Lyrebird Trio

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Lyrebird Trio is comprised of Australian musicians Glenn Christensen (violin), Simon Cobcroft (cello) and Angela Turner (piano), all distinguished graduates of the  Queensland Conservatorium. Formed in early 2013, the trio takes their name after the remarkable Australian native lyrebird, also an important emblem of their alma mater for much of its history.

In July 2013, Lyrebird Trio won all piano trio prizes at the quadrennial Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition: the Beluera Prize for best piano trio, and the Peter Druce Audience Prize. Subsequently, they featured in the ABC International documentary “Ivory, Strings and Bows”, broadcast in over 40 countries across Asia, 
North America, the Pacific and Indian subcontinent. As Winter Musicians-in-Residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada, they gave numerous performances across the region in January/February 2014, and made a welcome return to Banff in 2015.

Lyrebird Trio have been Ensemble-In-Residence at the Queensland Conservatorium since 2014. In addition to their core season, other recent appearances have included engagements at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House, the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, Musica Viva QLD, 4MBS Festival of Classics, and recordings and broadcasts for ABC-Classic FM, Australia’s national broadcaster. They appeared with The Metropolitan Orchestra in Sydney playing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in August 2014. 

Outside of the trio, Glenn Christensen is a core ripieno player with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Simon Cobcroft is Principal Cello with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and Angela Turner is a lecturer at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University.

 

Glenn Christensen

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Glenn Christensen was born and raised in the regional Queensland town of Mackay, where he received his early music education through the Suzuki Method with local teacher Diane Powell. Glenn then studied with Michele Walsh at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Music, First Class Honours. He was also the first person ever to be awarded the three highest prizes – the Conservatorium Medal, the Music Medal and the University Medal.

As of 2015, Glenn is a full-time member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Prior to this appointment, he was Principal 1st Violin of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra during 2012-2014. He has also performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, was the Concertmaster of the Australian Youth Orchestra in 2012 and 2013, and was an Australian Chamber Orchestra Emerging Artist in 2012.

As a soloist, Glenn has performed with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions, most recently in July 2015, where he returned as Guest Concertmaster, Director and Soloist. He has had performances broadcast live on ABC Classic FM, was a finalist in the 2014 ABC Young Performer Awards, and in 2009 won every category in the prestigious Kendall National Violin Competition.

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Simon Cobcroft

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Simon Cobcroft is a prolific and versatile performer of solo, orchestral and chamber music in Australia and further afield. Since 2014 he has been Principal Cello with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and has also held the positions of Associate Principal Cello with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (2012-2014), and Sub-Principal Cello with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (2003-2011). 

Simon is a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium (2000) and the Australian National Academy of Music (2003). Since that time, he has been a frequent guest performer with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony, 

Denmark’s Esbjerg Ensemble and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed at the Aldeburgh, Pacific and Salzburg Music Festivals, and appeared as soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic (Tan Dun, D’Indy), Sydney’s Metropolitan Orchestra (Brahms, Beethoven), Orchestra Victoria (Elgar, Shostakovich) and at the Musici Artis Festival, Brussels (Dvorak).

Simon studied with Matthew Farrell, Janis Laurs, Alexander Baillie, David Strange and Michael Goldschlager. He plays on a beautiful English cello made in 1840 by Thomas Kennedy.

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Angela Turner

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Angela Turner enjoys a multifaceted career as pianist and lecturer. Broadcast on Australian radio as soloist and chamber musician, Angela has performed throughout Australia, England, Canada and Taiwan. In recent years, Angela has enjoyed a focus upon chamber music, most notably with the Lyrebird Trio. Highlights as soloist and in other chamber ensembles have included regular performances in festivals and series around Australia, broadcasts for 4MBS, 3MBS and ABC Classic FM, and critically acclaimed CD recordings.

Angela has been on staff at the Queensland Conservatorium since 1998. A well-respected teacher, Angela is also an AMEB Keyboard Examiner, a sought-after adjudicator and presenter around Australia, and series editor for Hal Leonard Australia. 

A graduate and Conservatorium medallist of the Queensland Conservatorium, Angela completed her Master of Music on exchange at the Royal College of Music, London. During her studies with Joyce Bennett, Natasha Vlassenko and Yonty Solomon, Angela was the recipient of numerous prestigious national and state awards, including the Westpac Award, Florence Davey Pianoforte Scholarship, a three-time winner of the Queensland Piano Competition, Yamaha Piano Competition, Australian Postgraduate Award, Griffith University Doctoral Scholarship, 4MBS Chamber Music Prize, and Royal Music Schools Association Prize for Accompaniment, amongst many others.