Charmian Gadd - violinist

 

The Australian violinist Charmian Gadd returned to Australia in 1988 after spending twenty-three years in America and Europe. Her rich international career has included solo performances with many of the world’s finest orchestras, chamber music and festival appearances, recording for the BBC and professorships at two American universities. Her principal teachers were Richard Goldner, Josef Gingold, Henryk Szeryng and Janos Starker.

 

She holds 'Diplome d'honneur' from both the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius Competitions and was a prizewinner in international violin competitions in Vienna and Philadelphia. In later years Gadd herself became a Jury member in Japan, Hong Kong, USA, Canada, the UK and Australia. 

 

Moving home to Australia in 1988, Gadd became Head of the String Department at the Canberra School of Music before moving to Sydney in 1990 to hold the same position at the Conservatorium of Music. She was a founding member of the Macquarie Trio in Australia in the 1990s as well as Trio Concertante based in San Francisco in the 1960s and its revival based in Pittsburgh in 1970s.

 

Charmian has played with all the professional orchestras in Australia and New Zealand and was the Artistic Director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville. In retirement on the Central Coast, she established a series of concerts as "Charmian and Friends" and still performs regularly as soloist and chamber musician. Her students are some of the top professional players in Australia, the USA and China.