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Conductor (+1)

Conductor, Conductor

Joanna Drimatis

Conductor

On-Stage Artist

Artist

Joanna DRIMATIS

Approved

Conductor
Dr Joanna Drimatis is a highly-respected champion of Australian music and contemporary classical music – contributing comprehensively through her output as a conductor, performer, musical director, researcher and educator. 

After initial studies in Music Education and Violin Performance, Joanna completed a Masters degree from the University of Texas at Austin (Violin / Orchestral Conducting). In 2009, Joanna graduated with a PhD in Musicology from the Elder Conservatorium of Music.  Her thesis research focused on Symphony No. 1 by Australian composer Robert Hughes and was awarded the University of Adelaide’s inaugural Doctoral Research Medal.  Her research has continued, focusing on the music of Australian composers Robert Hughes and Raymond Hanson, and has been given national attention through radio broadcasts on ABC Classic and in Peter McCallum’s book, “The Centenary of the Con”. 

As Music Director of the Christchurch Youth Orchestra and Conductor for the Adelaide Youth Orchestra association, Joanna initiated numerous collaborations, commissions and premieres, with select performances broadcast on NZ Concert FM and ABC Classic.  As a violinist/violist Joanna has played professionally as an orchestral musician both in Australia and overseas which include the Strawberry Creek Festival (USA), International Institute of Music (Germany) and she has been a selected participant in the conducting program at Aspen Music Festival (USA).  Joanna has worked as a sessional academic at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and conducted orchestras such as the Australian Doctors’ Orchestra, the Sydney Youth Orchestra, the Mosman Symphony, the Woollahra Philharmonic and the Orange Chamber Music Festival Ensemble. 

In 2008 Joanna’s orchestra, the Adelaide Youth Sinfonia, was the feature of an ABC Classic FM documentary, ‘From Pen to Performance’, documenting the rehearsal preparation and performance of an Australia Council-funded new work by Australian composer, John Polglase. Joanna has also been guest conductor in New Zealand for the Christchurch Symphony, Nelson Symphony, University of Canterbury Chamber Orchestra and St Matthews Chamber Orchestra and in Australia for the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Burnside Symphony Orchestra and SBS Youth Orchestra. In 2022, Joanna has enjoyed conducting productions of The Marriage of Figaro, the Australian premiere of ‘Emilie’ by Kaija Sariaaho and the world premiere of ‘Threading the Light’ by Felicity Wilcox for young Sydney-based opera company The Cooperative.

Joanna has also given presentations on string and orchestral pedagogy with emphasis on the use of Australian repertoire for training orchestras. This work culminated in an invitation for her to present a workshop on this topic at the 2019 Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, USA.  After holding the position as Head of Strings at MLC School Sydney from 2016-2022, Joanna is now the newly appointed Music Education Specialist for the Australian Music Centre as well as Music Director / Chief Conductor of the Beecroft Orchestra. In 2020 Joanna was awarded an APRA/AMCOS Art Music Luminary award for her advocacy, programming and performance of Australian music.

Performer
As a violinist/violist Joanna has played professionally as an orchestral musician both in Australia and overseas in orchestras that include the Boulder Philharmonic (USA), Christchurch Symphony and Dunedin Symphony (NZ) as well as the Adelaide and Canberra Symphony in Australia. She has also been accepted to perform at the Aspen Music Festival (USA), Strawberry Creek Festival (USA) and International Institute of Music (Germany) as well as festivals in Australia and NZ.  Joanna’s violin teachers include Eugene Gratovich(USA) and in Australia Leonard Dommett, John Exton and Graeme Wood and she has participated in masterclasses with Charles Castleman, Dorothy Delay and Oleh Krysa. Joanna also regularly performs chamber music collaborating with her colleagues, and has commissioned works and givenworld premiere performances of repertoire by Australian, NZ and US composers. Joanna has performed at major festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival (USA), Strawberry Creek Festival (USA), Christchurch Arts Festival (NZ) as well as the Nelson Young Composers Workshop (NZ), Australasian Computer Music Conference (Aus) and the University of Colorado Boulder's Pendulum New Music series (USA). 

Educator
Joanna is a specialist in string pedagogy and has taught both in public and private schools within Australia and New Zealand  including the School of Instrumental Studies in Western Australia and the Canberra School of Music Preparatory Program. Whilst studying in the USA, she was accepted as a string teacher with the renowned Texas String Project at the University of Texas at Austin and in New Zealand she taught instrumental music and conducted orchestras for the Christchurch School of Music. On her return to Australia, Joanna worked as a sessional lecturer at the Elder Conservatorium and Sydney Conservatorium of music teaching Aural Perception, Violin Performance, Conducting, Musicology and Writing Skills. Joanna has also given presentations on string and orchestral pedagogy with emphasis on the use of Australian repertoire for training orchestras. This work culminated in an invitation for her to present a workshop on this topic at the 2019 Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, USA.  Until recently, Joanna was the Head of Strings at MLC School Sydney and is currently the Music Education Specialist for the Australian Music Centre and Music Director / Chief Conductor of the Beecroft Orchestra. In 2020 Joanna was awarded an APRA/AMCOS Art Music Luminary award for her advocacy, programming and performance of Australian music.

English

The Marriage of Figaro

Emilie

Pagliacci

Joanna Drimatis / Repertoire

Repertoire

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