Julia Fredersdorff is one of a new generation of musicians with a passionate interest in historically informed performance of music spanning the 17th, 18th and early 19th Centuries. Julia left Melbourne in 1998 to study with Enrico Gatti at The Royal Conservatorium in The Hague, graduating in 2003.

Based in Paris over the last 9 years, Julia has performed and recorded with many of the finest European ensembles in France, Italy, Belgium and Holland, such as Les Talens Lyriques, Les Folies Françoises, Le Concert d’Astrée, Le Parlement de Musique, Il Complesso Barocco, and Bach Concentus. Julia has played in many of Europe’s best international festivals, such as Les Folles Journées de Nantes, the Festival d’Ambronay and the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, as well as participating in over 20 CD recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Virgin Classics, Accent, Accord, Naïve, Erato, Passacaille, Ambronay, K617, ABC Classics and Tall Poppies. Julia is a founding member of the new ensemble Ironwood which toured Australia this year for Musica Viva, and is the founder and Artistic Director of the Peninsula Summer Music Festival.  Julia teaches baroque violin at the Conservatoriums of Music of Sydney and Melbourne.

Laura Vaughan is Australia’s most exciting viola da gamba and lirone player of the rising generation. Following her return to Australia from studies at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, she has performed a wide range of solo and chamber repertoire across Australia, Europe and the United States.  Passionate about the sound world of the viol, Laura is committed to bringing this exquisite repertoire to audiences around the world.

Recent engagements have included a recital of all three Bach gamba sonatas as well as performances with the Australian Brandenburg Soloists and Adelaide Baroque. Laura has performed in many major festivals such as the Utrecht Early Music Festival, the Festival d’Aix-en-provence, Adelaide and Melbourne Festivals and records regularly for ABC Classic FM as a soloist and chamber musician. Laura performs with numerous ensembles including the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, La Compañia, Pinchgut Opera, the Auckland Philharmonia, Melbourne Bach Choir, Song Company and Opera Australia.

After completing his studies at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand harpsichordist Donald Nicolson has developed a successful and varied professional career, regularly performing with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, contemporary ensemble STROMA and the NZ International Festival of the Arts. He has made numerous recordings, particularly for the Naxos label – but is best known for featuring on the soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring.

Donald undertook postgraduate studies at the Royal Conservatorium in the Hague, the Netherlands, focusing especially on the interpretation of the 16th Century English Virginalists and the keyboard  music of 17th Century France. In Europe, Donald was member of many ensembles, with varied concert programmes taking him through Holland, Belgium, France, Germany and Poland.