Alexander Rodrigues

Born and brought up in Brisbane, Alexander Rodrigues graduated from the University of Queensland in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science (Astrophysics) and Arts (Music). In 2018, he was the Tasmanian Young Achiever of the Year Finalist and completed a Master’s of Music performance degree in Orchestral Conducting with Professor Johannes Fritzsch at the University of Tasmania.

From mid-2021 through to 2022, Alexander was the Robert and Elizabeth Albert Conducting Fellow with The Australian Ballet under the guidance of Nicolette Fraillon and in early 2023, was awarded an Ian Potter Cultural Trust grant to travel to see ballet companies in the UK and Europe. This year, Alexander has worked with Queensland Ballet as a guest conductor for their Giselle and Trilogy seasons.

Alexander learnt the piano and violin from a young age before learning the oboe, and has been the principal oboist of the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra and the UTAS Conservatorium Orchestra. While studying at UQ, he learnt pipe organ and was awarded the Organ Society of Queensland’s Pipe Organ Scholarship. He has since performed on the instrument with the Queensland Youth Orchestra’s Wind Symphony, the University of Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Chorus as well as the Derwent Symphony Orchestra, Hobart. Alexander plays harpsichord and has performed with the UTAS Conservatorium Orchestra, Derwent Symphony Orchestra and regularly performs on a spinet with Ensemble Antiqua. Alexander has a huge passion for singing and sings with various choirs around Australia including The Australian Voices, TSO Chorus, Allegri Ensemble, UQ Choral and the National Youth Choir of Australia. In 2020, Alexander made his debut as a soloist singing the tenor solo in Handel’s Messiah held at St David’s Cathedral. He has continued to appear as a vocal soloist with Ensemble Antiqua, a Tasmanian vocal quartet ‘VoQ’ and has sung the tenor solo in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem.

Alexander’s interest in conducting began in 2009 and has seen him conduct the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra as part of the inaugural Australian Conducting Academy in 2018. He has also conducted the Berlin Sinfonietta as part of two International Masterclass Berlin courses with Professors Johannes Wilder and Roberto Paternostro as well as participating in the Zlin Conducting Masterclass in the Czech Republic with Luke Dollman and Professor Atso Almila conducting the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra. Over the years, Alexander has participated in various conducting masterclasses in Australia run by Melbourne Youth Orchestras, ABODA, Gondwana Choirs and audited various Symphony Services workshops.

In 2015 Alexander was appointed assistant conductor for the Moreton Bay Symphony Orchestra in Brisbane and conducted them on their 2017 New Zealand tour. Alexander has been a frequent guest conductor of the Hobart Chamber Orchestra and Derwent Symphony Orchestra. From 2018, Alexander was artistic director and conductor of the Tasmanian Medical Orchestra, expanding their public profile and hosting Christmas charity concerts which raised over $3000 for the Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation and providing presents for children spending Christmas in Hospital. He has also worked as a guest conductor with Stonnington Symphony and State Music Camp in Melbourne.

Having been involved in church music since 2007, Alexander has been director of music at Holy Cross Parish, Redcliffe and St Mary’s Cathedral, Hobart and has conducted various choirs at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne. He currently produces the St Mary’s Cathedral Concert Series and formed a scratch orchestra which performs frequently as part of this.

Alexander’s involvement with TYO began when he moved to Tasmania in 2015 and joined the senior orchestra as tutti oboist. The following year, he became principal oboist and remained so until 2018 when he surpassed the age requirements. He was then invited to help out with projects in the TYO office until becoming Program Administrator in 2020. While doing this, he was assistant conductor for the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra (2019-2021) and was conductor for the newly-formed TYO Chamber Orchestra in 2021.

Aleander is thrilled to now return to the TYO family between concerts on the mainland.