One of Australia’s top musical directors and conductors has been announced as Moree’s 2019 Australia Day ambassador.
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George Ellis, who boasts a wide and varied musical repertoire, will be the official ambassador for Moree’s Australia Day festivities on Saturday, January 26.
“It’ll be lovely to have George Ellis here as our Australia Day ambassador,” Moree mayor Katrina Humphries said.
“I hope everyone makes him feel welcome.”
The conductor, composer and orchestrator works across a variety of styles including symphonic music, choral, opera, musical theatre, jazz and pop, and has presented concerts in Paris, London, Vienna, Venice, Florence, Rome, Amsterdam, Brussels, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Athens, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta and performed in every capital city in Australia.
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Ellis’ stage and screen credits include Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring in Bruce Beresford’s film Mao’s Last Dancer; Man of La Mancha, starring Anthony Warlow and Caroline O’Connor; The Secret Garden for The Gordon Frost Organisation; Sugar: Some Like It Hot for The Production Company; and The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie for Belvoir Street Theatre directed by Neil Armfield.
He also provides orchestral soundtracks for many television shows including most recently, The Bachelor series two.
Some of Ellis’ classical credits include conducting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games 2000, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Queensland, Tasmanian and West Australian Symphony Orchestras and Orchestra Victoria in concert.
He was musical director of the Orchestral Proms concerts at the Sydney Opera House for many years and has conducted world premieres of many Australian works including Matthew Hindson’s Violin Concerto broadcast on national radio.
George Ellis has made a career of combining symphony orchestras with popular artists including Lou Reed, The Church, Megan Washington, Josh Pyke, Sneaky Sound System, Art vs Science, Human Nature, Augie March, GangGajang, Guy Sebastian, Paulini, David Campbell, John Williamson, Marcia Hines, Alex Lloyd, Deborah Conway, Clare Bowditch, John Paul Young, Jimmy Little, Troy Casser-Daley, Doug Parkinson, Grace Knight, Jade MacRae, Jeff Duff, Felicity Urqhuart and Don Spencer.
His orchestral work also includes working in combination with classical artists David Hobson, Simon Tedeschi and Diana Doherty.
George Ellis is also an award-winning composer. Later this year, he will conduct the opera Little Women for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Moree residents are reminded that Australia Day falls on a Saturday this year, and while all the usual Australia Day festivities will take place on January 26, it is still a working day. The Australia Day public holiday is on Monday, January 28.
Australia Day Q and A with George Ellis
What is your favourite thing to eat on Australia Day?
I love a barbecue on Australia Day – mainly because of the company around the barbie as well as the good food.
What’s your most memorable Australia Day experience?
Serving as an Australia Day Ambassador in beautiful rural NSW these last three years has been my favourite Australia Day experience. I have met some incredibly inspirational and selfless people who love to help others.
If you had to pick just one, would you choose a sausage roll or a party pie?
That’s very difficult to choose. Sausage roll, no, wait – party pie. No, sausage roll. Actually party pie it is. No, wait . . .
