Violist Alexander McFarlane is Associate Principal Viola with the NZSO, with which he has also performed as a soloist. Equally at home in a solo, chamber or orchestral idiom, Alex has performed internationally in venues including Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, Musikverein in Vienna and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with artists including Janine Jansen, Anthony Marwood, and Doric String Quartet, as well as performing in festivals including Yellow Barn (USA), At the World’s Edge (NZ), Mendelssohn on Mull (Scotland), and Musique à Marsac (France).
Competition successes include winning the 2018 Lorna Viol Memorial Prize and ROSL Trophy for the Most Outstanding Musician from Overseas at the ROSL Annual Music Competition, and First Prize and the Bach Prize at the 2017 Gisborne International Music Competition. He attended the 2013 Adam Summer School.
Alex received his Master’s degree and Artist Diploma under the tutelage of Professor David Takeno at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and has also played in masterclasses with Tabea Zimmermann, Kim Kashkashian, and Lars Anders Tomter. In addition to NZSO, Alex has performed with London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber, and Australian Chamber orchestras.