Biographies
Ewa Kowalski studied the flute under the distinguished Professor Jerzy Mrozik at the Karol Lipiński Conservatorium of Music in Wroclaw, Poland, earning her Master of Music in Performance Degree. Her accomplishments include first prizes at the International Woodwind and Brass Competition in Wroclaw and the National Flute Competition in Olsztyn, as well as significant placements in other international and national competitions. Recognized for her achievements, Ewa was awarded the prestigious Young Musician Scholarship by the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage. She also received a full scholarship to attend William Bennett’s International Flute Summer School in England, where she gained further chamber music experience. After moving to Australia, Ewa has performed widely, including solo recitals at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Sydney and the PolArt Classical Music Festival. She has been a finalist at the Sydney Flute Festival Open Flute Competition and has collaborated with well-known ensembles such as Wind Energy Ensemble, Sydney Contemporary Orchestra, and Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Ewa is a founding member of the Hourglass Ensemble, with which she has performed extensively across Australia, Poland, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Her notable Australian performances include appearances at the City Recital Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre, and Sydney Opera House. Ewa has also been featured on Fine Music FM and premiered the "Everything I Touch" Flute Concerto by Margery Smith at the Sydney Opera House. She performed as a guest artist at the Australian Flute Festivals in 2019 and 2023 and was an adjudicator at the Young Artist Competition of the 2023 Festival. Ewa currently teaches the flute at several prominent colleges in Sydney. For more information, visit www.ewakowalski.com.au.
Ying Ho has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician across Australia, England, Europe, Israel, China, and America. A recipient of the prestigious Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music International Scholarship, she studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Tatiana Sarkissova, the Universität der Künste in Berlin with Jacques Rouvier, and the Sydney Conservatorium with Dr Paul Rickard-ford. During her studies, she won multiple prizes and scholarships including the Else Cross (Brahms) Prize and the Maud Hornby Prize from the Royal Academy, First Prize at the Kawai Australasian Youth Concerto Competition, and the Sydney Conservatorium Concerto Competition.
Ying regularly performs at major venues across Australia including the Sydney Opera House, the City Recital Hall, the Sydney Town Hall, the Melbourne Recital Centre, and the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. She has appeared for Virtuosi Tasmania, and was featured in the Brahmsiana Festival at MONA, Hobart earlier this year with TSO members. She has also performed for Musica Viva Countrywide and at the Musica Viva Festival.
Ying is a highly sought-after collaborative pianist. She toured with violinist Charlie Siem for his inaugural Australian tour. She regularly collaborates with the Sydney Symphony Fellows. She has worked with the Sydney Symphony with conductors such as Simone Young. As a chamber musician, she performed in festivals including the Prussia Cove International Musicians Seminar in England, the Lausanne Academie de Musique in Switzerland, the Estivo Chamber Music Festival in Verona, Italy, and at the Mimir Chamber Music Festival in Fort Worth, Texas.
In 2008, Ying spent a year in Jerusalem where she was on the faculty of the Edward Said Conservatory of Music. She gave concerts in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Haifa and Nazareth, and conducted the Conservatory's orchestra in Bach's Keyboard Concerto.
Ying is also passionate about education and has given masterclasses at the Orange Conservatorium as well as in China. She is currently Head of Keyboard at MLC School in Sydney.
Eleanor Streatfeild is principal cellist and co-director of the Australian Session Orchestra, and founder of Sydney-based Radu Cello Ensemble. She freelances with the Opera Australia Orchestra and Queensland Symphony Orchestra as well as chamber music groups across the east coast. Chamber Music is Eleanor’s true passion, where she frequently exercises her talents as an arranger as well as a performer. Additionally she enjoys spreading her wings with other genres, working on Musical Theatre Productions (Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables and Miss Saigon), Performing with Pop/Contemporary Artists (Laufey, Eminem, Disturbed, John Denver’s Band, Amy Shark), Tracking for Recording Artists and Film (Ball Park Music, Mirusia, Trackdown Sessions for Hollywood/Marvel), and performing with Jazz/World Ensembles (Sounds Across Oceans, Wild Silk Strings).
