Biographies

Enjoy the sweet Elysian grove,
seat of pleasure, seat of love.

Handel—Alceste (1749/50)

Elysium Ensemble

Biography: Founded in 1985 by Greg Dikmans, the Elysium Ensemble has been acclaimed by critics for its exciting performances, fine musicianship and authoritative interpretations of music from the Baroque and Classical periods.
Reviews: Some of the nice things people have said about us over the years.
Entries in The Oxford Companion to Australian Music: The Elysium Ensemble’s standing as one of Australia’s finest chamber ensembles and its important contribution to the Early Music Revival in Australia has been recognised by two entries in The Oxford Companion to Australian Music (Melbourne: OUP, 1997).

Elysium Ensemble—St Paul's Anglican Church, Geelong—24 April 2008. Photo: Albert Comper

Artistic & Musical Direction

Greg Dikmans: Flutes & Recorders; Photo: Greg Dikmans

Lucinda Moon: Violin; Photo: David Lewis

Members (Past & Present)

Since 1985 many wonderful musicians from Australia and overseas have performed together as part of the Elysium Ensemble. One of Greg Dikmans‘ aims in forming the ensemble on his return from post-graduate studies in Europe was to provide opportunities for young musicians to gain experience in early music by exploring new repertoire and performing with their more experienced peers. Quite a few have gone on to pursue their own studies overseas and establish careers in early music.

Elysium Ensemble — 1989

Elizabeth Anderson: Harpsichord
Rachael Beesley: Violin
Meredith Bhathal: Viola
Calvin Bowman: Harpsichord
Rosalind Brockman: Violin
Geoffrey Burgess: Oboe
Alison Catanach: Flute
Deirdre Dowling: Viola
Janet Fernandes: Viola
Nicole Forsyth: Viola
Julia Fredersdorff: Violin
Stephen Freeman: Violin
Fiona Furphy: Cello
Anne Gilby: Oboe
Roger Glanville-Hicks: Theorbo & Baroque Guitar
Briar Goessi: Violin
Rosalind Halton: Harpsichord
Julie Hewison: Violin & Viola
Jamie Hey: Cello
Rosanne Hunt: Cello

Jenny Ingram: Viola
Linda Kent: Harpsichord
Elvira Kirkbride: Violin
Anna McDonald: Violin
Simon Martyn-Ellis: Lute, Theorbo & Baroque Guitar
Ross Mitchell: Violin & Viola
Miriam Morris: Bass Viol & Cello
Anne Murphy: Harpsichord
Simon Musgrave: Violin
Donald Nicolson: Harpsichord
John O’Donnell: Harpischord, Organ & Fortepiano
Nigel Paul: Trumpet
Christine Ruiter: Violin
Cath Shugg: Violin
Bruce Stewart: Oboe
Laura Vaughan: Bass Viol
Margaret Waugh: Cello
Rosemary Webber: Double Bass
Ruth Wilkinson: Bass Viol, Recorder & Violone
Adam Yee: Oboe

Guest Artists

Barbara Baird (USA): Harpsichord
Simon Biazeck: Tenor
Katrina Brown: Harpsichord
Mary Cyr (Canada): Bass Viol
Matthias Eisenberg (Germany): Harpsichord & Organ
Gerald English: Tenor
Vivien Hamilton: Soprano
Craig Hill: Chalumeau
Anthony Jennings (New Zealand): Harpsichord & Organ
Deborah Kayser: Soprano

Jerzy Kozlowski: Bass
Genevieve Lacey: Recorder
Tessa Miller: Soprano
Douglas Mews (New Zealand): Harpsichord
Stanley Ritchie (USA): Violin
David V. Russell: Counter-tenor
David Staff (UK): Baroque Trumpet
Philip Swanton: Fortepiano
Shelley Wilkinson (New Zealand): Violin

Collaborations

Choir of Trinity College (dir. Michael Leighton Jones): A concert of four Bach Cantatas as part of the Bach 2000 project in the Melbourne Festival (overall musical direction by Greg Dikmans).
Choir of Trinity College (dir. Michael Fulcher): A performance of Handel’s Messiah.
La Douce Maniere (dir. Margaret Mullins): A concert of French Baroque music and dance.

e21 (dir. Stephen Grant): A concert of Jewish Baroque Music.
The Early Dance Consort (dir. Fiona Garlick & John Barnard): A concert of French Baroque music and dance.
The Song Company & Fontana Musica: Performances of Purcell’s opera The Indian Queen at the 1995 Barossa Festival (overall musical direction by Greg Dikmans).