Michelle Wood has been a core member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra cello section since 2009, bringing to the role not just unbridled enthusiasm for each concert she gets to play with her wonderful section, but a career shaped by rich experiences across chamber music, orchestral performance, and education.
A founding member of the internationally awarded Tinalley String Quartet, Michelle’s early career was defined by an intense commitment to ensemble playing. The group’s wins at the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Australian (now Asia-Pacific) Chamber Music Competition led to more than a decade of performing together - touring extensively across Europe, North America and Asia, and appearing in celebrated venues such as the Berlin Konzerthaus, Vienna Musikverein, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Frankfurt’s Alte Oper. These years of performance, mentorship and international collaboration deeply informed her artistry, and her love of chamber music remains.
Michelle has appeared as Acting Principal and Guest Associate Principal Cellist with the Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, performed as a soloist and section with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and toured with the Australian World Orchestra under the direction of conductors including Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti.
In 2018, drawing on her international experience and artistic friendships, she co-founded Concerts Sans Frontières (Concerts Without Borders), a chamber music series based in Paris. Presented at the Australian Embassy, it was a way of fostering connection and showcasing exceptional Australian and international musicians in an intimate, cross-cultural setting.
Michelle’s approach to music-making is equally present in teaching and mentoring work, which has spanned programs with the University of Melbourne, Australian National Academy of Music, Melbourne Youth Orchestras, and the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp, as well as with MSO. She is particularly passionate about guiding young chamber musicians and cellists toward thoughtful, individual artistry, however is equally enthusiastic these days about her adult students who have found a love for the cello later in life!
Michelle plays an 1849 Charles Boullangier cello (with wicked deep red varnish) affectionately named Charlie.
