Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Dale Barltrop has a new gig Down Under—one he'll combine with his duties here across the Pacific.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has named the violinist to one of its own two concertmaster positions. In his first year he will share the concertmaster responsibilities with Wilma Smith, who has  announced she will be retiring from the MSO at the end of 2014.

Barltrop hails from Brisbane, Australia, and said in a release today that "Being able to maintain such strong ties with the music community in Australia, my home country, is a tremendous privilege." 

The acclaimed MSO has about 100 musicians and is the oldest professional orchestra in Australia. It performs to more than 250,000 people in 150-plus concerts a year.

“Dale is a fabulous musician who, through the past few seasons visiting us as a Guest Concertmaster, has shown all the signs of being a great leader,” said MSO managing director André Gremillet in a press statement. 

Barltrop's role at the VSO, which he's held since 2009, is to proceed uninterrupted by the appointment.