Artistic Director & Chief Conductor
Sarah Grace Williams

Listed by Limelight magazine as one of the top 50 power players in their Smart Arts list 2010, Sarah-Grace Williams has gained a reputation as one of Australia's foremost conductors of her generation. She currently holds the positions of Founding Chief Conductor & Artistic Director of the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, Musical Director & Conductor of the Sydney Opera House Proms Orchestra and is a Conducting Fellow with The Australian Ballet. As a regular Guest Conductor, Sarah-Grace has appeared with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Southern Cross Soloists, Willoughby Symphony Orchestras, Penrith Symphony Orchestra, Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra, Artists of the Australian Opera and has worked as Musical Director on a number musical theatre and opera galas.

During 2009-2010 Sarah-Grace was Assistant Conductor for Symphony Australia, based with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and was Stager Conductor (Assistant) to Maestro Alexander Polishchuk at the Ukraine National Opera and Ballet Theatre in early 2011. Sarah-Grace also held the position of Chief Conductor & Artistic Director of Strathfield Symphony Orchestra between 2006-2010.

An accomplished musician, Sarah-Grace received her Bachelor of Music with Distinction in 1996, followed by a First Class Honours in Conducting, before continuing conducting studies overseas with Alexander Polishchuk (Russia) and Jorma Panula (Holland). A principal graduate from Symphony Australia's Conductor Program she has conducted under the tutelage of Johannes Fritzsch, Janos Furst, Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Christopher Seaman, David Porcelijn, Lutz Koehler and Marco Zuccarini.

Sarah-Grace has a diverse musical background conducting, composing and recording in many genres ranging from classical, opera, ballet, jazz, musical theatre, contemporary, film score, television and radio. She has lectured for a number of years at the Australian International Conservatorium of Music and Australian Institute of Music and continues to work as a freelance clarinetist and pianist, radio presenter, vocal coach, accompanist and adjudicator.

Sarah-Grace has been awarded numerous prizes including a Symphony Australia Podium Scholarship, the University of Western Sydney Prize for Academic Excellence and Prize for 1st place in Performance and was listed in the 2010 and 2011 Who's Who of Australian Women. Most recently, Sarah-Grace received a 2010 Churchill Fellowship, which allowed her to travel throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and the USA to observe and study with leading orchestras and conductors.