Biography
Julia MacDonell is an British/Australia horn player currently based in London.

Julia studied for her Bachelor of Music with Honours (Performance) at the Australian National University School of Music (formerly known at the Canberra School of Music) with renowned hornist Dominic Harvey.

She was incredibly active in her local music scene playing for a number of years with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Stopera and the Canberra Pops Orchestra. She has also appeared in Canberra with the orchestra accompanying the Australian Ballet and with a number of Australian artists including Olivia Newton John. She was also lucky enough to be involved with the Haydn Bande; a very special chamber orchestra specializing in performing the work of Haydn and his contemporaries set up by Max McBride and period music specialist Geoffrey Lancaster.

In addition to the professional work experience she has played with an incredible amount of conservatoire ensembles and amateur ensembles. She appeared as a soloist playing the principal horn part of the Telemann "Concerto for Two Horns and Orchestra in D" performing with Dominic Harvey and chamber orchestra Music da Camera. She has performed as a soloist with the ANU Virtuosi, the flagship ensemble of the Australian National University, as well as performing with the School of Music Symphony Orchestra. She has attended the Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp and has also appeared professionally with the Canberra Philharmonic Society, SCUNA (Australian National University Choral Society) and Canberra Choral Society.

She has also appeared as the conductor of the National Capital Orchestra.

Julia moved to the United Kingdom to study for a Postgraduate Diploma of Music (Performance) at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with teachers David MacClenaghan and Hugh Potts. After receiving an RSAMD Postgraduate Trust scholarship Julia studied for her Masters of Music (Performance) this time with David Flack.

Since relocating to Scotland in 2007 she has been playing regularly with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama Symphony Orchestra, RSAMD Chamber Orchestra and Sinfonietta (modern chamber orchestral ensemble). She has also won an apprenticeship with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, participated in a side-by-side orchestra day with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and performed with members of the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Scottish Academy Brass at Canterbury Cathedral.

Julia has also performed with many local Scottish ensembles including the Kirkcaldy Amateur Operatic Society, the Kelvin Ensemble, the Strathclyde University Symphony Orchestra and toured Ireland with the Edinburgh University Music Society. Most recently in June 2009 she performed the solo horn part of Bach's B Minor Mass with the Dunedin Consort.

An interest in chamber music has also played a large part in Julia's musical life. She played with the Griffyn Ensemble of Canberra, Australia, a nine piece chamber ensemble whose players and artistic director, wrote and arranged music for the ensemble to perform. In the European summer of 2008 she attended the International Summer Course for Winds studying with hornist Nigel Downing and the Arlequin Trio. Julia also continues to play with the Al Viento Quintet.

Since moving to London Julia has performed in the Bloomsbury Opera production of "Die Fledermaus", a number of amateur ensembles and with progressive rock group Happy Penguin Hungry Bear.

Orchestral Work

Julia's orchestral work includes

• Bloomsbury Opera, Principle Horn, Die Fledermaus, 2009
• Dunedin Consort, Solo Horn - Bach B Minor Mass, 2009
• BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Apprenticeship, 2008
• Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama Symphony Orchestra, 2007 - 2008
• Stowaway Productions, Kirkcaldy Amateur Opera, 2009
• Strathclyde University Orchestra, Kelvingrove Ensemble, 2008
• Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Fourth/Second Horn 2002 - 2007
• Canberra Pops Orchestra Co - Principal Horn, 2004 - 2007
• Canberra Philharmonic Society Orchestra, 2006 - 2007
• Australian National University Virtuosi, Solo Horn, 2006 - 2007
• Australian National University School of Music Orchestra, 2001 - 2006
• Australian Ballet, Second Horn, White Season Canberra, Australia, 2005
• National Music Camp, Australian Youth Orchestra, Melbourne, 2005
• Canberra Choral Society Orchestra, Principal Horn, 2001 - 2005
• Olivia Newton John World Tour Orchestra, Canberra, Australia, 2003

• RSAMD Plug Festival, World Premier N. Scott "Sequenza for Solo Horn" 2009
• Al Viento, Wind Quintet, 2008 - 2009
• Royal Scottish National Orchestra Brass 2009
• 9th International Summer Course for Winds, Switzerland, 2008
• Royal Scottish Academy Brass, 2007 - 2009
• The Griffyn Ensemble, 2007

Education
Julia's graduate studies took place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama - Masters of Music (Performance) 2008/2009, and Post Graduate Diploma (Performance) 2007/2008. Julia's undergraduate studies took place at Canberra School of Music, Australian National, Bachelor of Music with Honours (Performance) 2001 - 2004.

Prizes and Awards

• 2009 Finalist RSAMD Governors' Brass Competition
• 2008/2009 Recipient RSAMD Postgraduate Trust Scholarship

Teachers: David Flack, David MacClenaghan, Dominic Harvey and Hugh Potts.

Master Classes: Nigel Downing, David Pyatt, Fergus McWilliam, The Wallace Collection.

Julia joined Morgensterns in November 2009

Julia's web profile was last updated 12th Feb 2011

[an error occurred while processing this directive]