THE METROPOLITAN ORCHESTRA COMPOSER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 2017 KEY PERSONNEL BIOS Under the baton of Founding Artistic Director & Chief Conductor Sarah-Grace Williams, The Metropolitan Orchestra (TMO) comprises Sydney’s most dynamic musicians and is recognised as one of the country’s most versatile orchestras delivering accessible, first-class and vibrant concert experiences. In addi'on their much loved and regularly sold our Met Concert series at the ABC Centre in Ul'mo, TMO’s annual season also includes a variety of events tailored to different demographics with a concert series presented in the upper Blue Mountains, development programs for composers and performers, performances for young audiences and newly arrived refugees, interstate tours, free concerts and more. Boasting a rigorous work ethic and commitment to exceptional quality of performance, TMO has performed with many renowned artists in concert and/or on album recordings including Conductors Richard Gill, George Fenton, Brian Castles-Onion, Ben Foster and Guy Noble; Singers Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sumi Jo, Yvonne Kenny, Elaine Paige, Anthony Warlow, John Farnham, Marina Prior, Cheryl Barker, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Antoinette Halloran, Kate Ceberano, Olivia Newton-John, Emma Pask, David Hobson, Nicole Car, Rosario La Spina, Greta Bradman, Anna Leese, Belinda Montgomery, Alexander Knight, Daniel Bonic-Goodwin, Barry Ryan, Anke Höppner, Christopher Hillier, Teresa La Rocca, Stuart Maunder, Meredith O’Reilly, Richard Anderson, Sian Pendry, Samuel Dundas, Daniel Belle, David Hooley, Tommy Fleming, Suzanne Johnston, Judi Connelli, Mark Vincent and Renae Martin; Instrumentalists David Helfgott, Simon Tedeschi, James Morrison, Claire Edwardes, the Grigoryan Brothers, Bruce Mathiske, Shefali Pryor, Frank Celata, Emma-Jane Murphy, Patrick Murphy, Benjamin Kopp, Ambre Hammond, Kirsten Williams, Nicholas Russoniello, Anna Da Silva Chen, Bernard Walz, Lisa Stewart, Jane Rutter and the Lyrebird Trio; Actors Alex Kingston, Mark Williams and Tyran Parke; Vocal Ensembles Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Sydney Chamber Choir, Figaro and members of Opera Australia and Children’s Entertainers Lah-Lah and Buzz. Making music accessible at a community level hasn't stopped TMO making a massive impact on the larger naonal stage however. The orchestra’s sparkling seven year history includes a star-studded array of highlight concert events performed at pres'ge venues such as Sydney Opera House for special events such as BBC’s Blue Planet and Planet Earth, Doctor Who, Opera in the Vineyards and Bravo! Cruise of the Performing Arts (sailing the high seas of the South Pacific). An important focus in The Metropolitan Orchestra's mission is to support Australian ar'sts - orchestral players, composers and soloists. TMO has commissioned, performed and recorded world premieres by a number of Australian composers including Sean O’Boyle, Mark Grandison, Daniel Rojas, Bruce Mathiske and Gavin Lockley. TMO has workshopped new works by Paul Stanhope, Stuart Greenbaum, Mahew Hindson and James Humberstone, as well as the eight composi'ons of the 2016 Composer Development Program. TMO’s 2017 season will boast several commissioned works and world premieres. SARAH-GRACE WILLIAMS TMO ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CHIEF CONDUCTOR 2017 COMPOSER WORKSHOP DIRECTOR Sarah-Grace Williams has been hailed by Limelight Magazine to be amongst ‘10 of the Best Women Conductors – trailblazing talents that are leading the way for women conductors all over the world’. She has received acclaim from audiences and cri'cs alike for her vibrant energy, outstanding musicianship and dynamic presence on the podium. Founding Chief Conductor and Arsc Director of The Metropolitan Orchestra, Sarah-Grace has also worked as Musical Director of Sydney Opera House Proms produc'ons since 2007 and is in high demand as a Guest Conductor, with concert engagements with the Queensland, Adelaide, West Australian and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Bangalow Fes'val Chamber Orchestra, Queensland Music Fes'val, Southern Cross Soloists and Ar'sts of Opera Australia amongst others. She has composed and orchestrated hundreds of works, including numerous produc'ons for the Sydney Opera House Babies Proms. During 2009-2010 Sarah-Grace was Assistant Conductor for Symphony Australia, assis'ng various conductors including Simone Young, Johannes Fritzsch, Eivind Aadland, Arvo Volmer and Paul Daniel. At the conclusion of this pos'ng, she was awarded a pres'gious Churchill Fellowship, allowing her to study and assist renowned orchestras and conductors throughout Europe and the UK. In early 2011, Sarah-Grace worked as Stager Conductor at the Ukraine Naonal Opera and Ballet Theatre