Stephen King

Stephen King is a freelance viola player and the Director of Engagement and Learning with the Australian String Quartet, developing creative ways to take music beyond the concert hall and broaden engagement.

For the last decade Stephen was the violist of the Australian String Quartet and prior to that a core member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra for 9 years. This led to countless performances, tours, recordings, collaborations and festivals across Australia and the world. With the ASQ, Stephen has been integral in developing digital projects such as Square Circles VR, new Australian commissions and recordings, and innovative cross-artform collaborations. As the ACO’s education representative he played a major role in founding and building the Orchestra’s education and Emerging Artists programs.

Stephen holds a Doctorate in Chamber Music from the University of Maryland, having studied with the Emerson and Guarneri String Quartets. He was Associate Principal Viola of the Boston Philharmonic and has been guest principal of the Adelaide, Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. Stephen teaches viola and chamber music at the Elder Conservatorium and AYO National Music Camps. As Director of Engagement and Learning with the ASQ he explores ways to give life to music beyond the concert hall.