Melbourne Chamber Orchestra Names New Artistic Director

Australian violinist Sophie Rowell currently serves as Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In her new role with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra (MCO), she will be just its third artistic director in its over 30-year history. She will succeed William Hennessy and Jeffrey Crellin.

Rowell was a founding member of the Tankstream Quartet, which was a prize winner at the Melbourne National Chamber Music Competition, the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in 2001, and Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.

Winning the ABC Young Performer’s Award in 2000, she is a regular performer with the Australian World Orchestra, and has held positions with the Scottish and Mahler Chamber Orchestras and the Vancouver, Sydney, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.

Having previously taught at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide and the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney, she is currently the head of CHamber Music Strings at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM).

"I am extremely honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra as its Artistic Director from 2023 and hope to build on the legacy of performance excellence that my wonderful predecessor William Hennessy has left for us," commented Rowell.

"I see a future of exciting possibilities that only an orchestra with the flexibility and commitment of MCO can achieve and I can’t wait to get started sharing my artistic vision with you all. Thank you to my dear colleagues at the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for their support and encouragement as I begin the next chapter in my musical life."