29

Colectivo29 is a vibrant, adventurous quintet featuring some of Australia's finest musicians.

An ensemble playing Argentine Tango from the Golden Era of Tango in the 1930s - 50s, Colectivo29 evokes sounds shimmering with energy and excitement. From a subtle glance across a crowded room or a lonely solo violin evoking lost love, this group captures a world of emotion in every performance.

BOUTIQUE

Boutique’s combination of flute and oboe will add a touch of class to any event, gently entertaining guests with their unique woodwind flavour. Vivienne Brooke and Sarah Beggs have been performing together since 1998. Both are accomplished musicians and graduates of the VCA. They have performed with Orchestra Victoria, The Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Geminiani Chamber Orchestra. They come together to produce a perfectly blended sound, playing music with refinement and integrity. Boutique presents a varied collection of music, including well-known classical themes, popular music arrangements and discreet atmospheric background music.

MISCELLANY

The Miscellany Ensemble recreates the original intention of chamber music by bringing chamber music to audiences in a comfortable and intimate setting. Begun as a flute and harp duo, the group has expanded from time to time as the repertoire demands. This has allowed for the inclusion of some of Melbourne's most exciting young musicians, (often string players and singers) . They explore some of the greatest music written for small ensembles, as well as introducing dynamic new works and little known music. The ensemble proudly supports Australian music, evident in its frequent inclusion in our programmes, and in the number of new works written for the group. All concert programmes place a string emphasis upon the accessibility of the music. This is reflected not only in the eclectic choice of pieces but also in the open and personable interaction between performers and audience. It is truly a unique ensemble!

PURE SILVER FLUTES

Pure Silver musicians are highly experienced and internationally trained professionals. They have performed with Orchestra Victoria, Australian Pops Orchestra, Melbourne Opera, South Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Victorian Concert Orchestra and the Grainger Wind Symphony, amongst others. All graduates of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and the Victorian College of the Arts, These musicians are committed to providing quality music of the highest calibre.

SPEAK PERCUSSION

Speak Percussion is Melbourne’s most dynamic percussion arts enterprise, and is an ensemble of truly international standing, having toured Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Norway and Denmark. Speak’s core members, Eugene Ughetti and Peter Neville, are impressive musicians in their own right. They have performed with the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Victorian State Opera, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and the Philharmonia of London.

BEAUTIFUL RUBBLE

Anastasia Russell-Head (harpsichord) and Fernando Ariel Gallardo (voice) are the core members of the ground-breaking Melbourne-based music ensemble Beautiful Rubble. For the past three years they have been developing innovative musically-based performance projects, beginning their collaboration in Navigators, for the Melbourne International Arts Festival in 2006. In 2007 this was followed by a new composition for John Cage’s Musicircus (Melbourne International Arts Festival) and further work for theatre company With the Teeth on their two sell-out seasons of I’ve Written a Letter to Daddy (Melbourne Fringe Festival 2007 and Butterfly Club 2008).

ARIA CO.

The Aria Co. is a group of dedicated professional soloists creating concerts especially for your event. Their company is made up of the best and brightest performers emerging in Australian music, including sopranos Jessica Aszodi and Melanie Adams, mezzo-soprano Hana Crisp, tenor Gaetano Bonfante, baritone Mathew Thomas and harpist Hannah Lane.

The ensemble specialises in concerts and corporate events and has a wide repertoire of presentations available to suit any occasion. The Aria Co. can also perform at your club or association, wedding, private party or outdoor gathering and can arrange performances to suit your needs.

The singers of The Aria Co. are all gifted young soloists of international calibre. They have sung with Australia’s best musical entities including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, OzOpera and Victorian Opera.

Aria Co. brings the concert hall and opera house directly to you, at the highest possible level.

JESSICA ASZODI

Jessica is a graduate of the Victorian College of the arts and studies with Anna Connelly. She performs regularly in recital, chamber music, oratorio and opera. She has been a soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Victorian Opera, Melbourne Chorale, Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Melbourne, Astra Chamber Music Society, New Music Network, Macau International music festival, ABC ‘Rising stars’ and in the Melbourne International Arts Festival.

HANA CRISP

Mezzo-soprano Hana Crisp is currently completing a Bachelor of Music Performance, under the tutelage of Anna Connolly.

