Southern Cross Philharmonia
Southern Cross Philharmonia was a fully professional orchestra established in Melbourne in 2005 as a not-for-profit organisation. It championed past and present Australian music within a framework of international repertoire, and was directed by the late Gerald Gentry.
Directed by the late Gerald Gentry, a retired BBC staff conductor, the ensemble was largely dedicated to Australian music for string forces. On Music for Strings (MCD 446) it brought a warm, unforced sound to Australian works beside European string repertoire.
Southern Cross Philharmonia is featured on the following titles
Music for Strings
String orchestra music from Wolf-Ferrari and Grieg to Britten, Grainger and living Australian voices. Gerald Gentry leads the Southern Cross Philharmonia, with Amir Farid at the piano in Grainger’s clog-dance romp.
Southern Cross Philharmonia also appears on
Elegy: Reflections on the music of Peter Tahourdin
A companion to the Australian composer's other Move CD Exposé, this album showcases solo pieces for cello and flute, electronic scores, and small ensemble works.
Members of Southern Cross Philharmonia
Elizabeth Sellars
Australian-born violinist Elizabeth Sellars, is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music in London where she studied with David Takeno (violin) and the Takacs String Quartet (chamber music).
Virginia Kable
Virginia Kable is an established Melbourne-based orchestral and chamber musician, having played with the Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, the Adelaide Chamber Orchestra, Academy of Melbourne and as a regular guest over many years with the Melbourne Symphony and Orchestra Victoria.
Peter Neville
Peter Neville is one of Australia's most accomplished percussion players. He has a particular interest in twentieth-century music and has worked extensively with ensembles including Elision, the David Chesworth Ensemble, the Southbank Ensemble, Jouissance, the Chronochromie Duo and Nadoya.