Nathan Waks

Nathan Waks (born 1951) is an Australian cellist, composer, record producer, arts administrator and wine company owner.

Waks was born in 1951, into a musical family, his mother being a talented pianist. He showed early musical aptitude, on the piano at age four, and the cello at age seven. He attended North Sydney Boys High School but did not graduate. While there, he showed such talent at soccer that he was offered a scholarship by the visiting Scottish football manager Tommy Docherty, but he declined as he felt that music was his passion.

He studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Lois Simpson and Robert Pikler. He won the 1968 ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition, and then travelled to Moscow (then the Soviet Union) to study with Mstislav Rostropovich. That trip was cut short because of Cold War tensions (there were alleged to be irregularities with Waks's visa). He then went to Paris to study under Paul Tortelier, and won a Premier Prix at the Conservatoire de Paris.

Having returned to Australia, in 1969, he co-founded the Fidelio Quartet with Brecon Carter and John Harding.

In 1970, at age 19, Waks was appointed Principal Cellist of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the youngest in the orchestra's history. He left the post after a year. He appeared as a soloist with all the Australian symphony orchestras, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and others.

In 1974, the Sydney String Quartet was re-formed for the third time, with members Harry Curby, Dorel Tincu, Alexandra Todicescu and Waks. Harry Curby left in 1980, and in 1981 after the sudden death of Dorel Tincu, the Quartet continued with John Harding, Laszlo Kiss, Todicescu and Waks. Waks remained with the Sydney String Quartet for ten years.

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