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Tuning into Success | Max Beckmann

My name is Max Beckmann, and I am a violinist in Year 12 at Terrace. I play in Waterford String Orchestra, Waterford String Quartet, the Terrace Symphony Orchestra and am also the first violinist in the Queensland Youth Symphony. I first began my musical journey at the age of nine, and through my time at Terrace have been able to participate in and represent the College in many musical opportunities including:

The Norman Clarke Music program

  • Junior GPS Day of Excellence, 2018-2019 | Principal and second violin
  • GPS Music Showcase, 2021-2024
  • State Honour Ensemble Program, 2020
  • Australian Honours Ensemble Program, 2020-2023

During the first week of Term 3, I was fortunate enough to participate in the Young Mannheim Symphonists National Academy in Melbourne. The process of being selected to perform with this orchestra commenced last year, where I submitted both a video audition and a written application. I was chosen as one of 50 orchestral musicians under 25 to be invited for a week of rehearsals, workshops, and chamber music.

What was unique about this program was that the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra ran it. Not only did we get to play alongside professionals, but it also focused on Historically Informed Performance (HIP). HIP is all about making musical choices that reflect how the music was played when it was first written, back in the 18th and 19th centuries! For me, this meant playing on gut strings, which are made of cow or sheep intestines and are very different from the metal strings violinists use today.

My favourite part of this opportunity was meeting so many passionate and talented musicians from across Australia and collaborating with them through music. Being able to share the results of our hard work and practice is a memory I will never forget.

As I come close to graduating from Terrace, I am proud to have sat my Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) violin exams through to Associate in Music (AmusA). I look forward to auditioning with the Academy again, and continuing my musical journey in 2025.