Tristan Selke is a Brisbane-based violinist, orchestral musician and arts professional. He was born in Brisbane, Australia, and embarked on his musical journey from a young age. His formative education took place at the Stoliarsky School of Music.
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 his studies at the Queensland Conservatorium under the tutelage of Michele Walsh, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Music. During this time he became prize-winner of the Ronald Clifford Davis Violin Prize in both 2007 and 2010. He also participated in masterclasses with illustrious violinists such as Rudolf Koelman, Berent Korfker, Dr Gregory Lee, and Ilya Konovolov. He was also involved with the Australian Youth Orchestra for various seasons, including their 2010 tour, as well as with the Sydney Sinfonia program run by Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Tristan went on to perform with the Australian International Symphony Orchestra Institute 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 Dr 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 accepted a position with Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Chile as Assistant Concertmaster. 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.
Alongside his performance career, Tristan has also worked in hospital and arts administration as well as legal support, giving him an appreciation for the unseen work that supports high performance in any endeavour.