Conductor

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR Dr Joanna Drimatis

Joanna Drimatis is a highly-respected champion of Australian music and contemporary classical music –contributing comprehensively through her output as a conductor, performer, musical director, researcher and educator.Joanna is currently the Music Director/Chief Conductor of the Beecroft Orchestra and Resident Conductor of theNSW Doctors’ Orchestra in Sydney. Joanna has also guest conducted the Australian Doctors’ Orchestra, theSydney Youth Orchestra, the Mosman Symphony,the Woollahra Philharmonic, 

The Hourglass Ensemble andensembles for the Orange Chamber Music Festival. In 2022-23, Joanna has enjoyed conducting productions ofThe Marriage of Figaro, the Australian premiere of Emilie by Kaija Sariaaho, the world premiere of Threading theLight by Felicity Wilcox, Britten’s Turn of the Screw and Pagliacci for young Sydney-based opera company The CoOperative. This year she conducted Dialogues of the Carmeliites by Poulenc for Gente Gente Productions.

Previous positions include Music Director of the Christchurch Youth Orchestra/NZ and Conductor for the
Adelaide Youth Orchestra association. In these positions, Joanna initiated numerous collaborations,
commissions and premieres, with select performances broadcast on NZ Concert FM and ABC Classic/Australia. Joanna has also been guest conductor in New Zealand for the Christchurch Symphony, Nelson Symphony, University of Canterbury Chamber Orchestra and St Matthews Chamber Orchestra and in Australia for the ElderConservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Burnside Symphony Orchestra and the Bishop Orchestra at the SA State Music Camp.

After initial studies in Music Education and Violin Performance from Australia, Joanna completed a Masters
degree from the University of Texas at Austin (Violin / Orchestral Conducting) where she was conductor of the University Orchestra. In 2009, Joanna graduated with a PhD in Musicology investigating neglected Australian orchestral music from the mid-20th century from the University of Adelaide/Australia. As a violinist/violist Joanna has played professionally as an orchestral and chamber musician both in Australia and overseas and performed at festivals which include the Strawberry Creek Festival (USA), International Institute of Music (Germany). Joanna has also been a participant in the conducting programs at Aspen Music Festival (USA) and the American Symphony League’s Donald Thulean Conducting workshop.

Joanna has also given presentations on string and orchestral pedagogy with emphasis on the use of Australian repertoire for training orchestras. This work culminated in an invitation for her to present on this topic at the 2019 Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, USA. Joanna has worked as a sessional academic at the University of Adelaide/Elder Conservatorium and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. After holding the position as Head of Strings at MLC School Sydney from 2016-2022, Joanna is now Music Education Specialist for the Australian Music Centre. In 2020 Joanna was awarded an APRA/AMCOS Art Music Luminary award for her advocacy, programming and performance of Australian music.

https://joannadrimatis.com/