A highly versatile artist, Hana has performed opera, oratorio, lieder, chamber music and contemporary music throughout Melbourne. Her past roles include Mrs Slammerkin in ‘The Beggar’s Opera’ (OzOpera), soloist in the new chamber operas ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’ (Australian Youth Orchestra) and ‘One Final Oration’ (Union House Theatre), as well as co-writing and performing in a 3-woman cabaret show (Melbourne University Arts Festival).

Hana has featured as the alto soloist for many professional and amateur ensembles. Her wide concert repertoire includes the Australian premiere of Heinrich von Herzogenberg’s Die Passion, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, Schumann’s Requiem, C.P.E. Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Magnificat, and Pergolesi’s Magnificat. In 2006, Hana was nominated for the Margaret Sutherland Bursary for an Outstanding Young Musician.

Hana performs regularly as a soloist with the Astra Chamber Music Society and as a member of the Artemisia Ensemble. She has performed extensively at corporate events, weddings, and private functions.

GAETANO BONAFANTE

Gaetano Bonfante is a bright, young, up and coming entertainer who has been described by Australia’s foremost radio personality Alan Jones, of possessing “a beautiful voice … a lilting sound”. The 27 year old tenor has performed alongside some of this country’s biggest names, including Tina Arena, Delta Goodrem, and Vanessa Amorossi.

Gaetano performed the role of Belmonte in Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio for Melbourne Lyric Opera,“St Brioche” in “The Merry Widow” (F. Lehar) and the role of “Slender” in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” (O.Nicolai) with the Rockdale Opera Company in 2005. More recently Gaetano performed the solo tenor role in Schumann’s Spanishes Liederspiel which was recorded by ABC Classic FM.

Gaetano graduated in Musical Theatre Studies at MASQUE National Institute of Performing Arts, and is now under the vocal tuition of one of Australia’s leading operatic singing teachers, Anna Connelly. His study of such composers as Donizetti, Mozart, Cilea, Bizet, Strauss, Rossini, Schumann, Faure, Gounod and Puccini, have allowed him to gather an understanding of the diverse musical styles.

With opera, musical theatre and cabaret experience, Gaetano’s versatility and talent has led many in the music industry to hail him as the one of Australia’s finest young tenors.

MARTIN LANE

Martin Lane's impressive resume encompasses opera, musical theatre, television and the stage. He is a dynamic performer with a superb voice and a dramatic presence who is sure to add spice to your next event.

With training from Dame Joan Hammond and Brian Hansford at the Victorian College of the Arts, Peter Sardi at The Acting Studio, Melbourne, and Scott Williams at The Impulse Company, UK, Martin is a consummate and memorable performer. He performed in London for the 2003/06 production of Music of The Night for the Really Useful Group production company and the 2003-4 production of Encore Mr Producer for Cameron Mackintosh's production company. In Melbourne, Martin was a lead performer in the 1997-9 Australian tour of Les Miserables.

With charisma and talent aplenty, Martin Lane will add that something special to any function.

View Martin Lane's sample repertoire list

SUZANNE SHAKESPEARE

TASO PSYCHOULAS

Graduating from the VCA in 2001, Taso Psychoulas’s reputation as an accomplished and exciting classical soloist is gathering speed around Melbourne. Taso has been studying the guitar for eleven years, spending time at the Brisbane Conservatorium, the Melbourne Conservatorium, and the VCA. Having completed master classes with widely acclaimed artists John Williams, Maximo Pujol and Gareth Koch, Taso is currently forging his own path in the Australian music scene.

ALANNAH GUTHRIE-JONES

Alannah Guthrie-Jones studied the harp at the Victorian College of the Arts and the Royal Academy of Music, London. She is a regular performer with the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras and her extensive repertoire includes music from various genres including baroque, classical, contemporary, folk, jazz and musicals. She has been a featured performer on a number of film soundtracks and CD recordings. Alannah is in significant demand as a harpist, and it's truly of little wonder given the style, grace and sophistication she brings to every performance.

