4BR Downunder Profile Interview

Dom Harvey

4BR Downunder recently caught up with the energetic and talented Dom Harvey in Adelaide where he guest conducted the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for their Zeppelin Flies Again Concerts.

Music Biography

Dom Harvey has been a member of the performance staff of the Canberra School of Music since 1991. In that time he has been the Acting Head of the Brass Department, the Convenor of the Graduate Program in Music, Principal Horn with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and member of the Canberra Wind Soloists. He has made numerous recordings for Tall Poppies and ABC Classics and appears as soloist on the Anthology of Australian Music on Disc.

Dom Harvey has been a regular performer in live broadcasts for ABC Classic FM. He has toured Australia with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, been guest Principal Horn with the Tasmanian and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, Sydney Symphony and the Australia Ensemble, given masterclasses in China and Vietnam and toured Korea and New Zealand. He has appeared as soloist with the Sirius Ensemble, performing Bach's Mass in B Minor with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs; with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Haydn Bande and Salut! Baroque; performed Michael Kieran Harvey's Kazohinia at the Sydney Festival; accompanied Andreas Scholl on Baroque Horn in concerts with the Australian Brandenbug Orchestra in Australia, Austria, France, Germany and England; played solo Baroque Horn with the Australian Bach Ensemble at the Melbourne Festival. He has been tutor and soloist for the GlobalFreeway Australian Youth Orchestra's ‘Young Australian Concert Artist' Program.

Dom Harvey is the director of the Australian Chamber Singers (formally the Canberra Chamber Singers) and is co-conductor of the Canberra Youth Orchestra. Other conducting responsibilities have involved the Canberra Youth Choral Festival, and the Canberra Choral Society.

Australian National University Brass Ensemble

Dom Harvey is the Director of the ANU Brass Ensemble – a specialised group of talented brass students. The beauty of the group is that it quite soloistic, with usually only one player per part, although the ensemble is versatile and can change in number depending on the repertoire. This group plays a huge variety of music from traditional through to contemporary. They are in great demand and perform regularly in Canberra as well as touring regionally, especially to schools.

Dom Harvey with the ANU Brass Ensemble

A particular highlight for the ANU Brass Ensemble was performing for Nelson Mandela when he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the university. At the 25th Anniversary of the School of Music, the Brass Ensemble was privileged to be able to perform a composition written specifically for them by Larry Sitsky.

Next month the ANU Brass Ensemble will be performing as guests at the Melbourne International Festival of Brass.

Dom's background

Dom grew up in Sydney and started playing cornet as a youngster in the local Harbord RSL Band. He moved over to trumpet when he started high school, and as tends to happen in the life of a brass player, was moved onto French horn because the school needed someone to play it! His teacher at this early stage was Edwin Lorensten, who was Fourth Horn of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

He changed school in Year Nine and went to the Conservatorium High School, where he initially studied the piano as his main instrument. Eventually he saw the light and concentrated his efforts on the horn, studying with many significant teachers, including: Phillip Farkas, Herman Beauman, Meia Rimon, Frank Lloyd, Hector McDonald, Rob Johnston and Campbell Barnes.

After finishing high school, Dom worked as a freelance musician in Sydney before traveling to the United Kingdom to study under Frank Lloyd – an experience he particularly enjoyed.

Dom now…

Currently Dom lives in Canberra and continues to work as a freelance musician as well as in his role at the ANU. He is a versatile performer and enjoys singing, narrating and conducting, as well as playing the electric bass and the saxophone.

His most recent and exciting project has been to gain a grant for his brass quintet ‘5 Plus' allowing the ensemble to commission a new work – which will be premiered in September. The unique aspect of this ensemble is the ‘plus' part of the name – they are not just devoted to brass, allowing for other instruments depending on the repertoire. The new work is being composed by Melbourne-based Kate Neal, and will include bass guitar and drum kit.

Dom Harvey has a passion to promote local music and always aims to have at least one Australian work in any concert repertoire.

Recently 4BR Downunder was privileged to be in the audience as Dom Harvey conducted the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in concert with the ‘Zep Boys' at the Adelaide Festival Centre. Resplendent in leathers and with great energy and drive, Dom led the culture clash with such ease, that one would think heavy rock and symphony orchestras are the norm! Feature orchestral works (not by Led Zeppelin!) for this concert were Alexander Moslov's Iron Foundry and the awesome Headbanger by the Australian composer, Matthew Hindson.