Violin Lecturer

Evan Elsley's students have won millions of dollars in scholarships and awards. His former students are well respected in the areas of performing, teaching, and examining. Including Sandi Oh, an AMEB examiner and SYO conductor, and Vov Dylan, the ARIA's #1 classical violinist in 2022 and 2023, for his chart topping sales of Elena Kats-Chernin's "Kismet", with Clemens Leske on piano. 

Evan is an adjunct violin lecturer at the UNSW School of Music and Music Education. He is also an awarded AMEB Senior Examiner. Evan has done relief teaching at the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) and is a NSW State Conservatorium of Music accredited teacher (Sydney Conservatorium). He has mentored diploma examiners, been on diploma examiner review panels, and has been consulted on the technical content for grade exams.

Evan Elsley's teaching experience includes being the Director of Strings at Kambala School, Waverley College, and St Pirans UK. He has examined HSC performance candidates, conducted youth orchestras, and is a Duke of Edinburgh assessor. Evan has also contributed to establishing the business model for peripatetic instrumental teaching in regional centres, through grants from the Australian Arts Council, the NSW Premier's Department and Frensham, Mittagong. He has conducted masterclasses for teaching organisations, and is a highly sought after eisteddfod adjudicator.

His book "Violin Diploma Technique, Principles of Talent" is available at the National Library of Australia, and the State Library of NSW.

Violinist

Evan Elsley commenced his study of the violin at the comparatively late age of 11 years. He became a music scholar at The Scots College, and within a short span of three years, he was also accepted into the Head Violin Professor’s class, at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He was then offered a choice of several full tertiary music scholarships, and undertook the music course at Sydney University. While still a student, he led the music department’s resident Sydney University String Quartet, and was also the concertmaster of their Pro Musica Orchestras.

During his university years, Evan Elsley was rapidly absorbed into the Australian professional music scene. He then studied solo virtuosic technique, with the Head Violin Professor at Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Muzyczna [Uniwersytet Muzyczny im. Fryderyka Chopina] in Warsaw, Poland. The pedagogical provenance of Evan Elsley's teachers, include direct historical links to virtuosi such as Wronski, Ysaye, Thibaud, Lasserson, Heifetz, Auer, Joachim, Wieniawski, Vieuxtemps, Hubay, Rode, and Viotti.

Evan Elsley has performed as soloist in concert arenas to audiences of up to 13,000 people, and on live tv to 4 million. He has performed concertos, many solo recitals of Bach, and worked with many contemporary composers. His Australian classical concert bookings have been for organisations such as Musica Viva, ABC, Sydney Festival, International Society for Contemporary Music, Universities, radio stations, NSW Art Gallery, Arts Councils, CBD churches, and Music Clubs. Evan regularly performs at Sydney's major concert venues, opening ceremonies, and tours. Recently with Vov Dylan and Mary Jess, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Tainan City, Taiwan.

As a soloist, and Violinist-Conductor of chamber ensembles, he has performed for HM The Queen & HRH Duke of Edinburgh on multiple occasions, The Saudi Royal Family, Asian Royals, numerous Australian Prime Ministers, Foreign Government officials, Heads of State, (such as the British Prime Minister, and Japanese Cabinet), State Premiers, Governors, Consuls and religious leaders. Evan has also performed for innumerable celebrities, ranging from famous oldies like Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, Sir John Mills, to Priscilla Presley, Nicole Kidman, Elton John. His society bookings have included Lady Fairfax, Murdochs, Cointreux Balls, fashion launches, Government and business functions. He has performed for product launches, International Hotel openings, midday tv shows, world peace concerts, charities, and for art galleries, (including the NSW Art Gallery acquisition of Jackson Pollock's Blue Polls). He has played at multiple New Year's Eve at the Opera House Northern Foyer celebrations, and often performed for the Universities of NSW, Western Sydney, and for the Australian Vice Chancellors. He has led front acts for pop stars like Midnight Oil, Johnny O'Keefe, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and has been booked by other musicians and their management for their own entertainment. These have included the Moscow and Australian Ballet Companies, the cast of Les Miserables, The Royal Amsterdam, Hunter, Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras.

He has been the concertmaster of film orchestras for Burbank Studios and Film Australia. He has also led concert, viennese, salon, dance, opera, recording, and cocktail orchestras. Recordings have been on the EMI, Festival, K Tel and Larrikin labels. Radio broadcasts have been for the ABC, FM radio and commercial stations such as 104.1 (2Day FM), 2MBS FM, TV credits range through Midday Shows, Good Morning Australia, ABC Music specials, current affairs programs like Four Corners, "Soaps' (including Neighbours), film appearances, tv episodes, pop videos, and tv commercials for the Australian, American and Japanese tourist market, (clients such as Audi, Telegraph Mirror). Print appearances have included Vogue, Bulletin, Women's Weekly, Woman's Day, to Qantas magazines and "in flight" music sound tracks.

Evan Elsley has been a full time violinist for over half a century. He has played at the most prestigious venues, and the most unusual venues. His experience ranges from being the Primas of gypsy bands, playing old-time dance music in the Jack Papworth Orchestra, gigging with Sydney's top jazz musicians, to playing in the string sections for Charles Aznavour, Peter Allen, John Denver, Christopher Cross, Tommy Tycho Orchestra, to touring with Gene Pitney. Evan has played in the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, in long running musicals like Evita, Sound of Music, and in all of Sydney's famous period theatres, The Regent, The Capital, The State, and Her Majesty's. His residencies have included playing Stroviol in a swing band at City Tattersalls. He has also been the resident solo violinist for the Hilton Hotels, Sydney Showboat, Swissotel, Observatory Hill Hotel, The Ritz Carlton, the Sydney Opera House management and restaurant, the Melbourne Windsor Hotel, and the Sydney Town Hall management. His performance company Elsley Ensembles Pty Ltd, has been the preferred music supplier for the major event agencies, including the Navarra Venues.

Evan Elsley has given world premieres of compositions by Edwin Carr (through the Australia Council), Sir Peter Platt, Professors Eric Gross, James Penberthy, and has performed chamber works by Schoenberg and Webern, for the ABC Sydney Opera House concert series. He was also the Violin-Conductor of the "Celebrated" Palm Court Orchestra. Their 10th anniversary concert "sold out" the Sydney Town Hall.

His violins are made by Scott Cao. International award winning maker, and winner of “blind test” comparisons against Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesu violins.