The Australian cellist John Addison was born in Brisbane in 1966 and began his musical education as a chorister in the St John’s Cathedral Choir. He commenced studying the flute at the age of 10 and won the Queensland Flute Eisteddfod, senior division, in 1983. It was a chance encounter with cellist Imogen Rex, while experimenting with a friend’s instrument that lead him to begin his cello studies. After finishing secondary education he was awarded a GAP scholarship, a scheme for young people to travel to England and take some time before further education, and eventually in 1986 he began to take the cello seriously. Enrolling at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Christian Wojtowicz he graduated with honours in 1990. After further studies with Sue Ellen Paulsen and being awarded grants from Arts Tasmania and the Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Award he moved to the Netherlands where he has resided ever since. For several years he performed with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and Belgium based in Fiamminghi before deciding to concentrate on the performance of 20th and 21st century music. He is a widely sought after chamber musician who has performed as soloist with contemporary music ensembles such as the Nieuw Ensemble, Insomnio and Orkest de Volharding. John Addison has performed extensively throughout the Netherlands and Europe, United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal, Czech Republic, Italy, Albania and Greece and further afield in Indonesia, China, Thailand and Japan. His interest in contemporary music encompasses all genres and he is committed in developing relationships with composers, working closely with them to achieve the best possible interpretation of their works. ”Culture should reflect, as in the biological definition, a living organism. If we, as artists, remain reverentially entrenched in the 18th and 19th century repertoire then we condemn art to stagnate and die.”