Laura Hansford | Director
Laura Hansford is a Queensland based artist who has been working on operatic productions for the last decade as both a creative and technical collaborator. Beginning her career as a part of the Stage Management team at Opera Queensland in 2012, she has been instrumental in many of the company’s most memorable works, most recently as Assistant Director for the companies 2019 production of Tosca. Recently Laura has worked as an Associate Director for Victorian Opera on productions of Pelleas et Melisande and The Barber of Seville. Laura has worked with companies such as Opera Australia, the State of South Australia, New Zealand Opera, Circa and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, but her true passion lies in her engagements with Opera Queensland’s and the Learning, Regional and Community Department having been a part of the last six regional touring programmes. In 2020 Laura was nominated as an Emerging Female Artist at the Matilda awards.
Penny Challen | Designer
Penny Challen has over 20 years’ experience in creative & production design. Having trained at QCA and NIDA, she has worked with some of the leading names in world theatre on productions for companies such as the UK's The Royal Opera House, Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. Locally she has created designs for Opera Queensland, The State Library of Queensland, Queensland Theatre and La Boite. She is Co-Artistic Director of Little Match Productions, an independent Brisbane performing arts organisation specialising in new classical vocal works in contemporary contexts for adults and children. Penny is a passionate advocate for women in the performing arts and telling women's stories.
Irena Lysiuk | Singer 1
Since graduating the Queensland Conservatorium in 2016 with a Graduate Diploma in Music studies and in 2014 with a Bachelor of Music, Irena Lysiuk has worked extensively Opera Queensland.
Irena played the role of Gretel in Opera Queensland and shake and stir theatre company’s school touring production of Hansel and Gretel (2017-18) and Adina in FiZZ! (2016), as well as chorus roles in Opera Queensland productions such as Gilbert & Sullivan’s Ruddigore (2017), Don Giovanni (2018) and A Flowering Tree (2019).
Turning to musical theatre, Irena played Carmen in Sweet Charity at the Brisbane Powerhouse (2019) and Anne Egerman in the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra’s production of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music (2018). In 2018, Lysiuk debuted the role of the Pussycat in Little Match productions new opera The Owl & Pussycat, performed at CommGames Festival and Brisbane Festival 2018 at QPAC. During her time at the university, Irena’s roles included Damigella in L’incoronazione di Poppea (2015), Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro (2013), Papagena in Die Zauberflöte- scenes (2012), and Una Novizia in Suor Angelica (2011).
Marcus Corowa | Singer 2
Marcus Corowa has captured the hearts of Australians with his silky, soulful voice and charming stage presence. An award-winning First Nations entertainer, Marcus is an accomplished singer/songwriter, composer, actor and mentor who has been turning heads for more than a decade.
Drawing on his Aboriginal and South Sea Islander heritage, Marcus creates captivating music with elements of blues, jazz and funk; a combination that won him the Most Promising New Talent in Music Award at the 2012 Deadly Awards and that can be heard on his EPs Water & Air and The Greater You. Since then, Marcus has found success as an independent recording artist, composer and actor.
Marcus is an exceptional live entertainer which has resulted in amazing partnerships. He was part of the 30-year anniversary celebrations for Australian Catholic University’s Indigenous program, Yalbinga, performed with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra at The National Centre for Indigenous Excellence Reconciliation Action Week, and has secured residencies with both Voyages Sails in the Desert and on the Indian Pacific. He is a positive role model and advocate for diversity and inclusion, committed to using his voice to mentor and inspire young Australians.
Jonathan Hickey | Singer 3
Jonathan Hickey is a musical theatre performer and multi-instrumentalist. He most recently played Tobias in TEG’s 40th anniversary production of Sweeney Todd performing at the Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney and Her Majesty’s theatre, Melbourne. Other notable roles are Alex in Aspects of Love, Hayes Theatre, Sydney, Fabrizio in The Light in the Piazza, Melbourne Arts Centre, for which he was nominated a Green Room Award for best supporting actor, Matt in The Fantasticks, Hayes Theatre, Sydney.
Jonathan has toured regional Queensland as part of Opera Queensland’s Open Stage school touring program in FiZZ! (2015, 2016) and Hansel & Gretel (2018). Other theatre credits include Opera Queensland’s The Pearl Fishers, Matt in Bare, Henrik in A Little Night Music with Brisbane Philharmonic. He also enjoys composing and performing in his family band Chinatown Carpark.
Dane Lam | Co-Music Director
Australian conductor Dane Lam is Opera Queensland’s 2021 Resident Conductor and Associate Music Director as well as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of China's Xi'an Symphony Orchestra.
Prior to Xi'an, Dane enjoyed highly acclaimed tenures as Principal Conductor of the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Associate Conductor with Opera Holland Park, and as Assistant Conductor to Kurt Masur at the Orchestre National de France and Gianluigi Gelmetti at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
First appearing with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the Sydney Opera House at age eighteen, Dane has since conducted orchestras on four continents including the Melbourne and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, Manchester Camerata, Verbier Festival Orchestra, Sofia Festival Orchestra, Beethoven Orchester Bonn and the Juilliard Orchestra.
Other engagements have included Opera Holland Park's productions of Aida, Il barbiere di Siviglia and Norma, RTE Concert Orchestra (Dublin), Manchester Camerata, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Ensemble 10/10 and Oxford University Orchestra. He made his German debut with the Munich Radio Orchestra and his Royal Festival Hall debut with members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra as part of London Music Masters' Bridge Program. Dane made his New Zealand debut with Dunedin’s Southern Sinfonia and has returned on numerous occasions. He led the world premiere season of Jonathan Henderson’s opera Dirty Apple with Opera Queensland.
Sara Storer | Co-Music Director
Sara Storer is a renowned Australian country music singer-songwriter and former teacher. She won a record breaking seven Golden Guitar awards in the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 2004, and as of 2017, she has won 21 in total. Three of her six studio albums have reached the top 30 on the ARIA Albums Chart, Firefly (July 2005), Lovegrass (August 2013) and Silos (March 2016). Silos also won Best Country Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2016. Storer has been a member of a country music trio, Songbirds (2007–09) alongside Beccy Cole and Gina Jeffries.
Steve Russell | Co-Music Director
Long regarded as one of Australia’s finest jazz pianists and accompanists and a highly accomplished composer and arranger, Steve Russell has appeared with a vast array of national and international jazz, blues, pop and cabaret artists in an eclectic career spanning some forty years. His performance credits include Rodriguez, Chrissy Amphlett, Dan Sultan, Wendy Matthews, William Barton, Katie Noonan, James Morrison, Troy Cassar-Daley, Kate Miller-Heidke, and Shellie Morris. Steve is also a passionate educator, currently teaching at the Jazz Music Institute and Southern Cross University. Previous musical directorships include the Queensland Performing Arts Centre's Songs of Justice, Queensland Music Festival productions, the Mount Isa Blast, the Yarrabah Band Festival and The Isaac Project, as well as Snow White, Opera Queensland’s co-production with La Boîte Theatre, and five seasons of the iconic Women in Voice.
Narelle French | Opera Queensland Head of Music
One of Australia’s most respected and versatile pianists and musicians, Narelle joined Opera Queensland in 1999 encompassing roles including Head of Music, Director of Young Artist Program and Chorus Director. She has appeared as conductor, performer, arranger, librettist and translator, has co-created and performed for numerous touring productions, special events, concerts and workshop programs, and has led the Opera Queensland Chorus for over forty main stage productions, concerts and events.
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