Anna McMichael

Anna McMichael is a violinist, artistic researcher and educator in demand as an experienced musician able to perform diverse styles of music from early to experimental. She was awarded a Queen's Jubilee scholarship to study with Vera Beths at the Royal Conservatorium, the Hague in The Netherlands and has a Master's in Historical Musicology from King's College, London, and a Doctorate from Sydney Conservatorium. Anna lived in Europe for 17 years, performing with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and London Sinfonietta and with ensembles including the ASKO/Schonberg Ensemble, Nieuw Ensemble, Ives Ensemble and Ensemble MAE.

Anna has been concertmaster of a Netherlands Opera production and as both guest Assistant Concertmaster and Principle Second of the Netherlands Ballet Orchestra (Holland Symfonia). She has also played lead violin of Ensemble Remix in Portugal and in Germany with the Ensemble Modern and guest lead violin of MusikFabrik. Anna has toured numerous major European festivals and given premieres by many leading international composers.

Anna has performed regularly with Australian groups including Australian Haydn Ensemble, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Pinchgut Opera, Australian Classical and Romantic Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring and the Australian World Orchestra and is a core member of leading early music specialists, Ironwood and Genesis Baroque in Melbourne. Anna was Co-artistic Director of the Tyalgum Music Festival between 2014 and 2019 during which time it was awarded prizes for regional excellence by APRA/AMC. She has a large solo, duo and ensemble discography on many international labels. She performs at many festivals around Australia, with appearances recently at Mona Foma, Canberra International Festival of Music, Sydney and Adelaide Festivals, Vivid in Sydney, and Metropolis in Melbourne.

Anna is the Classical Convenor and Strings Coordinator at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance. She lectures and teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in string performance, music research, research skills, artistic methodology, music history and culture, historical performance practice, ensemble skills, and new music performance.

Research Interests

• String playing traditions
• Historical performing practices
• Contemporary art music in Australia
• 19th and early 20th-century Australian music
• Composer/performer collaborations
• The climate crisis and environmental communication through music
• Interdisciplinary collaboration