Louis Sharpe

Standing in front of his peers in the Melbourne Youth Orchestra 12 years ago, Louis gave his first ever down beat. His dreams had come true only to be stopped four bars into Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, stumbling off the podium from nerves and disappointment of only 4 bars of music he later found out he had won a place in his first conducting masterclass, the masterclass where it all began.

Louis grew up in Newcastle NSW and eventually found his music making home behind a drum kit. After only playing for a few years, music took him to Melbourne on a scholarship with the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School which is where he first started playing in an orchestra. From his first orchestral experience he dreamt of becoming a conductor and took a chance in applying for that first masterclass.Louis grew up in Newcastle NSW and eventually found his music making home behind a drum kit. After only playing for a few years, music took him to Melbourne on a scholarship with the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School which is where he first started playing in an orchestra. From his first orchestral experience he dreamt of becoming a conductor and took a chance in applying for that first masterclass.

Whilst completing his schooling and bachelor at the University of Melbourne in percussion he seized any opportunity to conduct which led him to leading ensembles such as Forrest Collective and touring with the Australian International Opera Company as well as a number of lunchtime recitals at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). In his second year of university, the Hopkins Sinfonia was founded and a year later he became their Music Director, a position he held for three successful seasons. His passion led him to Sydney and began his Master’s of Orchestral Conducting under Maestro Eduardo Diazmunoz, Maestro Stephan Mould and Maestro Niel McEwan which he completed in late 2017. Whilst in Sydney he worked with the North Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Eastern Sydney Chamber Orchestra and became the Assistant Conductor to Dr Nicholas Milton AM at the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra.

Louis moved to Canberra mid 2018 and has started to make his mark on the cultural landscape in the capital. He performs regularly with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, conducts the James McCusker Orchestra within Music for Canberra and teaches percussion at Canberra Grammar School.
He was recently appointed Assistant Conductor of the Australian World Orchestra to Alexander Briger OA for their 2021 season touring Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne in early June.