Justin Beere

Justin is the Associate Principal Clarinet of Orchestra Victoria and the founding Artistic Director of the Melbourne Chamber Players. Justin has enjoyed a varied career, guesting regularly with leading Symphony Orchestras and chamber music festivals across Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Justin has appeared on numerous live broadcasts for 3mbs and ABC radio and recently recorded "The Nutcracker" ballet as Principal Clarinet with Orchestra Victoria for ABC Classics.

As a chamber musician, Justin has worked with leading chamber ensembles, Orava Quartet, Arcadia Winds, Hindemith Wind Quintet and the Melbourne Ensemble. He has also performed in the Mackay Festival of Chamber Music, Port Fairy Music Festival, Peninsula Summer Music Festival, Bendigo Festival, Melbourne Festival, Music by the Springs, the Banff Summer Music Festival (Canada) and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music Winter School.

Passionate about supporting new Australian music, Justin has commissioned many new works by Australian composers and has performed with award-winning new music ensembles Syzygy, Arcko Symphonic Project, Opus House and was a founding member of the Rubiks Collective.

Justin has appeared on numerous Live broadcasts for 3mbs and ABC radio and has had the opportunity to work under conductors like James Judd, Sir Andrew Davis, Simone Young, Joana Carniero, Lior Shambadahl, Daniel Kuerti, Arvo Volmer, David Danzmayr, Sebastian Langlessing, Alex Brigger, Michael Collins, Richard Tognetti and Brett Dean.

Justin is an Alumnus and current Fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). Teachers have included David Thomas, Paul Dean, Stephen Kenyon and Floyd Williams. He has also performed in masterclasses with clarinetists Michael Collins, Paul Meyer and Dimitri Ashkenazy, Thorsten Johanns, David Campbell and Frank Celata to name a few. On full scholarship, Justin undertook study in the Professional Performance Program at ANAM, a Masters of Music Research degree at the Queensland Conservatorium and a number of post-graduate degrees on an orchestral woodwind scholarship at the University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music. He was also the winner of the Nelle Ashdown Memorial Award in 2011.

To date, some career highlights include performing in all four operas of the Melbourne Ring Cycle, Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro with Dale Barltrop (2012), the Schubert Octet with Anthony Marwood (2013), the world premiere of Paul Dean’s E-flat clarinet concertino No Exit (2014) and a performance of the Quartet for the End of Time with Eureka Ensemble at the Peninsula Summer Music Festival (2015).