Download VSO Concertmaster Dale Barltrop Accepts Additional Appointment

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For Immediate Release
MEDIA RELEASE
August 11, 2013
VSO Concertmaster Dale Barltrop Accepts Additional Appointment
with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Vancouver, BC – The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of VSO
Concertmaster, Dale Barltrop, to one of its two Concertmaster positions. He will continue on in his role
at the VSO without interruption.
Speaking about the appointment and his position at the VSO, Mr. Barltrop remarked, “It is an honour to
be invited to work with the Melbourne Symphony, an orchestra I have admired for many years. Being
able to maintain such strong ties with the music community in Australia, my home country, is a
tremendous privilege. I feel fortunate to be able to undertake this new venture while continuing to build
for the future with the VSO. Over the past four years, I have grown to love the Vancouver Symphony
Orchestra, its musicians, board, staff and audiences. Vancouver is a very special place to live and to
make music, and my life and work here continue full steam ahead. This is a unique opportunity to work
with two world-class orchestras, and I look forward to sharing my experiences across the Pacific.”
The musicians of the VSO, Music Director Bramwell Tovey, the Board and Staff are all excited for Dale,
and all wish Dale the very best in his new position. We look forward to continuing to work with Dale, in
the 95th Anniversary Season and beyond.
The full Melbourne Symphony Orchestra media release:
Dale Barltrop announced as Concertmaster of the
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has today announced the appointment of Brisbane-born violinist,
Dale Barltrop, to one of its two Concertmaster positions.
Barltrop will take up the role from 2014 filing the position left vacant by Markus Tomasi in 2009. In his
first year he will share the Concertmaster responsibilities with Wilma Smith who has recently announced
she would be retiring from the MSO at the end of 2014. Barltrop is currently Concertmaster of the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, a position he will continue to hold.
“Dale is a fabulous musician who, through the past few seasons visiting us as a Guest Concertmaster,
has shown all the signs of being a great leader,” said MSO Managing Director André Gremillet. “He has
made a huge impression on the Orchestra, conductors, and audience alike and we are thrilled to be
welcoming him to the MSO family.”
"It is a huge honour to be given the opportunity to lead this great orchestra and I'm thrilled to be
working with Sir Andrew Davis, Diego Matheuz, Ben Northey and the entire MSO team,” Barltrop said. “I
have loved my visits to Melbourne over the past few years and look forward to building an even
stronger relationship with these wonderful musicians in the years ahead.”
Barltrop performs regularly across North America and Australia and was appointed Concertmaster of the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 2009, where is has appeared as both soloist and director. Prior to his
appointment in Vancouver, he served as Principal Second Violin in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for
six years. During this time, Barltrop appeared regularly as soloist with the SPCO, including a
performance of his own orchestration of Schubert's Rondo in B minor.
He began his violin studies in Brisbane, Australia, made his solo debut with the Queensland Symphony
Orchestra at the age of 15 and was concertmaster of both the Queensland and Australian Youth
orchestras for many years. He moved to the United States in 1998 to attend the University of Maryland
and continued his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Barltrop will join the MSO as Guest Concertmaster for its concert Tribute to the Empress, from Thursday
19 to Saturday 21 September 2013, and will begin his tenure as Concertmaster in June 2014 under the
baton of Sir Andrew Davis.
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