LIVING ROOM MUSIC

ABOUT OUR ARTISTS

 

AJ AMERICA

AJ is a performer, conductor and creative producer. She performs regularly as a soloist and a consort singer in Sydney and Canberra, and has conducted multiple high-achieving community choirs. She performs regularly with the Luminescence Chamber Singers, the Choir of St James King St, Cantillation, Pinchgut Opera, and Vox Plexus (Melbourne). She is a regular collaborator with pianist Ella Luhtasaari, and a member of Ampleya - a multimedia collaboration with pianist/composer Rasa Daukus and visual artist Genevieve Swifte. Recent highlights have included a  performance of early chamber music under the direction of Erin Helyard at Pheonix Central's Dangrove Arts Facility, appearances alongside Tess Said So's live soundtrack for Nosferatu, and appearances at the Canberra International Music Festival and Gondwana World Choral Festival.

AJ  is the Artistic Director of Luminescence, as well as a founding member of the organisation and ensemble. In recent years, AJ has also served as the Musical Director of Canberra Community Chorale, the ANU School of Music H-Course Vocal Ensemble, and the Director of Choirs at Radford College.

 

HEATHCLIFFE AUCHINACHIE

Heathcliffe began his classical guitar studies under Georg Mertens at the age of 10. He then went on to study with Vladimir Gorbach at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he obtained his Bachelor of Music. During his studies, he has been nominated for Encore, competed abroad, awarded scholarships for tertiary study, and has given numerous concerts as a solo recitalist and chamber musician. In 2019 Heathcliffe and baritone Brendan Zlatkis were invited to tour with the Avant Trio as part of the Sydney Conservatorium’s Great Southern Tour directed by pianist David Miller. Later that year he was asked to perform at Sydney’s City Recital Hall as part of a lecture given by mathematician Geordie Williamson for National Science Week. Heathcliffe has competed in Australia and internationally, and in 2019 he was a semi-finalist in the Melbourne Guitar Foundation's International Concert Artist Competition. He has received tuition and masterclasses from some of the most highly respected performers in the world, such as Lorenzo Micheli, Tim Kain, Z.o.o guitar duo, Dene Olding and Irena Morozova (Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Goldner String Quartet), Martha Masters, Gian Marco Ciampa, and Matthew Mccalister. Also an avid chamber musician, This year Heathcliffe performed alongside soprano Chloe Lankshear at a live recorded concert as part of Phoenix Central Park’s series ‘Behind Doors’. When not performing or teaching, Heath enjoys writing and his articles have been published with Classikon and Limelight.

 

CHARLES BOGEL

Charles’s vocal training began aged 8 as a boy treble with the St George’s Cathedral Choir in Perth, under the tutelage of Simon Lawford. Here, Charles became a regular soloist and was awarded the Grace Medal for excellence in 2002 and was installed as Head Chorister in 2003. Charles continued to sing with the choir as a lay clerk under Joseph Nolan, performing regularly in concerts including with ensembles such as the Academy of Ancient Music.  Charles sang with West Australian Opera’s children’s chorus and as a Gentleman of the Chorus in mainstage productions for several years prior to moving to Canberra.

As well as his work with Luminescence Chamber Singers, Charles appears with ensembles such as the Canberra Bach Ensemble, and the Giovanni Consort (Perth).

 

CHLOE LANKSHEAR

Chloe Lankshear is a Canberra soprano who is currently studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under the guidance of Simon Lobelson. In 2017, Chloe made her debut with 'Song Company' and has worked as a guest artist with them for many programs over the last two years. In 2018, Chloe made her debut opera performance with South Australia State Opera in their production of Brett Dean’s ‘Hamlet’ for the Adelaide Festival. In March 2019 Chloe performed a selection of early chamber music under the direction of Erin Helyard as part of Judith Neilson’s ‘Pheonix Central Park’ performance and recording series at Dangrove Arts Facility. In the following months she performed as a featured soloist in a range of programs including R. V William’s ‘Sea Symphony’ alongside Baritone David Greco (Canberra). At the end of 2019 Chloe debuted her first lead role in new opera company ‘Ensemble Polypheme’s’ production of ‘Acis and Galatea’. This year Chloe returned to the Adelaide festival with Song Company as part of the festivals 150 Psalms project. Recently Chloe performed with classical guitarist Heathcliffe Auchinachie in a live concert recording through Phoenix Central Park in their new studio. Upcoming performances feature Bach’s secular cantata ‘Coffee Cantata’ with Bach Akademie Australia, and various projects with Pinchgut Opera.

 

ELLA LUHTASAARI

Ella recently returned to Australia last year after several years’ study in Europe. Last year she graduated with Distinction from the Guildhall Opera School in London after two years of training on full scholarship as a répétiteur and coaching fellow. This followed her Masters studies as a collaborative pianist (Guildhall) and vocal accompanist (Graz, Austria). Whilst at Guildhall, she won the Ivan Sutton Chamber Music Prize and had the privilege of studying with Susanna Stranders (Royal Opera House), Julius Drake, Pamela Lidiard, Andrew West (Guildhall) and Stacey Bartsch (Graz). Her undergraduate studies were at the ANU School of Music with Susanne Powell.

Ella is a passionate and experienced collaborative pianist. Since returning to Australia, she has worked with the Lisa Gasteen Opera School on a production of Carmen, performed with Tobias Cole and his opera company, Handel in the Theatre, and given numerous recitals in the Canberra region. She is also a passionate educator with a burgeoning piano studio.

 

VERONICA MILROY

Soprano, pianist & chamber musician, Veronica grew up in regional NSW and studied at the Mitchell Conservatorium. She was a member of Gondwana Choirs from 2003 – 2017 and has toured both nationally and internationally across the UK & Europe, the USA, and New Zealand. In 2014, she graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Voice) from the ANU School of Music under the tutelage of Alan Hicks & Louise Page OAM.

An experienced consort singer, Veronica performs with the Luminescence Chamber Singers (Canberra), Coro (Canberra) and the Choir of St James’ King Street (Sydney). Veronica has been an educator for nearly a decade and has worked as a singing tutor, accompanist and director with many organisations across Canberra & Central Western NSW, as well as the Rhapsody Rotorua Festival (New Zealand) . In addition to performing with the Chamber Singers, Veronica is the pianist for Luminescence Children's Choir and was a founding member of the Luminescence Board of Directors.

In her free time Veronica is training as a yoga instructor, and has a keen interest in how yogic principles can be applied to the performing musicians’ life.

 

DAN WALKER

Composer, conductor and performer Dan Walker is one of Australia’s most in-demand choral specialists. He has had works commissioned by the Sydney Symphony, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Gondwana Choirs and Halcyon. As a performer, Dan is a principal artist at both Luminescence Chamber Singers and the Song Company. He sings regularly with Cantillation and Pinchgut Opera, and has been a member of the professional vocal ensemble The Consort of Melbourne and was a founding member of early music ensemble, The Parson’s Affayre. He is a keenly sought-after conductor, appearing as chorus master for the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Choruses, and is currently the Artistic Director of Canberra Choral Society, Canberra Community Chorale and Oriana Chorale, as well as Associate Artistic Director of Luminescence Chamber Singers.