Ross Fiddes

Ros Fiddes is Artistic Director and secretary of the annual 10-14 day Newcastle Music Festival. It is probably the largest festival of its kind in NSW, if not Australia. It focuses mainly on classical music, but also supports jazz, world music and some more popular styles.

He was also the founder, promoter, and musical director of the award-winning Newcastle-based music theatre company The Sound Construction Company; and in the 1990’s, was the founding principal conductor of the pro-am Novocastrian Arts Orchestra (now Orchestra Nova); and was artistic director and principal conductor of Opera Hunter also in the early-mid ‘90’s.

As a pianist, he has been a soloist, accompanist, and recitalist in concert with and without orchestra and as a chamber player. 

As conductor/musical director, he has conducted symphony concerts, operas, oratorios, musicals & choral concerts for many musical organisations in the Hunter and North-West NSW. 

His compositions have been performed by The Australian Opera - as it then was (cond. David Stanhope), West Australia Arts Orchestra (cond. Gerald Krug), Acacia Quartet, The Hunter Orchestra (cond. Roland Peelman), Newcastle University Symphony (cond. David Banney), The Song Company (cond. Ross Fiddes), NSW Youth Concert Band, Third Military District Band, Bennelong Wind & Brass, Newcastle Wind Orchestra, Opera Hunter, Novocastrian Arts Orchestra, Opera Mode (cond. Antony Walker), Shakespeare et al, The Sound Construction Company, CTN Productions, as well as many individual performers in Australia and overseas.

He was an invited participant for the 1995 June In Buffalo International Composers’ Festival, State University of New York. 

Ross’ compositions have been recorded on the Tall Poppies, Vox Australis, Wirripang, Taslig and Ferndale Studios labels & broadcast on ABC Classic FM.

He is published by Wirripang Music, Sheet Music Direct, Sheet Music Plus, and has full representation at the Australian Music Centre.

In addition to the above, Ross has been:

·      instrumental in establishing 2 regional music conservatoriums;

·      an officer in Jaycees Australia (including as Area Director & then State Secretary);

·      a committee member (including the President) of 2 chambers of commerce;

·      a committee member (including Organising Secretary, then President) of an annual 3,000+ entry eisteddfod;

·      a committee member (including President & Musical Director) of a musical & dramatic society;

·      secretary of a sailing club;

·      a practising lawyer for 58 years.

See all works by Ross in our shop