Dimity Hall

Violin

Dimity has performed across Australia and throughout the world for over three decades, as a member of both the Australia Ensemble UNSW and as a founding member of the widely-acclaimed Goldner String Quartet. After a distinguished career, the ‘Goldners’ celebrated their 30th and final season in 2024 with all founding members intact - a rare accomplishment.

Dimity joined the Australia Ensemble in 1992 when a new core position was created for her, after six years of being a frequent guest artist. With both chamber ensembles Dimity has made numerous critically-acclaimed recordings, on labels such as Hyperion Records, ABC Classics, Tall Poppies and Naxos.

Prior to joining the AE, she held the position of Principal Second Violin with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Dimity has performed as a soloist with the Sydney Symphony and Canberra Symphony Orchestras as well as with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Queensland’s Camerata, and numerous community orchestras. She has appeared as guest principal with the SSO, and guest concertmaster for the Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras. She has also performed as a chamber musician for the Sydney International Piano Competition and for Selby and Friends.

Dimity is fortunate to have had 2 outstanding teachers: Alice Waten, throughout under-graduate studies at the Sydney Conservatorium, and Herman Krebbers at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam for 2 intensive post-graduate years. She has mentored young musicians through programs of Musica Viva Australia, the Sydney Conservatorium, the Sydney and Australian Youth Orchestras and the Australian National Academy of Music. She has also served as a juror for competitions, such as the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. Dimity’s solo recording of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending is released on ABC Classics

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Bernadette Harvey

Piano

Acclaimed international pianist, Bernadette Harvey, was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2000 by then Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, for her contribution to Australian Music. Bernadette has won many accolades including the ABC ‘Young Performer of the Year’ in 1987. As guest artist since 2009 at the Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival in Tucson, Arizona, Bernadette now joins her husband, Peter Rejto, as its Co-Artistic director.

Bernadette is renowned for championing new solo piano works, many of which are recorded on the Tall Poppies label. She has established an ongoing commissioning project - “the Sonata Project”- the aims of which are to challenge composers to reflect on their attitudes towards this traditional art form and to compose a substantial new work within its generous boundaries. The first three sonatas were composed by three young Australian women – Jane Stanley, Aristea Melos and Melody Eötvos.

Bernadette has recorded most of the solo piano music of Ross Edwards, who wrote his first piano sonata for her and a shorter two movement work, Sea Star Fantasy. Her long-standing duo partnership with one of the world’s greatest oboists, Diana Doherty, was featured in Ukaria’s 2025 program. Here, the two gave the world premiere of Nigel Westlake’s Three Pieces for Oboe (2025), written especially for Diana.

Bernadette has recently joined the Streeton Trio with Emma Jardine, violin and Rachel Siu, cello and the group has already received high praise for its performances in several Australian chamber music festivals and series.

Bernadette has a DMA from Eastman and is senior lecturer in piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Julian Smiles

Cello

Julian Smiles has for over 30 years been a central figure in cello performance and teaching in Australia. He launched his professional career at the age of 19, when he was appointed Principal Cello with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

In 1991 he was invited to join the UNSW based Australia Ensemble, and in 1995 formed the Goldner String Quartet with colleagues Dene Olding, Dimity Hall and Irina Morozova. With these two chamber groups he has performed to critical acclaim at major venues and festivals throughout the world, made over 30 CDs on leading labels, and premiered many works by Australian and international composers.

Julian’s performances over the years have included artistic collaborations with musicians such as Piers Lane, Tasmin Little, William Barton, Edgar Meyer, Joseph Tawadros, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Amy Dickson and James Crabb.

Active as a soloist with numerous concerto appearances, Julian has also premiered works for solo cello by eminent Australian composers such as Carl Vine, Mark Isaacs and Ross Edwards.

As 2024 marked the 30th and final year of the the Goldner String Quartet, Julian looks forward to continued opportunities to expand his profile as an individual musician.

Julian is sought after as a teacher and chamber music coach. He has held teaching positions at the Australian Institute of Music and Canberra School of Music, and is currently Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead for Strings at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Julian plays on an 1827 Lorenzo Ventapane cello.

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