First violin - Rebecca Daniel
Rebecca began playing the violin at four, later studying with Emanuel Hurwitz and the Amadeus String Quartet at The Royal Academy of Music. Rebecca performed chamber music throughout the UK with Simon Standage and Trevor Pinnock, and the Parnassus String Ensemble. She was invited to join The Australian Chamber Orchestra, and played with SSO and numerous orchestras before discovering the joys of Musical Theatre. Rebecca was the orchestra leader for Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast and The Sound of Music; and played in West Side Story, A Little Night Music and The Hunting of the Snark. She has recorded and performed with John Denver, Bread, Men at Work, INXS, Pavarotti, Shirley Bassey, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow, Barbra Streisand, Will Ackerman and Fiona Joy Hawkins. In 2019 Rebecca and Fiona collaborated on an album of new compositions which was recorded in the Blue Mountains, with producer Llew Kiek, and The Kanimbla String Quartet, and the duo then toured the US for a month, performing the album. A highlight of the tour was performing with the group FLOW, at Carnegie Hall.
Second violin - Elizabeth Cooney
Elizabeth began violin studies at the age of four and has benefited from a depth of musical input and collaboration with teachers including Gordon Bennett, Maria Lindsay and Shuti Huang. Elizabeth completed a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts at the University of New South Wales graduating in 2010. She was Concert Master of the Eastern Sydney Chamber Orchestra from 2007 - 2011. As a member of The Metropolitan Orchestra Elizabeth performed in the BBC Planet Earth and Dr Who Spectacular at the Sydney Opera House. She has performed with soloists David Helfgott, Sumi Jo, Roger Woodward and James Morrison. In 2014, Elizabeth toured New Zealand with the Cologne Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Elizabeth has appeared as a soloist with Blue Mountains Orchestra Orpheus Strings, of which she is Concert Master. Elizabeth has enjoyed playing with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra from 2017 onwards. Elizabeth is a passionate teacher of the violin in the Blue Mountains, works as a freelance musician and is member of the Kanimbla String Quartet.
Viola - Sam Harding
Sam began the violin at a young age, learning from a number of teachers in Sydney. At the age of twelve, he began tutelage at the Sydney Conservatorium with Geotz Richter, during which time he played for and led the Conservaotirum's Access Orchestra. In his late teens, he took up the viola, and started to perform in a number of Sydney orchestras, including work with Sydney Youth Orchestra, Eminence, The Metropolitan Orchestra, and Opera Australia. After finishing his education, Sam met the Cologne Philharmonic orchestra, with whom he played for a number of years, including tours of Australia, New Zealand and Europe. He currently plays in a number of local organisations in the Blue Mountains, and enjoys performing for the community with both Orpheus Strings and the Kanimbla Quartet.
Cello - Trish McMeekin
Patricia commenced her cello studies with her mother Colleen McMeekin, and then studied with John Painter at the Sydney Conservatorium, and at the Adelaide Conservatorium with James Whitehead. She then spent 7 years as co-principal cello with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and cellist with the Brisbane String Quartet. On returning to Sydney she freelanced with the ACO, SSO, and the Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Patricia subsequently spent 15 years in the UK, playing with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra whilst heading the string department at Bryanston school in Dorset.
On her return to Australia she taught at Sydney Grammar School, where she was also resident cellist for the Bach Cantata project with the Sydneian Choir. During that time Patricia also taught at the Australian Institute of Music, the Blue Mountains Grammar School and the Central Coast Conservatorium. Now with more free time Patricia is enjoying her passion for Chamber Music and some private teaching.