2025 Artists

Described as an exhilarating performer with faultless technique and fearless command of the piano, Russian-Australian concert pianist Konstantin Shamray performs at an international level with the world’s leading orchestras and concert presenters.
In 2008, Konstantin burst onto the concert scene when he won First Prize at the Sydney International Piano Competition. He is the first and only competitor to date in the 40 years of the competition to win both First and People’s Choice Prizes, in addition to six other prizes.
He then went on to win First Prize at the 2011 Klavier Olympiade in Bad Kissingen,Germany and has performed at the Kissinger Sommer festival. In July 2013, following chamber recitals with Alban Gerhardt and Feng Ning, he was awarded the festival’s coveted Luitpold Prize for “outstanding musical achievements”.
Since then, Konstantin has performed extensively throughout the world in recitals, as a soloist with orchestras and as a chamber musician. In Australia, highlights have included engagements with the Adelaide, Queensland, West Australia, Tasmanian and Sydney Symphony orchestras, as well as tours with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and ANAM Orchestra. Outside of Australia, he has performed with the Russian National Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Moscow Virtuosi, Orchestre National de Lyon, Prague Philharmonia, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and the Calgary Philharmonic amongst many others.
He is currently Senior Lecturer in Piano at the University of Melbourne. Konstantin is open to research supervisions, with particular areas of interest being Russian piano music of the 20th century and bell-inspired piano performance traditions.

Brisbane-born violinist, Dale Barltrop, has performed across Australia and the globe. He has been a member of the ASQ since 2016 and also served as Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for ten years. Prior to this, he was Concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Canada and Principal Second Violin of the St Paul Chamber Orchestra in the US.

A product of the Queensland Instrumental Music Program, Dale made his solo debut with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at the age of fifteen and was Concertmaster of both the Queensland and Australian Youth Orchestras. Having studied with Marcia Cox and Elizabeth Morgan in Brisbane, he then moved to the US to attend the University of Maryland as a student of Gerald Fischbach and the Guarneri Quartet. He continued his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music under William Preucil. 

Dale has also appeared as Concertmaster of the Australian World Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle and guest director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Queensland-based chamber orchestra, Camerata.

When he is not playing the violin, you can often find Dale at his local swimming pool or wine bar.

Dale plays a 1784 Guadagnini Violin, Turin

One of Australia’s most exciting young musicians, Laurence Matheson is in demand across the country as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborative pianist. He studied at the Australian National Academy of Music with Timothy Young as one of their youngest ever students and became a Fellow of the Academy in 2016 after winning the Directors’ Prize.

Laurence is regularly broadcast on ABC Classic and 3MBS FM, and has appeared as soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and the Australian Ballet, as well as in recital at the Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney Opera House.

Laurence has a particular passion for chamber music and has performed with the Aurora Ensemble, Anthony Marwood, the Australian String Quartet, Ben Baker and Kathryn Stott. He is also a mentor and pianist for many of Australia's promising young violinists, including Christian Li and Edward Walton, as well as appearing in recital with some of Australia and the world’s top musicians and collaborating with internet stars TwoSet Violin. 

Blair Harris is considered among Australia’s leading cellists and chamber musicians.

Blair has appeared as soloist and principal cello in both the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. In 2023 Blair joined the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra as principal cello. 

Blair is also a member of Ensemble Offspring, playing a major role in the commissioning and creation of Australia’s musical future. As a passionate educator Blair holds a position at Monash University as lecturer in cello performance.

Blair plays a fine cello crafted by V.Gagliano, Naples, 1859.