Dr Elizabeth Sellars

Violin


Elizabeth Sellars is an Australian-born violinist and educator. A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Elizabeth studied with David Takeno (violin) and the Gabrieli and Takacs Quartets (chamber music). In the UK, Elizabeth was a recipient of the Martin Trust and the Countess of Munster Scholarships, and as a member of the Techinski Quartet was a winner of the inaugural John Tunnell Trust and the Royal Overseas League Ensemble Prize and Miller Trophy. As soloist and chamber musician, she toured extensively in the UK, broadcast for the BBC and performed throughout Europe and Japan with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

In Australia, Elizabeth's teachers were Nehama Patkin (piano), Andre Hadges, Arkady Feldman and Nathan Gutman (violin). As an early student at the newly established Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, she was a member of the Birubi Quartet, established and mentored by Marco Van Pagee.

As a sought-after chamber musician, Elizabeth has performed for Musica Viva, and in festivals and on radio world-wide. Her chamber performances have been recorded and published by Move, Naxos, ABC Classic, Toccata Classics and Tzadik. In collaboration with pianist Kenji Fujimura, her CD The Messiaen Nexus (including the world premiere recording of the George Benjamin Sonata) was chosen as the 2014 Limelight Chamber Music Recording of the Year. Elizabeth is a founding member of Sutherland Trio with Caroline Almonte and Molly Kadarauch. A regular collaborator with Ensemble Liaison, she has also performed with Ramón Ortega Quero, William Hennessy, members of the Pavel Haas Quartet, Marshall McGuire, Emma Matthews, Paul Wright, Ian Munro, Sophie Rowell, Jeffrey Crellin, Flinders Quartet, Wilma and Friends,  Elision and Libra ensembles amongst others.

For 16 years, Elizabeth was Lecturer in violin and Co-ordinator of Strings at Monash University where she was instrumental in developing a vibrant classical strings program. She holds a Phd on the stylistic interpretation of works by the English prodigy George Frederick Pinto. Now Head of Strings at the International Academy of Musical Arts, she enjoys teaching privately and at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

Elizabeth has presented for the International Academy of Musical Arts, the Australian Violin Pedagogy conference, AUSTA, the University of Auckland, the International Akaroa Music Festival and the Pettman Junior Academy. Elizabeth plays on a Eugenio Degani violin made in 1876 in Veneto.