VISTING CONDUCTOR – JESSICA WELLS
Jessica Wells is a versatile composer, orchestrator, and arranger for concerts, films, theatre, and album recordings.Since obtaining her Master of Music in Composition (Sydney Conservatorium) and Master of Arts in Screen Composition (AFTRS), her career has gone from strength to strength. Her business, Jigsaw Music, provides music preparation services for clients all over the country and overseas. She also works as a recording producer and conductor.
Jessica has orchestrated over 70 films, and wrote the theme music for ABC TV’s “Q&A” program – which makes her kids think she’s famous.
She was a 2017 Finalist in the APRA Art Music Awards, in the category of “Instrumental Work of the Year” for her piece “Moon Fire” for the National Carillon and electronic track.
Jessica is the Musical Director of the APRA Screen Music Awards, and she is the current Vice President of the Music Arrangers’ Guild of Australia.
SARAH YOUNG – OBOE
Sarah Young is from Sydney, Australia. She completed her Bachelor of Music Performance at the Sydney University Conservatorium of Music, under the guidance Alexandre Ougey, Principal Cor Anglais of the Sydney Symphony. After completing her studies in Sydney she went to Germany to study at Hanns Eisler Music Hochschule in Berlin. Here she studied and completed her Masters of Music Performance with the Principal Oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic, Jonathan Kelly.
Throughout her time in Europe, Sarah has played oboe in numerous ensembles throughout Germany and the United Kingdom. A highlight was collaborating with Ensemble Modern, Klang Forum, and gave concerts all throughout Germany. She has also recently been invited to play principal with the Liverpool Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Recently returned from Europe, Sarah has been invited to play principal oboe with the Tasmanian, Western Australia, New Zealand, Melbourne Symphony Orchestras and Australian Opera Orchestra
She also collaborated with with the Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.
DANIEL VERSCHUER-SINGER
Daniel Verschuer is an operatic tenor, actor, and graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. As a child, Daniel performed at the Sydney Opera House in Opera Australia productions of Carmen, Gianni Schicchi, and Billy Budd, among others. As an adult, he has portrayed leading roles in operas and operettas such as The Magic Flute (Tamino), The Marriage of Figaro (Don Basilio), Fidelio (Jaquino), The Gypsy Baron (Ottokar), and Pirates of Penzance (Frederick). Daniel’s most recent role was as the title character in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring, in a special production by Pacific Opera.
At the 2021 Sydney Festival, Daniel featured in director Kate Gaul’s HMS Pinafore, and he has previously been a part of the Sydney & Adelaide Fringe Festivals. Daniel has been described as “warmly lyrical” and “a charismatic presence”, and has also performed in concert with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, and Rockdale Opera Company.
JADE PARK – TRUMPET AND OBOE
Jade Park is an emerging Australian Dual Soloist in Trumpet and Oboe, earning AMEB LMusA in Oboe at the age of 12 and LMusA with Distinction in Trumpet at 13. Jade has been on scholarship for both instruments at the Rising Stars at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Open Academy and on full music scholarship at St. Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney.
Jade has made an incredible progress in the music world. In addition to winning numerous awards and scholarships in Australia, she has played with the Australian Youth Orchestra and was awarded Barbara Robinson Prize and the Players’ Award in Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra Secondary School Concerto Competition in 2022.
Internationally, she was awarded the Exceptional Young Talent Prize by Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition in 2018 and as a result, presented her winning performance at their Award Ceremony in Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, Italy. Following year, Jade won the First Prize in the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition and was invited to perform at the Winners’ Concert in Carnegie Hall, New York, USA.
Her international achievements continued as she was the recipient of the 2020 International Trumpet Guild’s Young Artist Award and has been a finalist and scholarship recipient at the International Trumpet Guild Conference Youth Competitions since 2018, USA.
In 2022, International Women’s Brass Conference awarded her 2022 Penny Turner Young Artist Award and she was the First Prize winner of the 2022 International Trumpet Guild Conference Youth Competition as well as recipient of their scholarship.
Jade has a true passion for music evidenced by her artistry and is a name to look out for in years to come.
DAVID SHAW- FLUTE
David Shaw is a multi-instrumentalist, specialising in flute and piano. He has extensive experience in many genres of music, from performing, arranging and teaching. As an orchestral musician, David has performed casually with several state orchestras in Australia, including Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria, and in conjunction with the Australian National Academy of Music with Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.
As a soloist, David has performed predominantly flute both for and with many highly regarded international artists. David has reached the finals of the Australian Flute Festival competitions in 2013 and 2015 and In 2016, David toured Europe and China with the Australian Youth Orchestra as principal flute. The Australian National Academy of Music asked David back in 2016 to perform WA Mozart’s flute concerto in G major, under the baton of Ilych Rivas.
Since 2017, David has called Orange, NSW home, taking up the positions as Head of Keyboard Studies and Schools Liaison at the Orange Regional Conservatorium, Music Director of the Orange Symphony Orchestra, and board member of the Orange Regional Arts Foundation and the Orange Chamber Music Festival. He is an active performer in and around Orange and enjoys collaborations with artists from all over Australia.
JEFFREY CHEAH- GUITARIST
Jeffrey Cheah is an Australian guitarist and prize-winner/finalist in over 15 international competitions including 2nd place at the Melbourne International Guitar Competition, 2nd place at
the New Zealand International Guitar Competition, 3rd place at the Singapore International Guitar Competition and 4th place at the Asia International Guitar Competition.
Holding an undergraduate degree from the Australian National University and a postgraduate degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Jeffrey has studied under some of Australia’s
foremost pedagogues including Timothy Kain, Minh Le Hoang, and Vladimir Gorbach.
His ambition as an artist is to showcase the intimate and expressive qualities of the guitar in a way
that speaks profoundly of the instrument and its repertoire.
Jeffrey played Rodrigo “Fantasia para un Gentilhombre” with the Beecroft Orchestra in March 2022