Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Appoints Violist Jenny Khafagi

An orchestral and chamber player, Khafagi has made guest principal appearances at a number of Australasian orchestras

Violist Jenny Khafagi has recently been appointed to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO), having been a regular guest player with the orchestra for more than a decade.

Born in Brisbane, Khafagi studied with Michele Walsh at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, during which time she was Principal Second Violin of the World Youth Chamber Orchestra and Concertmaster of the Queensland Youth Symphony.

Arriving in Melbourne in 2010, Khafagi spent nine years playing in the contemporary group Syzygy Ensemble. As a freelance orchestral player, she appeared regularly with both the MSO and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Australian Chamber Orchestra's ACO2. In 2014 she was made a core member of the ACO's Inspire Quartet.

Equally at home on the violin and the viola, Khafagi has appeared as Guest Concertmaster and Associate Concertmaster with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as Guest Principal Second Violin at the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In the latter part of 2022 she was Acting Associate Principal Viola at the MSO.

Khafagi is also passionate about pedagogy and has been a tutor at the National Music Camp of the Australian Youth Orchestra since 2018.

"Please join us in welcoming Jenny Khafagi to the MSO Viola Section!" wrote the MSO. "[We are] so happy to have you, Jenny!"