Roman Ponomariov – french horn
Roman Ponomariov has developed a diverse career performing as an orchestral, chamber, and solo musician. He has performed with orchestras including the Melbourne Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Adelaide Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic, Western Australian Symphony, Queensland Symphony and Orchestra Victoria.
Roman has won a number of solo and chamber music competitions and has appeared as a soloist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and recorded a solo recital for the ABC Classic FM. His other solo appearances include concerto performances with Stonnington Symphony Orchestra, Zelman Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne University Orchestra and Western Australian Youth Orchestra.
Profoundly passionate about teaching, Roman is currently a Lecturer in Music Performance (French Horn) and Head of Brass / Percussion at Monash University and has worked extensively with Melbourne Youth Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra and the State Music Camp of Victoria.
Roman received his Master’s Degree from Rice University (USA) and a Bachelor of Music Degree (honours) from the University of Melbourne.
Roman was a guest artist at two Special Classes of Rie’s Music World on Monday 11 June 2018.
Rohan de Korte – cello
Rohan de Korte has been a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Cello section since 2009. Rohan chose to play the cello at the age of five because it was bigger than a violin and studied with Henry Wenig and Nelson Cooke before choosing musical studies in Europe over a career in basketball – the Chicago Bulls hadn’t called. Rohan studied in Croatia with Valter Despalj and at the Cologne Hochschule for Music with Claus Kanngiesser, and received chamber music lessons with the Alban Berg Quartett.
Returning to Australia in 2000 Rohan freelanced with the Sydney Symphony before becoming Associate Principal Cello of Orchestra Victoria. He plays a lot of chamber music with friends and has even tried composing; his debut piece, The Haunted House, is extremely popular with younger audiences. Rohan’s cello is a beautiful German instrument from 1720 and his favourite composer is Beethoven, although Mahler’s Ninth Symphony wins as his favourite piece. He has a lovely wife, Caroline, and three very rowdy sons who think that playing the cello is very funny yet interesting, and, after suffering a broken neck, Rohan has vowed never to try surfing again.
Rohan was a guest artist at two Special Classes of Rie’s Music World on Monday 12 March 2018.
Laurence Matheson – piano
From Melbourne, Laurence Matheson was involved in the Young ANAM program from 2005 to 2008. He won the 10 to 12 year old section of the Yamaha Piano Competition in 2007 before winning the Dorothy Glover Piano Award in 2010. During full-time studies at the Australian National Academy of Music with Tim Young, he participated twice in the final of the ANAM Chamber Music Competition and won the prestigious ANAM Directors’ Prize. He is regularly broadcast on ABC Classic FM and 3MBS FM and has played concertos with Orchestra Victoria, the ANAM Orchestra, the Preston Symphony and the South Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, with Opera Australia and as soloist with the Australian Ballet, as well as in chamber projects with Paavali Jumppanen, Michael Houstoun, the Aurora Ensemble, Peter Hill, Anthony Marwood, Kathy Stott and Lisa Moore. Laurence’s 2017 commitments included solo appearances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Youth Orchestra, performances in the 4MBS and Melbourne Festivals, with Wilma and Friends and in the Utzon Room series of the Sydney Opera House, as well as recitals with Sophie Rowell, Nick Deutsch and Tim Young. He is also an accomplished harpsichordist with festival and radio appearances across the country, has conducted the ANAM Orchestra and was commissioned to write for Victorian Opera’s 2012 production of Cinderella.
Laurence was a guest artist at two Special Classes of Rie’s Music World on Monday 12 March 2018.
Philip Arkinstall – clarinet
Philip has been the Associate Principal Clarinet of the MSO since 2009 and was Principal Clarinet with the Malaysian Philharmonic for 11 years before that. After completing his Bachelor of Music at The Sydney in Conservatorium under Peter Jenkin he went on to win the ABC Young Performers Award in 1997 playing the Francaix Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and was the 2MBS radio performer of the year in 1996. Philip has been guest principal with the AOBO and has appeared both as soloist and as guest principal with the Sydney, West Australian, Queensland, Tasmanian and Melbourne Symphony orchestras and was a frequent soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic during his tenure there in repertoire ranging from Mozart to Henze, Copland, Weber, Strauss, Bruch, Stamitz, Bernstein and Stravinsky amongst others. His playing has been reviewed as “mellifluous, engaging and assured”.
Philip was a guest artist at two Special Classes of Rie’s Music World on Monday 4 December 2017.
Jacqueline Porter – soprano
Jacqueline Porter holds an honours degree in Music Performance and a Bachelor of Arts (Italian) from the University of Melbourne and was the recipient of the 2010 Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust Scholarship. Equally at home on the operatic stage and the concert platform, Jacqueline appears regularly with Australia’s major symphony orchestras and choral societies. She has worked with celebrated conductors including Sir Neville Marriner and Vladimir Ashkenazy and her recitals and concerts are frequently broadcast on ABC Classic FM.
