Dr Carlos Alvarado
Principal Conductor & Musical Director
Since arriving in Australia from Columbia in 2002, Carlos has been active in developing his musical career locally. Having successfully held a number of illustrious posts in Bogota, his experience spreads to incorporate various leadership roles at a number of international orchestras, choirs, ensembles and universities in South America, along with Russia, Germany & Spain.
After winning a full scholarship from the Colombian Institute of Credit to study in Russia, Carlos obtained his Opera and Symphonic Conducting Doctorate degree at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatorium of Music in Moscow studying under Gennady Rozhdestvensky. At this same institution, he also undertook higher studies in choral conducting, piano, theory and voice technique, and was additionally awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree in choir conducting.
Since 2003, Carlos has been the Musical Director of the Manly-Warringah Choir and Orchestra, and in 2004, Carlos was Co-founder of the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra that became a symbol of the cultural development in Wollongong and the Illawarra region. From 2010-2012, he was appointed Music Director of WIN Television Australia and since 2012, Carlos has been the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Sydney North Chamber Orchestra, whilst regularly taking part as a guest conductor with theKu-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra.
Many Australian and International figures such as James Morrison, Timothy Kain, Konstantin Shamray, John Chen, Tatiana Kolosova, Alexandra Loukianova, Deborah De Graaff, Emma Moor and other soloists have been part of programs conducted under the baton of Carlos Alvarado.
Maria Lindsay
Concertmaster
With an active and illustrious career as a soloist, chamber musician, artistic director and teacher, Maria Lindsay fills an integral leadership role as concertmaster within the RHHSO Family. Having graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with honours of a high distinction, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Trust Award to further her studies in Vienna.
Her talents have resulted in regular international movements, whilst nationally; she has performed with some of the finest musicians in Australia. Additionally, she has held positions within the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the elite Australian World Orchestra.
From a local perspective, she has appeared as guest concertmaster with Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia, Sydney Opera House Orchestra, St Laurence Chamber Orchestra, North Sydney Symphony and many more.
As leader of the Lurline Chamber Orchestra, she has performed the World Premiere of the Violin Concerto dedicated to her by Tommy Tycho, and she continues to perform this stunning work regularly. With her love of the tango genre, Maria is lead violin with Orquesta La Luna, a fiery dance ensemble, whilst actively engaging new works, performing contemporary chamber music with Klangforum Vienna, the Seymour Group Sydney, Alpha Ensemble and Ensemble Offspring.
With many broadcasts for the ABC and 2MBS-FM, Maria teaches at Sydney Conservatorium and UNSW, adjudicates various competitions including Sydney Eisteddfod and the Palladian Cup at Sydney University and recorded the set works for the most recent AMEB violin series.
Dr Daniel Rojas
Composer in Residence
With an abundance of talent and charisma, RHHSO Resident Composer, Daniel Rojas, has won several composition prizes and awards throughout his career. Currently working on a number of commissions for Australian and international artists, his work has been performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra and various ensembles along with soloists.
Completing a PhD in composition in 2010, teaching classes in music language and skills, along with composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Rojas focuses on the indigenous, folk and popular music of Latin America, particularly salsa, tango and Peruvian Andean music.