The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has announced the eight musicians who have been selected to take part in the 2022 Sydney Symphony Fellowship programme. The musicians, all under the age of 30, will spend 12 months being coached and mentored by permanent SSO members, benefiting from professional development and direction. Now in its 21st year, the scholarship program aims to help leading young musicians secure positions in orchestras around the world.

The eight 2022 scholarship recipients are violinist Amanda Chen (24), cellist Noah Oshiro (21), double bassist Hayley Witmore (23), flautist Emilia Antcliff (27), clarinetist Olivia Hans-Rosenbaum (22 ), trumpeter Dominic Lonhurst (25). , horn player Claudia Leggett (25) and timpanist Blake Roden (25).

“The 2022 Fellows are incredibly talented and dedicated musicians. As a member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, it is a privilege to mentor and work with young artists at this crucial stage in their professional development,” said Rebecca Gill, SSO Second Violinist and one program mentors. “Their talent, enthusiasm and artistic potential are a demonstration of the bright future of music in Australia.”

Sydney-based violinist Amanda Chen (24) has been playing the violin since the age of seven and since graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2019 has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Opera Australia.

Cellist Noah Oshiro (21), also a student at the Sydney Conservatorium, has performed across Europe with his quartet, as well as locally at the Sydney Festival and Sydney Jazz Festival.

Melbourne-born bassist Hayley Witmore (23) graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium in 2021 and has since performed with SSO, Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Scoring Orchestras.

Flutist Emilia Antcliff (27) received her Bachelor of Music Performance from the Royal Netherlands Conservatory and has since performed with the Apex Ensemble and Opera Australia.

Clarinet Olivia Hans-Rosenbaum (22) won the Sydney Conservatory of Music Wind Concerto Competition in 2019 and has performed with the Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.

Claudia Leggett (25), fellow horn player, completed her studies at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in 2019 before attending the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). She has performed with the Queensland and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.

Trumpeter Dominic Longhurst (25) returned to Australia after studying at the Royal Northern College of Music in England and has since performed with several orchestras around the world, including the Hallé Orchestra, the Dutch National Opera and the Symphonic Brass of London.

Timpani Blake Roden (25) graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium in 2019 and recently performed with Opera Australia.

“I am extremely happy to join the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellowship this year. It’s a an incredible opportunity to be mentored by the musicians of the Orchestra and to develop as a cellist, learning from the best in the country! said Noah Oshiro.

“Joining the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as a Fellow in 2013 was the most defining experience on my journey to a career as a professional musician,” said Rebecca Gill. “I expect their fellowship year with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to be a similar experience to mine: challenging, inspiring and immensely rewarding!”

Fellows will be guided through professional development opportunities, receiving information on career management and advice for preparing for auditions. They will also take part in masterclasses with the Sydney Symphony’s roster of international guest artists and conductors and receive one-on-one lessons with members of the orchestra.

The band’s first performance will be at this year’s Four Winds Festival in April.

More information about this year’s SSO Fellows can be found here.