Stefanie Farrands

Violist Stefanie Farrands is principal Viola of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Prior to her appointment with the ACO, she was Principal Viola with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra from 2015.
She has performed extensively throughout Europe, America, Asia and Australia with orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Camerata Salzburg and has performed as Guest Principal Viola with the Strasbourg Philharmonic, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Australian World Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She has also appeared as Soloist with many orchestras across the country and abroad.

Farrands has won numerous awards and chamber music prizes including the Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition (as a member of the Hamer Quartet) and has been the recipient of the Freedman Classic Fellowship which has helped support her passion of commissioning new music for the Viola. She is an active chamber musician and has performed and toured nationally and internationally both as a member of the Hamer Quartet and in her own right.

Farrands has been a member of the String Faculty at the Conservatorium of music in Hobart, and has mentored and given masterclasses at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australian National Academy of Music, ACO’s Emerging Artist Program, AYO’s Young Symphonists Program and the Tasmanian and Sydney Youth Orchestras.

Stefanie studied at the Australian National Academy of Music before continuing her studies with Tabea Zimmermann at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler.

She plays a 2016 Viola made by Berlin based luthier Ragnar Hayn.