Artistic Team
Want to know more about our wonderful artistic team? See information about our incredibly talented artistic team below.
Jonathon Welch AM
Founding Artistic Director
Jonathon Welch AM is a multi award winning singer, conductor, teacher, songwriter and recording artist with a career spanning over thirty years. Making his debut with Dame Joan Sutherland at the Sydney Opera House in the ‘Merry Widow’ 1988 Jonathon has over sixty stage roles to his credit and has performed extensively in Opera, musicals, G&S and in concert alongside many of the world’s greatest singers, directors and conductors including kd Lang, Baz Luhrmann, and Richard Bonynge to name a few.
In 2007, Jonathon’s work creating choirs for the homeless and disadvantaged in Australia was the subject of the internationally acclaimed ARIA, Logie and Helpmann award winning TV documentary ‘Choir of Hard Knocks’, also creating the ‘Jailbirds’ documentary in the Victorian Women’s Prisons and was a Judge on the highly successful ‘Battle of the Choirs’ TV series for Channel 7.
Jonathon has been recognised for his outstanding thirty year commitment to the music industry, youth music education and his work with marginalised and homeless communities with the Australian of the Year Local Hero 2008, ANZAC of the Year 2009, an Honourary Doctorate and an Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2009 and an Honourary Fellow of the Australian Council of Educational Leaders.
In 2009 Jonathon created and launched ‘Social Inclusion Week’ making Australia the only country in the world to celebrate Social Inclusion nationally, and in September 2012 launched his vision for the future of arts, cultural and wellbeing programs and training for those experiencing homelessness and disadvantage with the ‘School of Hard Knocks’ and 'Play It Forward' in 2018.
Patrick Burns
Director of Choir Programs - Melbourne
Music Director - Choir of Opportunity, Voices of Moonee Valley & CASEY SINGS!
Patrick Burns was born in Sydney, Australia and studied French Horn and Conducting at the Melbourne and Queensland Conservatoriums. In Australia, he is the Artistic Director for Lyric Opera of Melbourne, Music Director for XL Arts inc. and the Director of Music Programs Melbourne for the Play It Forward Choirs program created by Jonathon Welch.
In 2018 and 2019 he was the Robert and Elizabeth Albert Conducting Fellow for The Australian Ballet, alongside the Hephzibah Tintner Conducting Fellow. As part of his Fellowships, Patrick has conducted performances for the Australian Ballet with Orchestra Victoria, The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and The Opera Australia Orchestra. He has conducted Orchestra Victoria in a regional performance, acted as Assistant Conductor to Simone Young with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and served as Assistant Conductor in William Kentridge’s production of Wozzeck presented by Opera Australia.
Internationally he has made guest appearances with the National Theater of Serbia (Otello), State Opera of Bulgaria Ruse (Rigoletto, Nabucco, Turandot), and the Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra in Bulgaria. In 2017, he was the assistant conductor with British Youth Opera and conducted the covers performance with the Southbank Sinfonia. He won the Jury’s Prize at the 2015 Blue Danube International Opera Conducting Competition in Bulgaria and the Orchestra’s Prize in 2016 Black Sea Opera Conducting Competition in Romania.
For more information visit: www.patrickburnsconductor.com
Liane Keegan
Vocal Coach
Successes in the roles of Erda, First Norn and Waltraute (Die Walküre) in the Ring Des Nibelungen in Adelaide have confirmed Liane Keegan as one of Australia's finest dramatic contraltos. A highly sought after artist both in Europe and Australia, Liane received scholarships from the Opera Foundation Australia and Shell Royal Opera House Covent Garden Scholarship, which enabled her to study at the National Opera Studio in London. In 1997 Liane won a Bayreuth Bursary from the Wagner Society of Great Britain. She came to the attention of both critics and public alike performing with numerous Orchestra’s and Opera companies including; English National Opera, Theater Hagen, Deutsche Opera Berlin, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Concert appearances have included recitals at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, BBC Proms, Edinburgh Festival and Sydney Olympic Arts Festival. Liane Keegan is Play It Forward’s very own Vocal Consultant.
