Profile | Violinist: Myee Clohessy

Myee began learning the violin at the age of ten with Ernest Llewellyn, OBE. Within eight years she had won 1st Prize at the QYO National Youth Concerto Competition and had joined the Australian Chamber Orchestra. However, in 1989 Myee left Australia to study with Alice Waten at the Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong. Graduating with a High Distinction, Myee moved to London for post-graduate studies with David Takeno and the Takacs String Quartet at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

In London Myee won 1st Prize at the Royal Overseas League Competition which resulted in an invitation to Cyprus to perform for Queen Elizabeth II. Myee was also selected as Concertmaster of the Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra for two years and performed at the European Rencontres of Chamber Music in Paris. As a member of the London Festival Orchestra and the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Myee performed throughout England and Switzerland.

Her next journey was to Norway in 1994 to play with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra as Principal 2nd Violin which led to the position of Assistant Concertmaster in 1997. During these years Myee became Artistic Leader of the ‘Arctimus’ ensemble, funded by the Norwegian Government to present 150 concerts a year throughout Scandinavia. Alongside these commitments she was a Guest Concertmaster of the Risor Festival Strings, Norbotten Chamber Orchestra in Sweden and Associate Concertmaster with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. Myee became interested in Early Music performance and took lessons with specialists Lucy van Dael and Margaret Faultless. As a member of the Norwegian Baroque Orchestra she played at festivals in Cothen, Ansbach, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen, Lucerne, Frankfurt, Oslo and Bergen.

After fifteen years away Myee returned home in 2003 and quickly established herself as a versatile performer of both modern and period violin playing. She has toured with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, and been Guest Concertmaster/Leader of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Pinchgut Opera, Sinfonia Australis and the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra. Myee has played chamber music at festivals throughout Australia with Natsuko Yoshimoto, Dimity Hall, Neal Peres da Costa, Daniel Yeadon, Julian Smiles, Emma Jane Murphy, Jane Sheldon and Lucinda Moon.
The highlight of her life, however is being mummy to her two gorgeous girls, Freya and Kaia.

Myee’s concerts

[events_list limit=5 pagination=1 tag=757]

Blog posts and interviews with Myee

[display-posts tag=”myee-clohessy” image_size=”thumbnail” wrapper=”div” include_date=”true” date_format=”M j, Y” include_excerpt=”true”]

A member of

• Acacia Quartet

We asked Myee a few questions

• How old were you when you decided to be a musician and what led you the instrument(s) you now play? I was a bit of a late starter on the violin, not beginning until I was 10yrs old. Within two years I knew already I wanted to become a violinist thanks to my first violin teacher Ernest Llewellyn. He was an incredible inspiration and planted a love for music in me right from the beginning.
• When you’re not rehearsing/performing/teaching, where are you most likely to be? Cuddling my two daughters on the couch while helping with sight words for Kindergarten, listening to music on the radio (jazz, classical, funk, world music etc) and checking my emails all at the same time.
• After you finish a concert, what is the first drink you want to have in your hand? I am still on my P Plates (I didn’t get my licence until I was 40!) so it’s usually non-alcoholic for me. If I’m not driving, I enjoy a glass of bubbles.
• If there weren’t external factors involved, how long do you think a concert should go for? I must say I do like one hour concerts! However, if there is an interval I think 40mins of music plus talking in the first half and 35mins plus talking in the second half works nicely. Engaging your audience is the most important thing and if you can transport them to a place where they are absorbed in the music and have forgotten their watches then you are on the right path.
• When should we clap? Clapping is a sign of enjoyment from an audience so I do appreciate it! However, I try my best as a performer to guide the audience not to clap between movements if the music needs silence and suspense. There are ways we try to communicate that through body language but sometimes a person’s delight is spontaneous which is just as important.

Listen & buy their recordings on iTunes

Blue Silence

North & South

Lyle Chan String Quartet

 Listen & buy their recordings on Amazon

Blue Silence

North & South