The Annual

 Glebe Music Festival

In conjunction with The Glebe Society Inc

Born in Sydney, Mathisha Panagoda began learning the cello at the age of four. He received a Jubilee Music Scholarship to Knox Grammar School and in his final years received a scholarship to attend the Conservatorium Open Academy.

A student of Georg Pederson, Mathisha is in his final year of study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music undertaking a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Honours). He was awarded a distinction for his Honours thesis researching interpretations of the Dvorák Cello Concerto. He is also completing a Bachelor of Arts externally at Macquarie University majoring in Philosophy and Sociology. Alongside his University commitments, Mathisha has been performing regularly with The Queensland Orchestra since 2007 and Sydney Sinfonia since 2006.

As principal cellist and a soloist of the SBS Radio & Television Youth Orchestra, Mathisha toured Europe, Russia and Hong Kong. He has performed as a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra since 2005 and in 2008 participated in their 50th Anniversary European Tour. Through the AYO, Mathisha has participated in four National Music Camps, the inaugural 2007 National Chamber Music Camp and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra's Career Development Program.

After worldwide auditions, Mathisha was selected this year as one of four Australians to attend the prestigious 2008 Pacific Music Festival in Japan. There he participated in an orchestral academy, undertook master classes and performed chamber music.
Also this year Mathisha received a grant from the University of Sydney Union to form a new chamber orchestra in Sydney. As director of the ensemble, he has organised and participated in performances at the Seymour Theatre and Sydney Conservatorium of Music. As part of this project, Mathisha founded a Composition Competition which offered composers the opportunity to workshop and perform their music with the ensemble.

In Australia and Japan, Mathisha has performed in master classes for Pieter Wispelwey (UK), Antonio Meneses (Brazil), Richard Aaron (USA), Desmond Hoebig (USA), Jens Pieter Maintz (Germany), Howard Penny (Australia) and Li Wei (Australia). As a recipient of a B.B.M. Ltd. Scholarship, Mathisha will travel to the UK later this year where he will pursue further study.

Details about the Concert