The Sydney Conservatorium Saxophone Orchestra comprises some of the nation's top student saxophonists. Auditioned on an annual basis the group draws students across a number of degrees (Bachelor of Music Performance, Bachelor Music Studies, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Jazz Studies, Masters and Doctoral degrees). In addition to performing the existing original repertoire and the classic transcriptions for saxophone orchestra, the group has worked closely with both local and international composers to deepen the canon. The group is active in encouraging the current generation of student composers to explore this medium, workshopping and performing new compositions each semester. Most recently the ensemble has worked with and premiered arrangements of works by leading Australian composers Matthew Orlovich, Natalie Williams, Michael Smetanin and Brenton Broadstock.

The Conservatorium Chamber Choir, conducted by Associate Professor Paul Stanhope, is a group of student singers selected by audition from the Conservatorium of Music and the University of Sydney main campus. The Choir has given many public concerts, toured widely and recorded for the ABC.

Richard Rourke spent two years freelancing in London before becoming a permanent member of the Opera Australia Orchestra in 1992. He is currently in the role of Acting Associate Principal Clarinet. In August last year he performed in Opera Australia's national tour of The Barber of Seville, and in April this year he performed in "West Side Story" at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour.

Richard has recorded and performed widely as a soloist and chamber musician performing with The Gallery Players, the Sydney Symphony and the Australia Ensemble. In 2010 he played with the Australian Chamber Orchestra on their trans-Atlantic tour, performing at the Tanglewood Festival in the US and major European summer festivals. Richard is a Yamaha Music Australia Artist.


Sumiko Yamamura is a freelance accompanist born in Japan. She completed her Bachelor of Music in performance with Elizabeth Powell, and a Graduate Diploma in piano accompaniment with David Miller at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She is an active ensemble pianist. She has worked with many musicians, both instrumentalists and singers including recitals with Berlin Philharmonic Principal Trombone Jonathon Ramsay, former SSO Principal Bassoon John Cran (with ABC-FM), Orana Trio (ABC-FM), Kammer Trio, Sirius Ensemble and many others.

Sirius Chamber Ensemble was formed in 2011 by Ian Sykes and Dr Alison Evans and is committed to premiering new works alongside the classics in a friendly, accessible atmosphere. We regularly feature programmes of music showcasing the music of local composers. Recent and upcoming collaborators include composer/performer Keyna Wilkins, composers Troy Russell, Eve Duncan, Dr Diana Blom and Dr Corrina Bonshek. We have presented co-productions with Blush Opera, Hammerings Records and Melbourne Composers League, and a collaboration with composer and saxophonist Spike Mason led to the recording of his album Flying (2017/18). In 2024 we will be performing and recording lost works by Australian composers Margaret Sutherland and Meta Overman by their editor and champion, pianist and academic Dr Jeanell Carrigan AM. You can find more information on our website and social media.

Melissa Coleman is an active freelance flautist who enjoys performing both flute and piccolo in a wide range of settings. Melissa studied with James Kortum at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, attaining her Bachelor of Music, majoring in Performance; then later with Alexa Still at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she attained her Master of Music degree. A specialist in contemporary flute techniques, Melissa is especially passionate about promoting and performing contemporary Australian chamber works and collaborating with composers in the creation of new music. Melissa is also a passionate educator, maintaining a thriving flute and piccolo studio.

Ian Sykes graduated with a Bachelor of Music (first class honours) from the University of Newcastle and a Master of Music (performance) degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He is a founding member of Sirius Chamber Ensemble, with which he has toured throughout Australia and performed new works by many notable Australian composers. He is a full-time member of the NSW Police Band, and also maintains a busy career as a freelance musician, dividing his time between chamber and orchestral music, music theatre and pedagogy. Ian has performed in productions of Mary Poppins, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story and Sweeney Todd. Ian has performed with Sydney Philharmonia, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Blush Opera, as well as the education programs for Musica Viva and Sydney Opera House.

Clare Kahn completed a Bachelor of Music with first class honours at the Canberra School of Music under the tutelage of David Pereira. With the aid of a University of Sydney Postgraduate Award she then undertook a Masters of Music (Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying cello with Susan Blake. Clare performs a wide variety of music, from chamber to orchestral, musical theatre and session work. Recent performances include work with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia, and productions of West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast and Hamilton.