Adam Przewlocki
Music Director - Western Health Singers
Accompanist
One of Australia’s leading show choir directors, Adam founded the first of his choirs, the Divine Divas of Sunbury in 2007. He has enjoyed an illustrious career as concert pianist, chamber musician and accompanist. He has performed as recitalist throughout Australia, USA, Europe, Taiwan, Korea, China, Japan and New Zealand. Adam was Musical Director, pianist and vocalist with renowned cabaret group ‘Pot-Pourri’ for 10 years, undertaking more than 15 overseas concert tours with the 5-piece group. Adam’s dedication and service to the Hume community has been acknowledged through being named ‘Hume Citizen of the Year’ in 2009, as well as being a National Finalist in the 2009 Herald Sun ‘Pride of Australia’ medal for services to the community. During Adam’s competitive career, he amassed over 200 prizes in Eisteddfods throughout Australia, including the City of Sydney Eisteddfod Piano Scholarship. He was also a finalist in the Stravinsky International Piano Competition for Young Artists in Illinois, USA in 1990 and 4th prizewinner in the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists in Germany, 1991. Adam is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Study Grant and is a Churchill Fellow. He also studied on full scholarship at London’s Royal Academy of Music from 1992-1996. He has performed in master classes conducted by Andras Schiff, John Lill, Peter Donahue, Alfred Brendel, Pascal Roge and Imogen Cooper.
Claire Patti
Co Music Director - Only Women Aloud
Claire Patti is a versatile and passionate musician who has carved herself a career as a performer, choral director, arranger and educator. An award winning singer and multi-instrumentalist, she has toured extensively with her Celtic vocal ensemble Co-cheòl and sassy jazz a cappella quartet The Velvetones, who are causing quite a stir on the Australian a cappella scene. In addition to traditional Celtic music and jazz, she regularly performs genres such as soul, funk, pop, classical, and traditional Swedish and German folk music with various musical outfits. These broad interests have led her to perform internationally with artists such as Bobby McFerrin (her hero), the Rolling Stones, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and James Morrison.
After several years directing choirs of all types in schools and the community, she now freelances as a choral director for major choral projects around the state. She directed the Women’s Chorus for the 2018 Melbourne International Singers Festival, and You’re the Voice (for Play It Forward) and the Festival of 1000 Voices (Yarrawonga), all featuring choirs from around the state.
Dr Nela Trifkovic
Co Music Director - Only Women Aloud
Nela is a Bosnian-Australian artist whose multi-faceted practice includes the disciplines of music, theatre, performance and installation art. She moved to Australia during the Yugoslav war in 1990s and trained at WAAPA and VCA, where she completed her Doctorate in 2013.
A recipient of several grants and scholarships, Nela has performed and conducted research in Australia, Asia, Europe and USA.
In the realm of folk music, Bosnian Sevdah and Sephardic Jewish songs are Nela's greatest passion. They have been an integral part of her life and upbringing. These musical genres have inspired the formation of the ensemble Saray Iluminado, allowing Nela to gather a curious bunch of like-minded musical travellers and pursue life away from home by finding a home in song.
Tim Maddren
Music Director, School of Hard Knocks Choir - Port Macquarie Hastings
Tim is most well known for being a member of the children’s group Hi-5 from 2009 until 2013. With the group he filmed 135 episodes, released 3 albums with Sony Music Australia and toured internationally. Whilst in Hi-5 he was nominated,
along with the rest of the group, for two TV Week Logie Awards, two ARIA Awards and an Asian Television Award. Tim completed 26 episodes and his first of three series’, playing the lead role of Logan in The Fo Fo Figgily Show. Filmed
in Abu Dhabi, this television show is due to be launched throughout Europe, Asia and North America.
Tim’s theatre credits include Dream Lover – The Bobby Darin Musical, the principle role of Lucas in The Addams Family, Brad Majors in the 2014 Australian Cast of The Rocky Horror Show, Fiddler on the Roof (Fyedka) and the original
Australian cast of Altar Boyz (Luke) 2008.
In 2016, Tim played the role of Prince Charming in Bonnie Lythgoe’s Cinderella.Tim trained at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Music Theatre course – 2005 Graduate. From 2007- 2008 Tim studied post-grad in
voice at the Queensland Conservatorium under the guidance of Irene Bartlett. Also a screenwriter, Tim’s feature-length screenplay, which is set in Lake Cathie, ‘One and Another’ was shortlisted in the 2015 Australian Writers Guild
‘What Happens Next’ competition, it was recognised as one of the top three screenplays of the 2015 Lorne Film Festival and internationally in the 2016 Blue Cat Screenplay Competition, where there were over 5000 screenplay entries.
In late 2016 Tim and his wife Stephanie started up their own production company Got Ya Back Productions.
