Our Team

Artistic Staff

Lyn Williams OAM
Artistic Director
CLICK HERE to learn more

 

 

Mark O’Leary Principal Guest Director, Gondwana Voices
Mark O'Leary (M.Mus, B.Mus.Ed & Churchill Fellow) is the founder and Director of the Young Voices of Melbourne. With Young Voices Mark has produced six CD recordings, toured seven states and territories of Australia and made four international tours to Europe, South Africa and North America. Young Voices recently performed in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and in Festival Melbourne 2006 as part of the games celebrations. Mark is also Principal Guest Conductor of Gondwana Voices having worked regularly with Gondwana since its first season in 1997 and conducting on all three of the choir’s CDs. Mark is the publisher of the Young Voices of Melbourne Choral Series and his arrangements are performed all around the world. He presents many workshops each year on choral music education throughout Australia and is guest conductor at many festivals. Mark has special interests in Kodaly teaching techniques, the development of excellence in music education and children's choirs, and Australian choral music.

 

Paul Holley Principal Guest Director Gondwana Chorale

Paul Holley is a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music where he studied conducting with Dr John Nickson. He has had extensive experience directing school, church and community choirs. Paul is the Musical Director of the Birralee Blokes, a choir for young men whose voices are changing or have recently changed, who in 2006 were awarded the Choir of the Year title in the ABC Classic FM Choir of the Year competition. Within the Brisbane Birralee Voices organization he also conducts Resonance - a choir for university aged students. He is presently Director of Choral Music at Brisbane Girls Grammar School and conducts Choral Connection. Paul is dedicated to excellence in choral education and regularly features as guest conductor/clinician at regional festivals, conferences and music competitions. He serves on the committee of the Australian National Choral Association Queensland branch.

 

Claire Preston Guest Director Gondwana Chorale 2009
Claire Preston is an educator, accompanist and conductor, currently a Lecturer in Music at the Victorian College of the Arts. Specializing in developing young singers, she has been assistant conductor with the Toronto Children's Chorus and the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus. Claire has performed throughout Australia and North America, appearing at the World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis and recording the world premiere of Harry Somers' children's opera A Mid-winter Night's Dream for CBC Records.

           

Dan Walker Guest Director Junior Gondwana 2009 & Conducting Fellowship Holder 2007 – 2008.
Composer, arranger, conductor and performer Dan Walker is quickly building a reputation as one of Australia’s most promising young artists. He has had works commissioned and performed by such groups as the Sydney Symphony, Gondwana Voices, Queensland Youth Choir, The Murrumbidgee Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. In 2003 Dan was the Sydney Children’s Choir composer-in-residence and in that year also created new choral arrangements of the National Anthems for the Rugby World Cup. Recent work includes: The Arafura, written specifically for Gondwana Voices and premiered in Mexico City as part of the 2004 Songbridge festival; Hopes and Dreams, written as part of the   Australian National Day celebrations at the 2005 World Expo in Nagoya, Japan; various orchestral and choral arrangements for ABC Classics and a new arrangement of Advance Australia Fair written for the official Darling Harbour 2005 Australia Day celebrations. As a performer Dan is a regular member of both Sydney Chamber Choir and Cantillation. He has also been a member of Baroque Opera company Pinchgut for two years and is currently also a guest member of the Song Company.

 

Prue Ashurt Guest Director Junior Gondwana 2009
Prue Ashurst is a graduate of the University of Western Australia with a Masters in Performance (Choral Conducting), Bachelor of Music Education and a Bachelor of Music (Performance). In 1985 she joined the staff of Churchlands Senior High School as Choral Specialist and in seven years established an excellent reputation for SATB a cappella singing both in Australia and abroad. Her school choirs have sung in Geneva, London, Singapore and Wales. Since 1992, Prue has freelanced as a guest conductor with the UWA Choral Society, WAAPA Conservatorium Chorale, WASO Youth Choir and the WA Opera. For six years, she was Education Manager for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and in 2000 commenced her appointment as conductor of the Perth Undergraduate Choral Society. Prue is currently Director of Music at Penrhos College in Perth.

Board of Directors

 

Jennifer Alexander, Chairman
Lyn Williams OAM, Artistic Director
Nicholas Bailey
Claire Duffy
Jane Freudenstein
Suzie Lee
David Longmuir
Nicholas James

 

 

Management Team

Lyn Williams OAM, Artistic Director
Email: lyn@gondwanavoices.com.au
Tel: 02 9251 4226

Alexandra Cameron, General Manager
Email: alexandra@gondwanavoices.com.au

Tel: 02 9251 4226 (extension 3)

 

Rachel Whealy, Gondwana National Program Manager
Email: rachel@gondwanavoices.com.au
Tel: 02 9251 4226 (extension 2)

 

John Nolan, Artistic Administrator
Email: john@gondwanavoices.com.au
Tel: 02 9251 4226 (extension 4)

 

Vivienne Rawlinson, Philanthropy Manager
Email: vivienne@gondwanavoices.com.au
Tel: 02 9251 4226 (extension 5)

 

Louise Nutting, Administration and Communications
Email: louise@gondwanavoices.com.au
NB Tuesdays and Wednesdays only
Tel: 02 9251 4226 (extension 6)

 

Cassandra Bayley, Accounts Administrator
Email: cassandra@gondwanavoices.com.au
Tel: 02 9251 4226 (extension 1)
NB Mondays only