Sophie Gent
Class of 1968
Class of 1968
Baroque Violin
At school, Sophie was a Prefect and, according to the Head of Music, was already an "accomplished musician" and an "exemplary student in both theory classes and performance." She played violin in the School's Chamber Orchestra and won the Music Prize in Year 12.
She completed a Bachelor's Degree with First Class Homours in violin studies at the University of Western Australia, and then headed for Europe.
Sophie studies at the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague, completing a Masters degree with distinction in 2005.
She performs with, records and leads many of Europe's best orchestras and chamber ensembles and, as a soloist and a chamber musician she has played in a number of concert recordings, festivals and tours throughout Europe, Canada, the United States and Japan.
Playing regularly in Europe and around the world, Sophie has become one of the world's finest early music violinists.
Sophie has also played as a soloist with the ensembles Capriccio Stravagante, Les Muffatti, Ensemble Masques, Arcangelo, Pygmalion and the Collegium Vocale Orchestra.
Since 2011, in addition to performing, Sophie has taught baroque violin at a number of conservatories around Europe including Amsterdam, Antwerp and Saintes.
In 2011, Sophie was appointed Professor of Baroque Violin at the Amsterdam Conservatorium in Antwerp.
Sophie plays a violin by Jacobus Stainer which was made in 1676 (which means her violin is only 279 years older than the school).