DrNicole Forsyth

PhD (Sydney); B.Mus (Performance); Cert Scriptwriting (AFTRS)

Dr Nicole Forsyth is a part-time (7.5 hrs pw) lecturer at The University of Sydney, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, across Strings, Historic Performance and Orchestral Studies areas.

Nicole has been introducing upper string students (violin/viola) to Historically Informed Performance through the Orchestral Studies Early Music Ensemble program since 2006, and has loved being part of  the development of Historically Informed Performance teaching in Australia and the Pacific region. 

She teaches one to one principal study historic viola/violin, and modern viola. Her string teaching practice and research has a particular interest in students studying research led historic performance violin and viola, or who are from outer suburban, regional, and low socio-economic backgrounds. She is also interested in neuro-diversity in string instrument learning at all stages of student development.

On historic viola she was Principal Viola of Pinchgut Opera-Orchestra of the Antipodes 2001-2015, collaborating on recordings for ABC Classics. She has played with most of the Historically Informed Performance (HIP) orchestras and ensembles in Australia. She was violist of groundbreaking Australian HIP chamber ensemble Ironwood from 2007-2015. Her recording catalogue across modern orchestral and HIP ensembles is for ABC Classics, Sony, BIS, and Tall Poppies.

Nicole is currently a casual musician with Queensland Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Opera Australia Orchestra, enjoys recording film, tv, and gaming soundtracks for screen with Clicktrack, and started modern orchestral violist’s life with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. She has also played with Orchestra Victoria, Adelaide Symphony, Canberra Symphony and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Her portfolio career includes work for:

Moorambilla Voices, Artistic Director Michelle Leonard OAM; Gondwana Voices, Artistic Director Lyn Williams AM, recording in the supporting orchestras for many of the now central repertoire of Australian new works for young voices by Luke Byrne, Alice Chance, Dan Walker, Sally Whitwell, Joe Twist, Owen Elsley, Paul Stanhope, Andrew Howes, Kevin Barker, Liz Jigalin, Christine Chen, Josie Gibson and Oliver John Cameron; and new music for adult choirs, as well as beloved choral repertoire in the orchestras with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Artistic Director Brett Weymark OAM & Associate Director Dr Elizabeth Scott. 

From 2010-2014 Nicole was a musician for Big hART Inc (Helpmann & Deadly award winning play Namatjira, with music devised by Genevieve Lacey & installation work The Acoustic Life of Sheds, with Damian Barbeler and Matthew Hoy for Ten Days on the Island Festival), with projects for Bundanon Trust (SiteWorks, 60+ Performance).

She played in Australian & world premieres of new music by Andrew Ford, Unsuk Chin, Rosalind Page in projects with Ensemble Offspring, Halcyon, Kammer, as well as composer Damian Barbeler and violinist Anna McMichael for Vivid 2016 & Ten Days on the Island 2015, and with cellist-producer Matthew Hoy for Soft Soft Loud for Perth Festival 2014.

She has appeared in various new music and HIP projects at Australian festivals Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Queensland, Tyalgum, Peninsula Summer, Hobart & Brisbane Baroque, Lyrebird Festival (Megalong Valley), The Deep North (Avalon Beach) and Tasmanian International Festival – Ten Days on the Island.

Nicole is a graduate of The University of Sydney with 2023 PhD The Sound of Place: Rouse Hill House and Farm's Music Collection; Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney supervised by Prof. Anna Reid and adjunct supervisor Dr Matthew Stephens, Research Librarian Museums of History, NSW. Nicole's academic graduate study includes a partial performance-research Masters at the University of Newcastle in methods and materials of historic viola with Dr Rosalind Halton as supervisor, converted to PhD study at USyd, and an SCM  Bachelor of Music(Performance-Viola) 1995, studying viola with the late Dr Deborah Lander, and Mr Alexandru Todicescu.  As a performance graduate she studied as a guest student in historic performance in London and The Hague, with modern viola masterclasses in London and Prussia Cove, Cornwall with John White, Thomas Riebl, Hariolf Schlichtig. She was one of the first modern viola graduates of ANAM (Australian National Academy of Music) 1996, masterclasses with Esther Van Stralen, Janet Rutherford and the Vertavo Quartet. Nicole is a proud alumunus of  Pacific Music Festival Japan (1991 & 95), Australian Youth Orchestra, National Music Camp and Sydney Youth Orchestras (1990-94). Much further back, she was one of the first Suzuki violin students in Australia, with Mrs Hiroko Primrose, and Mr Yasuki Nakamura, OAM.

Nicole also holds a Certificate in Screen Drama Scriptwriting (Australian Film Television and Radio School) and has had a long form television drama series in development for ABC TV (2010).She has been a technical advisor for a number of scripted drama film and television projects about classical musicians.

Photo Credit: Noni Carroll Photography