During her studies, Georgia has been awarded the Peter Davidson, Chapple/ Bremner and Patricia Lucas Music Scholarships. She is also a recipient of the George and Margaret Henderson Traveller's Scholarship which enabled her to attend a winter school program at the Royal Northern College of Music, Great Britain. Whilst in attendance, she performed as principal soprano in staged performances as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte (conducted by Leon Frantzen- Malesani) and Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos (conducted by Andreas Ashikkis).

In 2023, at the Trentino Festival, Italy, Georgia performed as Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) with conductor Lochlan Brown and director Robin Blauers-Piper. Additional roles include: Fortuna from L'incoronazione di Poppea (Monteverdi/ Kats-Chernin) conducted by Stephen Mould and directed by David Berthold in collaboration with NIDA, Principal Soprano in Triptico (Kats-Chernin) for Danza Del Arte, Cherubino from Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart) for The Cooperative, Silvia from Zanetto (Mascagni) for Concordia Ensemble. Ensemble opera scenes include Der Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss) and Thaïs (Massenet) with the Sydney University Symphony Orchestra conducted by Luke Spicer.

Concert repertoire as soloist includes The Creation (Hayden) for East Sydney Chamber Orchestra with conductor Omid Mohebzadeh and Requiem (Fauré) with conductor Huw Belling for St Stephen's Uniting Church.

Georgia's upcoming engagements include her role debut as Countess at the Prague Summer Nights Festival in Czechia and Principal Soprano in the Australian and World premiers of M.TH.R and Menarche with director Lindy Hume at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.



Jill Sullivan has performed throughout Australia in opera and concert. She has performed with Opera Australia since 2016, prior to that performing with the State companies in Queensland, and in Western Australia where she was a resident mezzo-soprano performing main stage roles and in children's operas and concerts.  

In 2023 Jill covered the role of Rossweisse in Die Walküre for Opera Australia and in July this year travels to Germany where she was awarded a place in the Dramatic Voices Programme  to perform the role of Erste Magd and cover the role of Klytemnestra in 'Elektra' and perform in the associated Lieder Festival. 

While resident in Perth Jill co-founded the Lieder Society of WA, jointly ran a production company, Opera in Company that promoted young artists, directed choirs and was a pre-show presenter for WASO.  In her commitment to the development of young performers, Jill led a group of 13 of her own students on a tour of European cities visiting Opera Houses,attending operas and concerts and while in Vienna, Geneva and Paris the students also undertook masterclasses with noted teachers Dr Annabella Redman and Gilles Denizot.  

Jill founded The Opera and Song Collective in 2021 in response to the impositions on artists of Covid lockdowns and continues to foster the careers of colleagues and younger singers alike. 

Jill studied piano in Hobart, later studying singing with Barbara Sambell in Melbourne then Molly McGurk in Perth and holds an Honours degree in Arts (Opera Studies) from the University of Manchester. She also holds a Bachelor in Medicine, University of Tasmania and Licentiate Diploma of Music (Singing) AMEB. 



Lisa Munckton studied voice through the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and later at the University of Queensland. Her early years saw her perform as a soloist in Tasmania with local orchestras in works ranging from Handel's Messiah through to new works by young Australian composers. In Queensland, Lisa also enjoyed working in the chorus of the Lyric Opera of Queensland before commencing her travels overseas and time working in the finance industry.

Roles performed: CioCiosan (Madame Butterfly), Diana (Orpheus in the Underworld), Sister Genevieve (Suor Angelica), Yum Yum and Pitti Sing (The Mikado), and Casilda (The Gondoliers).

Since returning to singing in Sydney, Lisa has also appeared as a soloist in various opera and art song concerts. These including performances at Mosman Art Gallery, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and St Stephens Church in Sydney.



Hongxin Jiang was born in China, completing his music degree at ShenYang Conservatory of Music. He then sang for five years with the Opera Center in his province before moving to Sydney in 2005. Shortly after his arrival he commenced vocal studies with Arax Mansourian. Invited by his mentor, Hongxin has twice travelled to Armenia to perform in celebratory concerts, in 2014 honoring the 75th birthday of renowned composer Tigran Mansouryan, then in 2017 to honor the over 50 year career of internationally acclaimed opera singer Arax Mansourian. Since 2014 Hongxin has sung with Opera Australia Chorus appearing in approximately 20 productions.