ANASTASIA RUSSELL-HEAD

Harpsichordist Anastasia Russell-Head is currently enrolled in the second year of the Master of Music Performance program at the VCA, studying with Priscilla Alderton. She grew up in Melbourne, and in 2001 graduated with Honours from the Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne, where she also completed a Bachelor of Arts. After a flirtation with Production and Events Management (VCA School of Production 2003), Anastasia realised that her real passion lay with music. She is especially interested in extending the harpsichord and its repertoire beyond the baroque pigeon hole‚ and into the worlds of theatre and improvisation. In 2006 she wrote and performed in Navigators, as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, and in recent years has collaborated with the bettybooke theatre company on their productions All's Well That Ends Well (2004) and The Belle, the Book, The Beast (2005). She has also appeared with Deborah Langley in A Tragic Diva at the Melbourne Fringe Festival (2004) and Melbourne Comedy Festival (2005).

MEGAN REEVE

Megan has been performing professionally on the harp for over twelve years. Megan’s playing is supported by years of dedicated study; she holds a Bachelor of Music degree with Honours from the University of Melbourne, a Master of Music Performance degree from the Victorian College of the Arts, and a Master of Arts in Music, Culture and Politics from Cardiff University, Wales. She has also completed a Summer Academy course in Salzburg, Austria. Megan has been fortunate to have performed with a diverse range of musical ensembles, from the Melbourne Symphony through to touring with Jose Carreras and the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra. She has recorded on both the Move and Naxos labels. Megan has performed with Chamber Music Australia for the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts and is a founding member of chamber music group the ‘Miscellany Ensemble’. She has recently performed with Grammy award winning hip hop artist KanYe West, and has appeared on ABC TV’s ‘Spicks and Specks’.

CAROLYN ALPHONSO

Carolyn was born in Indonesia and came to Australia to pursue piano studies after a career as a dancer, having worked with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance in Chicago during 2001-2002. In 2007 Carolyn completed her Bachelor of Music Honours degree in the Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts and Music with Dr. Donna Coleman, with whom she continues to study, as her principal mentor.

She was orchestral pianist for the premiere recording of VCA student composer Doug Gibson’s Avalanche under the direction of Dr David Kram, and in her Honours year performed Robert Schumann’s Kinderscenen opus 15 for 3MBS-FM’s Live at the Convent series and for the VCA’s lunchtime concert series in the National Gallery of Victoria. She was a winner of H. Newey Award prize from The Music Lovers' Society.

Carolyn now teaches at a number of music schools and performs regularly in Melbourne city.

CAERWEN MARTIN

Whether as a solo or chamber performer (in ensembles ranging from string quartets to cello and guitar duos), Caerwen's inspired performances consistently delight audiences. High profile engagements have included the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and the Melbourne Festival 2000, and she has recently returned from performances in Europe. She is an innovative and engaging artist and composer, bringing her considerable talent to bear on her wide variety of performances, from baroque delicacy to more challenging and intriguing twenty-first century compositions. Caerwen Martin is one of the most promising cellists to emerge onto the Melbourne music scene in recent years.

KAREN SCHOFIELD

Karen has been playing flute since age 11. She attended the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and continued at the VCA for her Bachelor of Music Performance with Honours and a further Masters degree. Karen also performed throughout and undertook further study in Europe and the U.K through an Ian Potter foundation grant.

TIAGO BRISSOS

Tiago Brissos started his studies of classical guitar in the Music Academy of Evora, Portugal, where he studied with Jose Diniz and Jose Farinha. After completing his studies at the Music Academy of Evora Tiago, he initiated his Licentiate Degree in Music Performance at the University of Evora where he had the chance to learn from renowned guitarist Pedro Joia. Tiago completed three of the five year degree and moved to the Superior School of Arts of Castelo Branco where he studied for 3 months with international guitarist Miguel Carvalhinho just before he immigrated to Melbourne, Australia. Tiago studied at the VCA with guitarist Anthony Fields and more recently at the Melba Conservatory of Music with Owen Thomson.

During the last three years Tiago has continued to perform solo, for theatre performances, with cellist Caerwen Martin and with soprano Jenna Roubous with whom he has performed frequently. Of special interest are Tiago’s performances at the National Gallery of Victoria, Grant St Theatre and for 3MBS at the Abbotsford Convent and most recently the First Prize of the 2008 Ringwood Eisteddfod classical guitar competition.

A charismatic performer and entertainer Tiago is now trying to assert himself as a performer in the Australian music scene, working with an engaging repertoire ranging from Bach to contemporary compositions and always trying to bring to the audience music with some kind of connection to popular roots making it easy for the listener to identify even with the most challenging works.

PETER NOWOTNIK