Caroline Crawford
Music Director - YES I CAN! Gippsland Choir
Caroline Crawford is an established musician, teacher and composer from the Latrobe Valley, in Victoria. Caroline studied a Bachelor of Music (majoring in piano) and Diploma of Education at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne. She has composed a variety of music for piano and also smaller instrumental ensembles.
Caroline spent many years involved in the Latrobe Theatre Company, directing and accompanying shows. She has continued to teach, accompany, conduct and perform in her local area of Gippsland and thoroughly enjoys sharing her love of music with everyone.
Caroline is very passionate about teaching piano and singing, and is delighted to have joined the Play It Forward team as conductor of the Yes I Can! Gippsland all abilities choir. “Conducting this choir is one of the biggest highlights of my week. Bringing people together to make music and seeing everyone laugh and smile is the absolute best!”
Dave Newington
Accompanist and Composer
Alumni of The University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Music, Dave is actively engaged as a pianist, producer and educator and is a sought after performer, arranger and director in a range of genres. He also has experience in music copyright, artist, venue and promoter advocacy through his work at APRA AMCOS and as a Music Victoria Artist Advisory Board member. Dave has many career standouts, one being as Pianist/Conductor for Australian classical crossover giants The TEN Tenors on a number of world tours and albums. He has also musically directed and performed for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 and accompanied, arranged and artistically coordinated the Victorian State School Spectacular under the musical direction of Mr Chong Lim. Dave is a passionate contributor and advocate for independent songwriters and performers, students and of programs that brings music to diverse communities, as his work with Play It Forward allows him to do.
Stephen Blackburn
Accompanist and Arranger
Stephen began a comedy career in Melbourne’s vibrant theatre restaurant scene in the 1970’’s. In 1982 the ABC screened the ground breaking comedy series “Australia You’re Standing In It”, featuring characters such as Tim and Debbie and the Dodgy Brothers created by Stephen and his cohorts. These iconic, and typically Australian characters were embraced by TV viewers across the country. Fast Forward followed on Channel Seven and Stephen was a founding writer and performer as well as composer and musical director for this and other shows such as Full Frontal for ten years at the station. Soon after he began working as accompanist and recording producer with Jonathon Welch and the Choir of Hard Knocks performing hundreds of live shows and releasing a number of popular CDs. Stephen has more recently written his own satirical, musical songs that he sings and plays at the piano under the title of The New Hip. Performing solo, or with a band, he is currently entertaining audiences around Victoria.
Daniel Brinsmead
Accompanist and Composer
Daniel Brinsmead is a graduate of the School of Music at the Australian National University where he received a Bachelor of Music with Honours for performance studies in Classical Voice. His choral compositions and arrangements have been performed by school, university, community and professional choirs in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. He was selected as 1 of 8 winners from 918 worldwide entries to record his composition Come Sleep for the Abbey Road Anthem Competition in 2011 to celebrate the studio’s 80th anniversary. This recording was conducted and performed by Eric Whitacre and his singers. Since then he has been featured as the composer-in-residence at Border Music Camp and has been invited to conduct his music across Australia.
Daniel has been the choir master of several choirs in Canberra, Australia, a singing and piano tutor, baritone soloist, accompanist, composer, arranger and orchestrator. He holds a Master of Music majoring in choral conducting from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama,
Boris Conley
Accompanist
Boris is a composer, performer and musician who has created music for visual theatre, music theatre, circus, film and TV. He plays piano, keyboards and bassoon and is a member of the internationally acclaimed Spaghetti Western Orchestra. He has collaborated on numerous music/sound performance projects including Chamber Made Opera, Oz Opera, Handspan Theatre and the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. He has composed the music for numerous visual theatre shows and is fully engaged as a gigging musician in and around Melbourne.
Angela Patti
Accompanist
Angela Patti completed her Bachelor of Music at the Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne in 1978 studying piano with Ronald Farren-Price and Diana Weekes. During that time she was organist at Newman College. Following this, she undertook further studies on the organ in Italy and later continued them at the Durham Cathedral in England.
Angela has taught at various Yamaha schools in Melbourne and also trained in the Suzuki and Kodaly methods. She trained, assisted and accompanied the Berwick Youth Choir for many years. She has also had extensive experience as an accompanist for vocalists and instrumentalists. Her main love, however, is piano teaching. Angela started teaching during her student days and has taught piano at home and various schools for over 40 years.
Angela is currently the accompanist for our Play If Forward choir, CASEY SINGS!