Robert Ashworth

Robert Ash­worth is having a great time being Prin­ci­pal viola for the Auck­land Phil­har­mo­nia.  Arrived from Canada to New Zealand shores in 2003 for a one-year adventure, he has found a connection with this country through its music, people and country-side, his animals and family.

He has been guest-​principal viola for the Mel­bourne Sym­phony, the New Zealand Sym­phony Orches­tra and the Aus­tralian Opera and Bal­let Orches­tra, as well as assistant-​principal for the Cal­gary Phil­har­monic Orches­tra. He is vio­list with the Jade String Quar­tet in Auck­land, and also plays with the Australian World Orchestra.

Robert is a twice recip­i­ent of the Canada Coun­cil for the Arts Award for Emerg­ing Artists and has per­formed with var­i­ous groups at inter­na­tional cham­ber music fes­ti­vals in Europe, North Amer­ica, and Japan. He has had the hon­our to study with vio­lists Thomas Riebl and Veronika Hagen at the Uni­ver­si­taet Mozar­teum in Salzburg, Aus­tria and with Ger­ald Stan­ick at the Uni­ver­sity of British Colum­bia in Van­cou­ver, Canada.