Her opera roles include Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro) for Victorian Opera and Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) for State Opera South Australia.
Jacqueline was a guest artist at two Special Classes of Rie’s Music World on Friday 29 September 2017.
Simon Stone – piano
Simon is a pianist and musical director, whose work has encompassed opera and musical theatre, in classical and more popular genres. He has played keyboard in the orchestras for the Melbourne seasons of “Phantom of the Opera”, “Les Miserables”, “Chicago”, “Sunset Boulevard”, “Showboat” and “Dr Zhivago”, and has worked in the showbands on the m/s Sunbird (Sun Cruises), m/v Rotterdam (Holland America Line), m/v Galaxy (Celebrity Cruises) and m/v Mercury (Celebrity Cruises). Simon studied piano with Associate Professor Stephen McIntyre at the University of Melbourne and graduated with the award for the best final year student. As a student, he recorded a concerto with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for ABC-FM. Simon currently teaches piano and VCE Music at Peninsula Grammar in Mt Eliza.
Simon was a guest artist at two Special Classes of Rie’s Music World on Friday 29 September 2017.
Yuko Tomonaga – harp
Yuko Tomonaga is one of Japan’s most accomplished young international harpists. Recent highlights include guest harpist roles at Harp Festivals in Moscow, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Korea. She also recently released a CD as an accompanist for Hitomi Niikura (Cello), produced by Sony Music Direct. She is enthusiastic about teaching as well, having participated as a ‘Teaching Assistant’ for Harpy Summer Academy by Hong Kong Harp Centre.
Ms Tomonaga has also enjoyed significant success in harp competitions including 1st prize at the 3rd Slovenian International Harp Competition in the highest category, E, and 1st prize at the 13th Osaka International Music Competition, Harp Division. After graduating from the renowned Toho Gakuen High School & College of Music in Tokyo, she continued her formal education internationally including graduating with a Master of Arts from the Royal Academy of Music in London, as well as completing a graduate diploma from the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow.
Yuko was a guest artist at two Special Classes of Rie’s Music World on 3rd July 2017.
John Arcaro – percussion
John Arcaro has been a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 1990. He has also been a guest timpanist/percussionist with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa Japan, Malaysian Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony, West Australian and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. He has worked as a chamber musician and soloist with ensembles such as the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, Synergy Percussion, Speak Percussion, Astra, Aphids, The Pokrovsky Ensemble Russia and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Performance highlights have included a critically acclaimed performance of Stockhausen’s Kontakte with pianist Michael Kieran Harvey in 1996. John has recorded numerous film scores and performed with a wide range of popular artists, including Frank Sinatra, Olivia Newton-John, KISS and Sting. John studied in New York and Philadelphia with leading orchestral percussionists and graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) with high distinction. He is currently a member of staff at the University of Melbourne and the VCA.
John was a guest artist at Rie’s Music World on 8 May 2017.
Damien Eckersley – double bass
Damien studied double bass with Max Mcbride at the Canberra School of Music, and Prof. Timothy Dunin at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Oberschutzen, Austria. In Australia, he has played with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria.
Internationally, Damien has worked with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Graz Philharmonic, the Niederösterreichische Tonkünstler Orchester, the WDR Symphony Orchester Köln, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, and others. As a chamber musician and soloist, Damien has appeared in concerts throughout Australia, Germany, Austria and Japan, China, Hong Kong, collaborating with orchestras, musicians, and ensembles from all over the world.
Damien is passionate about music education and is Head of Double Bass at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), and Lecturer in Double Bass at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne University, as well as giving masterclasses throughout Australia and Japan. He is also involved in ensemble and chamber music coaching, working often with the Australian Youth Orchestra, Melbourne Youth Music, and the Kanazawa University Orchestra amongst others.
Damien was a guest artist at two Special Classes of Rie’s Music World on March 13 2017.
Minako Moriwake – koto
Minako Moriwake was born in Japan and began studying the koto from the age of five as part of the Ikuta school (生田流).
She performs regularly around Melbourne and enjoys introducing her instrument to new audiences.
Minako was a guest artist at Rie’s Music World on 6 March 2017.
Patrick Wong – violin
Patrick has been a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2010. He began playing the violin at the age of four, studying mainly with Yasuki Nakamura, Alex Todicescu and Peter Zhang. After high school he continued to study privately with Professor Zhang while he completed a double Computer Science/Music degree at the University of New South Wales, and won the Kendall National Violin Competition in 2000.
After two years working in IT he decided he would give violin another try and began a Masters of Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Goetz Richter. After completing this degree he successfully auditioned for a tutti position with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra in Sydney, where he remained for five years before joining the MSO.
Patrick appears regularly at Rie’s Music World. His favourite tunes are Anpanman March, Thomas the Tank Engine and Mahler 2.