AYO Momentum Ensemble: Bowral Autumn Music Festival

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Véronique Serret is a versatile violinist, vocalist, and composer known for seamlessly bridging classical and contemporary art forms. Her diverse musical interests span folk, rock, experimental art music, and improvisation while maintaining a strong classical background.

For many years, Véronique was a member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and toured with US harpist Joanna Newsom. In 2015, she served as Concertmaster of the Darwin Symphony Orchestra, developing strong community engagement. She has led string sections for artists including Laurie Anderson, Fleet Foxes, and Neil Finn and frequently performs at the APRA Screen Music Awards.

As a contemporary classical soloist, Véronique performed Arvo Part’s Tabula Rasa with the Sydney Symphony, Vasks’s Lonely Angel at Four Winds, the Australian premiere of Boulez’s Anthèmes, Brian Howard’s Desires Ingrained for solo violin and Cathy Milliken’s Crie, written especially for her.

Véronique’s current projects include touring HEARTLAND with William Barton and co-composing Bushfire Requiem for Artology. Véronique’s debut six-string album, Prima Volta, is available through Corella Recordings. She plays a 1900 Leandro Bisiach violin and a custom six-string violin by Paul Davies.

William Barton is Australia’s leading didgeridoo player as well as a highly esteemed composer, instrumentalist and vocalist. William first learnt the instrument from his uncle, Arthur Peterson, an Elder of the Wannyi, Lardil and Kalkadunga people and was working from an early age with traditional dance groups, fusion/rock/jazz bands, orchestras, string quartets and mixed ensembles. Throughout his diverse career he has forged a path in the classical musical world from the London, Berlin and Bremer Philharmonic Orchestras to historic events at Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day 2019, at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli and the Beijing Olympics. William Barton has collaborated regularly with AYO musicians having shared stages in both Regional Australia (2014, 2025) and Internationally (2013, 2025) and facilitating creative workshops in specialist schools (2018, 2019). 

William holds honorary doctorates from both Griffith University and the University of Sydney. He has released 5 albums on the ABC Classics label including Heartland 2022 with Veronique Serret and the words of William’s mother, Aunty Delmae Barton. William has been developing a new musical language, which is epitomised in this record.  

William was named Queensland Australian of the Year for 2023 and was an Australian of the Year Nominee. In 2023 he also received the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music.  

In 2022 he was recognised for his work with the Australian Chamber Orchestra for the Sountrack of the film “River”. River won Best Soundtrack Album and Best Original Song Composed for the Screen at the APRA AMCOS Screen Awards, Best Original Score in a Documentary at the AACTA Awards and Best Original Soundtrack at the ARIA Awards.  

His other awards include the prestigious Don Banks Music Award from the Australian Council in 2021, winner of Best Original Score for a Mainstage Production at the 2018 Sydney Theatre Awards and Winner of Best Classical Album at the ARIA Awards for Birdsong At Dusk in 2012. 

William Barton Soloist Chair is generously supported by Ulrike Klein AO

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Hyung Suk Bae, internationally renowned cellist celebrated for his captivating performances and artistry. Serving as the Principal Cellist of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Bae is celebrated for his profound musicianship and technical mastery. He has been praised for transcending “beyond technical excellence and into the realms of artistry.” 

Bae’s performances have graced prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Centre, and the Sydney Opera House. Among his recent achievements, his rendition of Richard Strauss’s “Don Quixote” with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra was particularly lauded for its compelling storytelling. 

As a sought-after principal cellist, Bae has collaborated with esteemed ensembles such as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition to his orchestral engagements, Bae is a dedicated educator, holding faculty positions at both the University of Queensland and Queensland Conservatorium.  

Bae’s musical journey began at The Juilliard School in New York City, where he earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees on full scholarships under the mentorship of Joel Krosnick, former cellist of the Juilliard String Quartet.  

Playing a 2023 Vettori cello (Florence) and an 1833 Derazey cello (Mirecourt), Bae’s instruments are valued for their rich tones and historical significance. 

Aunty Delmae Barton was born in Emerald, Central Queensland, and is a descendant of the Bidjara tribe on her mother’s side. Widely known as Australia’s Dreamtime Opera Diva, her career spans regional Australia, national arts centres, and international stages in Canada, the UK, Italy, France, and China.

Her career highlights include the 2011 YouTube Symphony Orchestra “Jam Session concert” in Sydney, a special guest performance at the Vatican for Mary MacKillop’s canonisation, and a cultural blessing for Queen Sofia of Spain in 2009. She also performed at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the inauguration of Lady Quentin Bryce as Governor-General of Australia.

Aunty Delmae was a guest artist at the Pompidou Centre in Paris and a resident at the international multimedia facility Fabrica Musica in Italy. She has also collaborated with her son, William Barton, and performed at numerous festivals, including the Brisbane International Film Festival and the Woodford Folk Festival. Aunty Delmae has served various education faculties and was appointed Elder in Residence at Griffith University in 2005. She advises students and staff and regularly attends court hearings as part of the Murri Court Justice system in Queensland.

Sydney-born pianist Vatche Jambazian completed his Master of Music at The Juilliard School after studying at the Sydney Conservatorium. Since his international debut in Armenia, Vatche has performed extensively across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia.

He was awarded the Fine Music Station (2MBS) Young Performer of the Year (NSW), was a finalist in the ABC Young Performer of the Year and was a prize-winner at the Los Angeles International Piano Competition. His concert engagements include prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, City Recital Hall, Hobart Town Hall, The Foundling Museum, Zipper Hall, and Lincoln Centre, where he premiered Kaija Saariaho’s Light and Matter Piano Trio through the Rolex Arts Initiative.

Vatche has been featured on ABC Classic FM, Fine Music Station 2MBS, and WQXR Radio (NYC) and has performed with baritone David Greco, soprano Eleanor Lyons, and the Orava Quartet. During the pandemic, he appeared in the Digital Season at Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Digital Concert Hall, Australian Festival of Chamber Music, and Phoenix Central Park. He is currently the Principal Pianist for Omega Ensemble and an Academic Lecturer at the Australian Institute of Music.