Mario Dobernig – Conductor
Austro-Australian conductor Mario Dobernig is Conductor in Chief and Artistic director for the Preston Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Chorale and the Ballarat Wind Orchestra. He is also a regular guest conductor for the Barrier Reef Orchestra in Townsville and the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra.
Career highlights include assistant conductor to Sir Andrew Davis and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for the Percy Grainger Project also released on disc for CHANDOS and a critically acclaimed production of Stravinsky’s Histoire du Soldat for the Woodend Winter Arts Festival, also recorded by ABC Classic FM.
Mario has been awarded his PhD at the University of Melbourne and also holds Master degrees in Conducting, Percussion and Musicology from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, University of Helsinki and the Kunstuniversität Graz, Austria. Mario has been a guest lecturer and conductor at The University of Melbourne and Monash University.
Mario has conducted a large repertoire of orchestral works including Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, Dvorak’s New World Symphony, Beethoven’ Symphony No. 1, Schumann’s Symphony No. 1, Schubert’s “Great”, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Carl Vine’s Percussion Symphony, Debussy’s L’apres midi d’une faune, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and has been artistic director/conductor and tour manager of several highly successful international tours of Austria and China.
Engagements for the 2014/15 season comprise a world premiere recording for ABC Classics commemorating the centenary of Gallipoli as well as conducting Mozart’s C-minor Mass in Melbourne and Queensland, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No 2, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, Schubert’s Symphony No 5, Schumann’s Symphony No 4, Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio, Elgar’s Violin Concerto and Spirit of England, Stravinsky’s Octet, Schubert’s Mass No 2, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, Beethoven’s Eroica, Symphony No 5, No 7 and Violin Concerto, and Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Faure’s Requiem.
He will appear internationally in Austria with performances of Haydn’s Farewell Symphony and an Operatic Gala and will be the Artistic Director of the inaugural Whitley College Music Festival Series.