before returning to Australia to take up a posi'on as Conduc'ng Fellow with the Australian Ballet. Over the past three years, Sarah-Grace has conducted more than 150 performances with highlights including the naonal tour of pianist David HelfgoV, numerous concerts with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, gala events with James Morrison, Kae Noonan and Kate Ceberano, the album recording/world premiere performance of Gavin Lockley’s King of the Air Musical and Piano Concerto with Simon Tedeschi, the world premiere of Daniel Rojas’ Marimba Concerto with Claire Edwardes, the world premiere of Elena Kats-Chernin’s ballet LiVle Green Road to Fairyland for the opening of the Queensland Music Fes'val, appearing as Guest Resident Conductor at the Bangalow Music Fes'val and conduc'ng all major concerts in The Metropolitan Orchestra’s concert season. In 2013 Sarah-Grace was recognised for her outstanding achievements and contribu'on to the community, being announced on the Internaonal Women’s Day Honour Roll. Sarah-Grace received her Bachelor of Music with Dis'nc'on in 1996 majoring in performance and composi'on, followed by a First Class Honours in Conduc'ng. Following this, she con'nued her conduc'ng studies overseas with Alexander Polishchuk (Russia) and Jorma Panula (Holland). Sarah-Grace has been awarded numerous prizes including a Symphony Australia Podium Scholarship, the University of Western Sydney Prize for Academic Excellence and Prize for 1st place in Performance. She has been listed in the Who’s Who of Australian Women for the past five years and in Limelight magazine's list of 50 top power players in the arts and one of the top 5 Australian conductors to watch. Sarah-Grace is a Unit Coordinator and Lecturer of Conduc'ng at the Australian Ins'tute of Music and has worked as a guest radio presenter for various staons including ABC Classic FM. She also con'nues to work as a freelance clarine'st, pianist and orchestrator. Sarah-Grace is passionate about suppor'ng Australian music and Australian ar'sts and has mentored a number of young Australian composers and conductrs numerous world premieres by Australian composers each year. CORE ASSESSMENT PANEL (Responsible for selec'on of 8 par'cipants in program) Sarah-Grace Williams (TMO Ar's'c Director & Chief Conductor), Svetlana Yaroslavskaya (TMO Chief Librarian & Principal Flute), Dominique Guerbois (Concertmaster), Nataliya Lukich (Principal Violin & TMO CommiVee Member), Andrew Doyle (TMO Principal Clarinet & TMO CommiVee Member), Murray Parker (Principal Timpani/Percussion & & TMO CommiVee Member) Feedback from other principals may be sought, pending submissions. TMO ENSEMBLE (STAGE TWO) Comprising Principal Players of TMO (1 Player per part) VIOLIN: Dominique Guerbois, Nataliya Lukich | VIOLA: Irina Andreeva | CELLO: Ezmi Pepper | BASS: Mark Szeto FLUTE/PICCOLO: Svetlana Yaroslavksaya |OBOE/COR ANGLAIS: Mahew Bubb CLARINET/BASS CLARINET: Andrew Doyle | BASSOON/ CONTRA BASSOON: Anthony Grimm HORN: Michael Wray | TRUMPET: Jenna Smith | TROMBONE: Jacob Shaw | TUBA: ScoV Frankcomber TIMPANI: Murray Parker | PERCUSSION: Tim Brigden Musicians of Stage Two are asked to complete a quesBonnaire on each composiBon (in addiBon to providing verbal and wriEen feedback to composers). These comments are taken into consideraBon by the assessment panel when selecng the four works to progress to Stage Three of the program FULL ORCHESTRA (STAGE THREE) First Violin: Dominique Guerbois#, Nataliya Lukich* Anthea Hetherington, Angela Cassar, Sarah Anthony, Kathryn Crossing, Nan Heo, Caroline Kelly, Peter Krajniak, Emlyn Lewis- Jones, Jackie McCaughan, Chris'na Mills Second Violin: Lindsay Irik*, Lidia Bara, Catrina Hughes, Sagar Nagaraj, ElisabeVa Sonego, Mar’yana Sywak, Denisa Smeu-Kirileanu, Ela Stopa-Zbikowska, Renae Pinazza, Jane Stanley Viola: Irina Andreeva*, Georina Price, Robyn Botha, Elizabeth D’Olier, Darius Kaperonis, Laura Piplica, Kathryn Ramsay, Viktoria Vukovich Cello: Ezmi Pepper*, John Benz*, Steve Meyer*, Caroline Hobbs^, Julienne Guerbois, Emily Palethorpe Bass: Jeremy Fox*, Mark Szeto*, Jessica Holmes, Nicole Murray-Prior Flute: Svetlan Yaroslavskaya, Jacinta Mikus, Vanessa Couper Oboe: Mahew Bubb* Rie Tamaru*, Alex Fontaina Clarinet: Andrew Doyle*, Alisha Coward, Evay Guy Bassoon: Tony Grimm*, Sarajane Hansen* Horn: Michael Wray*, Julia Zeltzer*, Adrian Hallam, Tina Brain, Neil O’Donnell Trumpet: Jenna Smith*, Adam Davis Trombone: Jacob Shaw*, Mark Brown, Darcy Shevlin Tuba: ScoV Frankcombe* #Concert Master Timpani: Murray Parker* *Principal Player Percussion: Tim Brigden ^Associate Principal COMPOSER DEVELOPEMENT PROGRAM OPERATIONS SUB-COMMITTEE Orchestra Coordinator & Stage Manager Sharika Toth A Music Consultant for global music publisher Audio Network, Sharika holds degrees in Music, Psychology and Strategic Public Relaons