W/Prof Paul Bernard Wright

Winthrop Professor
Academic Staff (Music)

Contact details

Address

Academic Staff (Music)
The University of Western Australia (M413)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 2060

Email

paul.wright@uwa.edu.au

Qualifications

BA SACAE

Biography

Adelaide-born Paul Wright began violin studies with Lyndall Hendrickson at the age of 8, and three years later, was awarded a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England. He went on to study at the Guildhall School in London, and in 1978 was accepted as a student at the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied under Ivan Galamian. He has performed with many ensembles in Australia and America including the Australian String Quartet, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble of the Classic Era and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Paul has been a soloist with many major Australian orchestras since 1989. Since 1991 he has directed Ensemble Arcangelo, an eighteenth century period instrument group based in Perth. He is co-recipient of an Australian Research Council grant enabling him to investigate aspects of French Baroque music especially in relation to the French Cantata. Paul also performs Eastern European gypsy music with Kashtany Duo and in 2003 produced a highly acclaimed CD with accordionist Miroslav Gutej.
In 2009, Paul was seconded to the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne where he was a member of the teaching faculty for 18 months.
Paul is in demand as a director/leader of leading ensembles in Australia.

Key research

Freelance Musician:

2010Director/Concertmaster Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Best of Baroque

Director Australian Youth Orchestra Young Symphonists String Program

Director/Soloist Melbourne Chamber Orchestra Season 5 Melbourne Recital Centre

Tutti violin Australian Chamber Orchestra February National Tour

Performed in Canberra International Arts Festival

Performed in Melbourne University Spring Early Music Festival

Soloist/Director Woodend Winter Arts Festival, Victoria

2009Concertmaster West Australian Symphony Orchestra for 3 programs including as soloist February, May and November

Director/Concertmaster Australian Classical Orchestra, January

Chamber music performance with Pacifica Quartet for Perth Festival

Kulcha concert Kashtany Duo

Concertmaster for Bach B minor mass St Georges

Festival Baroque performances

Soloist Albany, began work on documentary featuring Albany’s young musicians

Trout Quintet, Prokofiev for Music Society UWA

Haydn Seven Last Words ANAM

Director/Concertmaster Haydn Symphony No 88 ANAM

2008Performed with Chris Potter in PCH for Perth Festival

Concert-master for Monteverdi Poppea production with Victorian Opera under Richard Gill

Numerous concerts as Director/soloist Juniper Chamber Orchestra

2007Director and Concert-Master: Juniper Chamber Orchestra with Geoffrey Lancaster at Government House Ballroom

2006Chamber Music with international guests: Twilight Song with Lisa Milne, Perth International Arts Festival, Winthrop Hall

Director and Soloist: Mozart 250th Birthday Celebration Concert in Perth Concert Hall

Artistic Director and Concert-master: Juniper Chamber Orchestra

Director: Australian Classical Era Orchestra Soloists, Winthrop Hall and Margaret River

2005Guest Associate Concert-master: West Australian Symphony Orchestra (Masters series)

2004Chamber music recital: Hale Visiting Artist’s Programme Soloist and Concert-Master: Back to Bach, Collegium Symphonic Chorus Orchestra, St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco

2003Soloist baroque violin: Melbourne Autumn Music Festival

2002Soloist and Director: Ensemble Arcangelo, Coriole Music Festival (South Australia), Recorded and broadcast live on ABC FM

2001Concert-Master: Collegium Musicum Choir Orchestra: Mass in B Minor J.S. Bach, Winthrop Hall

2000Concert-master and soloist: Australian Bach Ensemble, Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, Recorded live and broadcast on ABC FM

Publications

2008Smalley Horn Trio - Melba label (International distribution)
2007French Baroque Music ABC Classics 5 CD’s in total (International
distribution)
2004Rogue Guitar: Milicia Ilic (International distribution)
2003Streetfire: Kashtany Duo, KWA Records (International distribution)
2003Trasnochando: Tango 22 Production
2002Kashtany Duo DVD of live performance Her Majesty’s Theatre,
Melbourne (in collaboration with Canadian dance ensemble)
2003Night Fishing: Simon Fox (International distribution)
2002Urban Gypsies
2002Haydn Fortepiano Trios: 2 CD set, Ensemble of the Classic Era, ABC Classics Antipodes label (International distribution and BBC airplay)
1997C.P.E.Bach Trio Sonatas: Ensemble of the Classic Era, ABC Classics Antipodes Label (International distribution)
1996Haydn Piano Trios: Ensemble of the Classic Era, ABC Classics Antipodes Label (International distribution)
1995As concertmaster Brandenburg Orchestra with Graham Pushee
1994Brandenburg Orchestra soloist- Vivaldi Concerti, Brandenburg 3

Honours and awards

Finalist in ABC Instrumental and Vocal competition, Australia1981

Martin Bequest recipient, London1980

Royal Society of Arts Scholarship, London1978-79

First Prize in Beethoven Prize, Guildhall School of Music, London1977

Winner Craxton Memorial Prize, London 1977

Previous positions

2009-2010The Australian National Academy of Music
Teacher of violin and chamber music, director of chamber orchestra

1990- currentThe University of Western Australia
Lecturer, Co-ordinator of String Studies

West Australian Conservatorium of Music
1987-1988Lecturer/ Cristofori Piano Trio
1983-86Lecturer/ First Violinist of the West Australian String Quartet

Teaching

Lecturer, Co-ordinator of String Studies at School of Music, UWA

Research profile

Research profile and publications