Born in Auckland, Kent McIntosh began his professional musical life as a full time French Horn player in the RNZ Navy Band. He began singing at age 19 focusing initially on choral music, most notably with the prestigious NZ Youth Choir. Kent studied music in NZ, Sydney and Canberra, where he graduated M.Mus in 2001 and won the Kornfeld full Scholarship.

Roles include Tamino and Monostatos: The Magic Flute, title role: Albert Herring, Quint: The Turn of the Screw, Don Basilio: The Marriage of Figaro (Canberra) Servant/Chauffeur: Capriccio, Registrar: Madama Butterfly (Opera Australia). He has sung as soloist in Oratorio on approximately seventy occasions. Highlights include Messiah, Israel in Egypt, St John Passion (Evangelist and tenor soloist), Monteverdi Vespers, Bach B minor Mass, CPE Bach and JS Bach Magnificats, Carmina Burana, Elijah, The Creation, Puccini's Gloria and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. He has performed in concert with both Opera Australia and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. Kent has given over thirty song recitals in total, performing either in a solo capacity, or with his chamber group 'the Tasman Soloists'. His 2007 recital with pianist Andrew Greene was nominated by Canberra music critics as one of the annual top 10 performances of classical music in the ACT. Kent has been broadcast twice live on ABC Classic FM, most recently in the Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings on 'Sunday Live'. Kent has performed with the Opera Australia chorus on over 3000 occasions at the Sydney Opera House, Arts Centre Melbourne or the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.



Alan Hicks is one of Australia's foremost vocal coaches and collaborative pianists. He works in Vocal and Opera Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Alan is Principal Repetiteur for NIDA-Conservatorium opera co-productions and is a language coach for Pinchgut Opera.

Born in Newcastle, NSW, Alan studied at Newcastle Conservatorium of Music (DSCM) with Carmel Lutton before postgraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (PPRNCM) with Marjorie Clementi. Alan joined the staff of the RNCM, accompanying song classes and teaching piano.

After 15 years studying, playing and teaching in the UK, Alan returned to Australia in 2003, working at the ANU School of Music as Vocal Coach and Accompanist and was appointed Head of Voice (2008-2012). In 2016, he was made a life member of Art Song Canberra.

Alan appears as a collaborative pianist for Opera Australia, the Sydney Eisteddfod, and the Australian Flute Festival.

Bailey Yeates completed his secondary studies at St Patrick's College, Strathfield in 2023. He was the Brother McGlade Organ Scholar for many years, playing for all school masses and chapel services, as well as being the Performing Arts Captain for 2023. He is now entering his tertiary studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he studies Organ Performance under Philip Swanton. Prior to this he had been an organ student of Mark Quarmby (Director of Music at St Stephen's, Macquarie St) for the past 6 years.

He has performed and won prizes in a number of Sydney Organ Competitions and Young Organists' Days and has also recently performed with the Sydney Youth Orchestra for various concerts. More recently, he was awarded first place in the 2023 Intermediate Section of the Sydney Organ Competition. As well as this, Bailey regularly performs in various recital series around Sydney and wider New South Wales.

He has participated in several organ masterclasses with a number of high-profile organists including Anne Marsden Thomas, Thomas Ospital and Thomas Trotter.

For his HSC, Bailey achieved very high results in both Music 2 and Extension, among other subjects, receiving a nomination for Encore. Recently he was awarded a distinction for his Licentiate Diploma in Organ from the Trinity College of Music in London.

Bailey was appointed as the Organ Scholar at St Paul's, Burwood, on 1 July 2020 and prior to this had been assisting in playing for the services as the Junior Organ Scholar for the previous 12 months. He was appointed as Parish Organist on Trinity Sunday (4 June) 2023.

As well as his appointment at St Paul's, Bailey is also the Organ Scholar at St Paul's College, within the University of Sydney.

When Bailey is not playing the organ he enjoys socialising and the outdoors, and is a keen sportsman with particular interests in rugby and baseball, among other sports.