Dr Carlos Alvarado
Conductor

Colombian born Carlos was appointed Musical Director of the Manly-Warringah Choir in April 2003.

Carlos started his musical career as a pianist under Maestro Jorge Zorro, one of the leading personalities in the Colombian Music Education System.

Having won a full scholarship from the Colombian Institute of Credit to study in Russia , Carlos obtained his Doctorate of Opera and Symphonic Conducting at the Tchaikovsky Conservatorium of Music of Moscow where he studied under Gennady Rozhdestvensky. He also undertook higher studies in choral conducting , piano theory and voice technique, and was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree in choir conducting from the same Conservatorium.

In 1990-92, he was invited by Professor Hellmuth Rilling and the International Bach Academy of Stuttgart to take part as an Active Conductor in various courses and festivals with the Bach Collegium Orchestra and the Gachinnger Kantoire Choir in Stuttgart (Germany), Moscow and Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

Carlos returned to Colombia after finishing his academic studies. During this time he was guest conductor of the main Colombian orchestras, conducted several groups, choirs and ensembles and taught conducting in most of the important universities in Bogota, Colombia. At that time he took part in various international competitions in Brazil, Russia, Spain and Italy.

Since his arrival to Australia in 2002, Carlos has been actively developing his musical career. 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 (NSW) Australia.

Many Important Australian and International figures as James Morrison, Timothy Kain, Konstantin Shamray, John Chen, Tatiana Kolosova, Alexandra Loukianova, Deborah De Graaff, Emma Moor and many other soloists have been part of the programs conducted under Carlos Alvarado baton.

Carlos has founded a variety of choirs and music ensembles. The most recent being “Cantares”, a new choral ensemble with members from the Shoalhaven, Illawarra and Wollongong areas.

Carlos is currently the Music Director of WIN Corporation Australia.

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Some comments about Carlos Alvarado, Conductor

“Carlos Alvarado, was my student in Moscow conservatory. He is a very gifted young conductor who can conduct music of different styles. Carlos works insistently on his own perfectioning, he is a warm and emotional artist, gifts that are shown especially in works of romantic characteristics”.
Gennaddy Rozshdestvensky Moscow Conservatory, 1993.

Carlos compares more than favorably with every famous conductor I’ve seen in Europe.  He is stunning to watch, passionate about what he does and is all together inspiring. 2007 – Bruce Gordon, Owner WIN Corporation, Principal Sponsor, WIN Wollongong Symphony Orchestra

“Under his leadership the orchestra has achieved solidarity and an ever-increasing high standard of performance”. Australian Composer Ann Car-Boyd on WIN Wollongong Symphony Orchestra. 2011

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Alexandra Loukianova
Concertmaster

Alexandra, renowned Russian violinist, has a Master of Fine Arts from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatorium where she studied under Professor Galina Barinova.

She has enjoyed international success as a solo violinist, interpreter of chamber and orchestral music. She was the Concertmaster of the Russian Ministry of Education Orchestra, first violin of the XXI Century Chamber Orchestra, and with this group she toured throughout Ireland. She was also soloist of the Ensemble of Soloists of Tula (Russia), with whom she performed throughout Russia and the Ukraine.

From 1994 to 2002 she was Associate Concertmaster of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogota (Colombia). At that time she was also Associate Professor of the National University Conservatorium of Colombia.

As soloist, Alexandra has recorded many recitals and concerts with orchestra for the Colombian National Radio and Television. She has also performed in the most prestigious concert halls and auditoriums in Colombia. More recently she has performed in various venues in Wollongong and Sydney, including a recital at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and was performing regularly with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra till recently.

Alexandra currently works as a violin teacher at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music. Since 2003 Alexandra has been Concertmaster for the Manly Warringah Choir’s orchestra and since 2004 Concertmaster for the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra.

Alexandra performed the Prokofiev’s 1st violin concerto at the Manly Warringah Choir Easter concert in 2011 and has recently formed the Australian Violin Ensemble – an innovative all-female group of twelve violinists, of which she is leader and artistic director.

Angela Ferguson
Accompanist

Our very talented rehearsal pianist and accompanist, Angela Ferguson, has been with the choir for 18 years. She obtained her Bachelor of Music degree from the NSW Conservatorium of Music and, since graduation, has freelanced as a bassoon player for many professional and amateur orchestras in the Sydney, Newcastle & Wollongong regions, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Opera House Orchestra & the Hunter orchestra. She has also accompanied many soloists on the piano for recitals and examinations.

Angela has played piano accompaniment for Manly-Warringah Choir’s concerts, and often joins the orchestra as a bassoonist.

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Our Orchestra

Many of our orchestra play or have played with the Wollongong Symphony or Sydney Symphony orchestras.  Click here for biographies.