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Joy and curiosity are central to Elizabeth Sellars’ lifelong quest to create uplifting musical performances that transcend the mundane.  Drawing upon her belief that music can delve into our essence, bring beauty to our lives and transport us to the sublime, Elizabeth’s artistic approach is to connect audiences with wonder through sculpted sound that is nuanced, rich, warm and ardent. 

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Born in Melbourne, Australia, Elizabeth studied under esteemed mentors including Nehama Patkin (piano), and Andre Hadges, Arkady Feldman, and Nathan Gutman (violin). As a student at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, she was a member of the Birubi Quartet, mentored by Marco Van Pagee. Her early promise was recognized through numerous scholarships and awards from the Lady Northcote Trust, the Australian Business Foundation, the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Trust, the Australian Musicians Guild, the English Speaking Union, and the Musical Society of Victoria.

 

Further study took her to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where she studied with David Takeno (violin) and the Gabrieli and Takacs Quartets (chamber music). In the UK, Elizabeth was a recipient of the Martin Trust and the Countess of Munster Scholarships and the Louis Peskai and Maurice Warshaw prizes. As a member of the Techinski Quartet she was a winner of the inaugural John Tunnell Trust and the Royal Overseas League Ensemble Prize and Miller Trophy, recorded for the BBC, toured Scotland and the Channel Islands and performed as group soloist with the Philharmonia in the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Elizabeth played widely throughout Europe and Japan with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

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In Australia Elizabeth has appeared variously as guest Concertmaster and guest Principal Violin with the Tasmanian and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, Orchestra Victoria, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra. She has also toured with the Australian World Orchestra. 

 

A sought-after chamber musician, Elizabeth has performed for Musica Viva, at international festivals, and on radio broadcasts worldwide. Her recordings span labels such as Move, Naxos, ABC Classic, Toccata Classics, and Tzadik. Her collaboration with pianist Kenji Fujimura on The Messiaen Nexus—featuring the world premiere recording of George Benjamin’s Sonata—was named the 2014 Limelight Chamber Music Recording of the Year. Her latest projects include recordings of Australian Horn Trios with Quercus, with future releases featuring world premiere recordings by Arthur Benjamin and William Shields.

 

Elizabeth holds the position of First Violinist with Flinders Quartet and is a regular collaborator with Ensemble Liaison. She is a founding member of Sutherland Trio with Caroline Almonte and Molly Kadarauch, and Quercus Trio with Carla Blackwood and Rhodri Clarke. 

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Dedicated to fostering new work, Elizabeth has received funding from the Australia Council for commissioning works for solo violin. She has performed world premieres by Katy Abbott, Julian Yu, Dominik Karski, Paul Stanhope, Paul Dean, Chris Dench, Livia Teodorescu-Ciocănea, Andrew Ford, Gordon Kerry, Paul Grabowsky, Mary Finsterer and Dave Douglas.

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For sixteen years, Elizabeth served as a Lecturer in Violin and Co-ordinator of Strings at Monash University, where she played a pivotal role in developing a dynamic and innovative strings program. She holds a PhD focused on the stylistic interpretation of works by the English prodigy George Frederick Pinto and has authored a chapter on the Polish-Jewish violinist Nathan Gutman, which is set to be published by Bloomsbury in late 2025. Currently, Elizabeth shares her expertise through private teaching and her work at the Australian National Academy of Music.

Elizabeth has also been an active speaker and panelist at prominent events including the International Academy of Musical Arts, the Australian Violin Pedagogy Conference, AUSTA, the University of Auckland, the International Akaroa Music Festival, and the Pettman Junior Academy. As a juror, she has evaluated performances at prestigious competitions such as the New Zealand National Young Performers Awards, the Australian Youth Classical Music Competition, the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, the Great Romantics Competition, the Dorcas McClean Scholarship, and the Singapore Teachers’ Association Performer’s Festival.

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Elizabeth performs on a remarkable Eugenio Degani violin from Veneto, crafted in 1876, renowned for its exquisite purfling and its deep, voluptuous tone across the lower strings.

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