Alumni Profile: Myee Clohessy

Myee Clohessy, concert violinist and Artistic Director of the Bowral Autumn Music Festival and the Highlands Music Collective, is back living ‘just up the hill’ in the Southern Highlands where it all began for her 40 years ago.

She shares her music journey which started, what some people consider, quite late (aged 10).
Now an accomplished violinist who has played in ensembles worldwide, on both modern and baroque violins, she’s 
back in her homeland performing, managing Music Festivals and teaching the younger generation of musicians.

I began the violin when I was ten years old. Lucky for me, the former Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Ernest Llewellyn CBE, had retired to a farm neighbouring my family’s goat farm, just outside of Mittagong. Having ‘Ernie’ as my first violin teacher couldn’t have been a better start to my musical journey.”

Myee Clohessy

Artistic Director, The Highlands Music Collective

“He encouraged me to join the Wollongong Conservatorium Youth Orchestra he was conducting at Gleniffer Brae (1982) and meet other passionate musical children my age. I will never forget that first rehearsal trying to play Britten’s Playful Pizzicato at a speed that left me totally exasperated, but also inspired.” 

For Myee it was an exciting experience for her as a farm girl to be surrounded by talented players, many of whom have gone on to become professional musicians as well, including Angela and Alexandra Stender, David Piper, David Wickham, Emma Hayes and Anna Zietara. 

Myee Clohessy

“The staff at the Wollongong Conservatorium were very nurturing, with Mr Jim Powell as the Director. They encouraged me to enter the local eisteddfods and start performing as much as possible. One of my first ever public concerts was as the winner of the Wollongong Eisteddfod’s ‘Command Performance Prize’ in the Town Hall, which was a pretty big deal for a country girl who had only played at school assemblies until then!” 

An important memory for Myee was when the Peking Quartet came to Wollongong (on invitation by Ernest Llewellyn) to perform and tutor the string students at the Conservatorium, providing exposure to chamber music many of the students had never experienced before. 

“Their passion for music and teaching was infectious, particularly from their cellist, who was the quartet’s youngest and most verbal member. Being with musicians who loved playing their instruments as much as I did, was certainly a catalyst in making me know by the age of 12, that I wanted music to be my future career path.” 

And a musician she did become. Further studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Guildhall School of Music in London all helped shape Myee for the music world as a professional.  

“Music has been my passport and enabled me to play on some of the most beautiful stages in the world (Gewandhaus in Amsterdam, Musikverein in Vienna, Rudolfinum in Prague, Philharmonie in Berlin, Liceo in Barcelona, South Bank in London, Kennedy Centre in USA etc.). I have also been blessed to work with some extraordinary musicians (Truls Mørk, Christian Lindberg, Daniel Harding, Takacs Quartet, Leon Spieler, Leif Ove Andsnes, Andrew Manze, Andreas Sholl, Yakov Kreitzberg, Eduardo Mata, to name a few) and spent a lifetime delving deeply into the meaning of those simple but profound black dots composers have drawn on the page.” 

Myee Clohessy

She’s now putting to good use all of her ‘music’ experiences in the last 40 years, by sharing and supporting the creation of fine music.  

“It is quite wonderful my life has come full circle and I now find myself living back in the Southern Highlands with my own family. As the Artistic Director of the Bowral Autumn Music Festival and the Highlands Music Collective, I’m back living ‘just up the hill’, where it all began 40 years ago.“  

Myee Clohessy

Sue is an accomplished and seasoned manager with a wealth of experience in government administration and community service delivery. With a strong background in strategic planning, organisational development, community engagement, project planning, and building strategic partnerships, Sue has consistently demonstrated her leadership and expertise and brings a wealth of knowledge to the board. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business focusing on Local Government and Creative Industries from the University of Wollongong, reflecting her commitment to public service and innovative leadership. Sue’s extensive career and dedication to community and social service make her a valuable asset, offering both strategic insight and practical experience to drive meaningful impact.

Anne has been a member of the Wollcon Board since 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from UNSW. She is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and an accredited Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. She has taught family law and other subjects at Wollongong University.

For a number of years she has been a subscriber to the Australian Chamber Orchestra which regularly performs in Wollongong . She has been passionate about music and in particular music education to children and adults.

Jake has worked in the disability sector for 24 years- 17 of these with Interchange and 7 years as their CEO. Jake is passionate about inclusion and equality for both people with disability and their carers.

He holds an MBA, Bachelor of Commerce, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, as well as completing Diploma’s in Case Management, Community Services Coordination and the AICD Company Directors Course.

Jake is also a committee member on the International Short Breaks Association Board and has been a Director on the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music Board since 2022.

Wayne is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as being a qualified company secretary and accountant with over 35 years experience in banking and finance. He performed for nine of those years as Chief Executive of IMB Ltd, and the preceding seven years as Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, also with IMB. Wayne’s primary expertise is in the areas of governance, management, accounting, risk management and banking and finance. He has spent his whole life living in the Illawarra and is passionate about ensuring the Illawarra can provide the best possible opportunities and lifestyle for its residents. In 2024 Wayne was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the community.

Dr Terumi Narushima is a senior lecturer and Music Discipline Leader at the University of Wollongong. She is a composer, performer and sound designer specialising in microtonal tuning systems. Her works include Tritriadic Chimes, a sound installation for LA MicroFest, Hidden Sidetracks, a composition for custom-made instruments premiered by Ensemble Offspring at Sydney Opera House, and a project to build microtonal flutes using 3D printing. She has worked on theatre collaborations which have been presented nationally and internationally, including Yasukichi Murakami: Through a Distant Lens, Lost in Shanghai, and The Story of Chi. She performs with microtonal ensemble Clocks and Clouds, and her book Microtonality and the Tuning Systems of Erv Wilson is published by Routledge.

Nicky is the CEO of Community Industry Group. She has degrees in Dementia Care, Community & Environment and Marketing, and a Grad Dip in Project Management. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Honorary Fellow of UOW. In addition to Chairing the WollCon Board, she is Deputy Chair of the Regional Development Australia Illawarra Shoalhaven Board and an Independent Non-Executive Director of Warrigal, a large not-for-profit specialising in the provision of services for older people.

Her corporate governance and strategy experience extends through a 20+ year career on boards in the corporate, government and NFP sectors.