Stefanie Farrands

Biography:

Violist Stefanie Farrands is currently principal Violist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. From 2015-2019 she was Principal Violist with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. She has studied in Berlin with Tabea Zimmermann at the Hochschule für Musik, Hanns Eisler Berlin and prior to this was the recipient of the Georgina Grosvenor Scholarship studying at ANAM in Melbourne with Alice Waten and Roger Benedict.

Stefanie has performed extensively throughout Europe, America, Asia and Australia both as a chamber musician and orchestral player, including playing regularly with some of the world’s most renowned orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Camerata Salzburg. She has also been Guest Principal Viola with the Strasbourg Philharmonic in France and Amsterdam Sinfonietta in the Netherlands and played regularly with Spira Mirabilis (Italy) and Le Concert Olympique (Belgium). In 2010 she was also invited to perform at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, USA.

In Australia she has been Guest Principal Violist of the Australian World Orchestra, Guest Principal Violist of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She has also played Principal Viola regularly with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. Stefanie has appeared as Soloist with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (giving the Australian Premiere of Olga Neuwirth’s Viola Concerto in 2011), ACO Collective, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, AYO Young Symphonists (Performing the World Premiere of Natalie Williams’ Viola Concerto) and the Orchestra of the Australian National Academy of Music. Stefanie is a passionate chamber musician and is the founding member of the Hamer Quartet which was successful in winning the Asia Pacific Chamber Music competition, taking the overall First Prize Tony Berg Award, 1st prize for String Quartet and the Audience Prize in 2009. They gave their debut to critical acclaim in 2007 and since then have toured both nationally and internationally and recorded their Debut album for Melba records.

Stefanie has performed at many chamber music festivals in Australia and abroad including performing at the inaugural chamber music concert series ‘Concerts Sans Frontieres’ in Paris in 2018, Sanguine Estate Chamber Music Festival, Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville, Norwich and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Daylesford Chamber Music Festival, Violatag/Hindemith Festival in Berlin, Mackay Chamber Music Festival, and was Artist in Residence at Monash University as a member of the Hamer Quartet. She was also a scholarship holder at the Villa Musica Chamber Music Academy in Germany and has collaborated with the Noga Quartet in Berlin. Commissioning new works for the Viola is of keen interest to Stefanie. In 2016 she was the winner of the Freedman Classic Fellowship from which she has commissioned numerous new works for the viola by some of Australia’s leading composers. She has premiered Douglas Weiland’s third string quartet with the Hamer Quartet as well as given premiers to numerous solo, chamber and orchestral works as well as workshops and masterclasses on writing for the viola. She has recorded both solo and chamber works for the ABC and is regularly featured of ABC Classic Fm and 3mbs, and has been a member of the String Faculty at the Conservatorium of music in Hobart. Stefanie play a 2016 Viola made by Berlin based luthier Ragnar Hayn.