Paul FITZSIMON, CONDUCTOR
Currently the Assistant Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Paul Fitzsimon graduated from the University of Melbourne where he completed a Bachelor of Music majoring in piano performance under Stephen McIntyre. In 2001 and 2002 he was an assistant conductor with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra, during which time he conducted a large amount of repertoire including performances of works by Gershwin, Mussorgsky and Chabrier. In 2002 he organised and conducted an orchestra of The University of Melbourne residential colleges, and also conducted three performances of a new chamber opera as part of the University of Melbourne Faculty Of Music’s opera project.
Since 2003 Paul has been an active participant in the Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program, working with Gianluigi Gelmetti, János Fürst, Sir Charles Mackerras, Christopher Seaman and others. As part of these courses he conducted performances with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
In 2003 Paul attended the conducting classes at the Academia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, with Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti, and was funded by the Sydney Symphony to live in Sydney and study further with Maestro Gelmetti in early 2004.
In June 2006 Paul attended a master class by János Fürst at the Royal Academy of Music in London, funded by an Australia Council grant.
For the 2006 Melbourne International Festival, Paul conducted the Australian premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina’s Homage a T. S. Elliot, and as part of his assistant conductorship with Melbourne Chorale in 2007 he conducted the world premieres of new works by Australian composers Ian Munro and Stephen Wood, broadcast on ABC FM.
Paul conducted a performance of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger Overture with WASO as part of the 2007 Young Performer Awards Grand Final and also a performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at Chapel off Chapel. In December last year he conducted the Australian premiere of Rodion Shchedrin’s The Sealed Angel with Melbourne Chorale. In 2008, Paul has undertaken a position of Academy Musician, studying conducting.
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