Tristan Selke was born in Brisbane, Australia, and embarked on his musical journey from a young age. His formative education took place at the prestigious Stoliarsky School of Music which laid the foundation for his understanding of music.
One day, at one of the Stoliarsky school’s concerts, Tristan found himself entranced by a violin performance. This experience ignited his passion for the violin, setting him on a path to become a violinist.
Recognising his talent, Tristan’s parents introduced him to violinist Emin Tagiev, who accepted him as a beginner student. Tristan’s rigorous training included weekly violin and piano lessons at Stoliarsky, complemented by group music theory classes and small ensemble sessions on Saturdays.
For roughly a decade, Tristan served as Concertmaster of the Tagiev Chamber Orchestra, performing in renowned venues such as the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. The orchestra’s international tours took them to Finland, Germany, Spain, Estonia, China, and the USA.
Tristan pursued advanced studies at the Queensland Conservatorium under the tutelage of Michele Walsh, earning a Bachelor of Music. His dedication and talent were recognised with him being awarded as a prize-winner of the Ronald Clifford Davis Violin Prize in both 2007 and 2010. Throughout this time, he participated in masterclasses with illustrious violinists Rudolf Koelman, Berent Korfker, Gregory Lee, and Ilya Konovolov. He also joined the Australian Youth Orchestra on their 2010 tour and subsequently performed with the Sydney Sinfonia program.
Tristan’s journey continued, performing with the Australian International Symphony Orchestra Institute orchestral program in Hobart, where he was subsequently awarded a scholarship from the University of Tasmania. Under the guidance of Jun Yi Ma and Jeremy Williams, he earned a Graduate Certificate in Music (Orchestral) and a Graduate Diploma of Professional Music Practice. There he performed in chamber music masterclasses with the Eldering Ensemble and the Doric String Quartet, leading to being awarded a Graduate Assistantship with the University of Oklahoma. Additionally, he was invited to perform with the Britten-Pears Orchestra in Suffolk during their 2013 performance of Peter Grimes.
From 2013 to 2015, Tristan studied at the University of Oklahoma with Gregory Lee, where he held a seat with the Crouse String Quartet and taught violin to non-music majors. His performance engagements in the United States included regularly performing with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, performing in a chamber music masterclass with the Takács Quartet, and being awarded a fellowship at the Sierra Academy of Music at Mammoth Lakes, where he performed in masterclasses with Corey Cerovsek, Aimee Kreston, and Limor Toren-Immerman.
In 2015, Tristan was awarded a Master of Music by the University of Oklahoma and subsequently was offered a position with the Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Chile as Assistant Concertmaster. This role provided him with invaluable experience in a theatre orchestra, performing a diverse repertoire of operas, ballets, and orchestral works.
Tristan has since returned to Australia, where he continues to perform regularly as a soloist with the Amadeus Orchestra and as a violinist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Last updated July 17, 2024