Stefanie Farrands

Principal Viola

Chair sponsored by Peckvonhartel Architects: Robert Peck AM, Yvonne von Hartel AM, Rachel Peck & Marten Peck

Stefanie Farrands was appointed as Principal Viola of the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2020.

Stefanie grew up in Melbourne and began her studies on violin before making the switch to the viola at the age of 16. She describes her connection with the viola as instant, saying that from the moment she played the instrument for the first time she knew she ‘had found her voice.’

Stefanie studied at the Australian National Academy of Music and spent a year as an ACO Emerging Artist in 2008, before moving to Berlin to continue her studies with the renowned violist Tabea Zimmermann at the Hochschule für Musik. She has won numerous awards and chamber music prizes including the Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition (as a member of the Hamer Quartet).

ACO Principal Viola Stefanie Farrands in Berlin

She has performed extensively throughout Europe, America, Asia and Australia with orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Camerata Salzburg. Prior to her role with the ACO she was Principal Viola with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and has performed as Guest Principal Viola with the Strasbourg Philharmonic, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Australian World Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as a soloist with the ACO, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and Melbourne Chamber Orchestra

Stefanie is passionate about commissioning and performing new music for the viola, and as recipient of the Freedman Classic Fellowship, she used her scholarship to commission several new works for the instrument. She performs on a 2016 viola made by Ragner Hayn in Berlin.