Jermaine Chau

Co-Artistic Director // Mezzo soprano
 

Jermaine is a founding member of Blush Opera and a current Co-Artistic Director. As part of Blush Opera’s commitment to presenting original works by new composers, she has performed Paul Smith composition ‘Fancy Me Dead’ at The Hayes Theatre as part of the New Music Network Mini Series.  in 2017 Jermaine is loving having the role of Kitty written for her in Blush Opera's latest creation Chop Chef: The Opera by Smith & Koh.

Jermaine recently trained at the IFAC New Zealand Singing School 2017 where she worked with international coaches. A graduate of the Lisa Gasteen National Opera Summer School in Brisbane (2014), she studied opera at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2013-2014) where she took on the role as a sassy aunt Fidalma in Cimarosa’s comic opera Il Segreto Matrimonio. She took the lead role in Menotti’s Old Maid and the Thief and has performed as Cecilia in Mark Adamo’s Little Women.

2016 was thrilling year as Jermaine made her debut at the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra Gala; performed as Lady Bertram in Operantics’ production of Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park and will again join Operantics and the Penrith Symphony Orchestra in their production of La Sonnambula as Teresa. She revelled in the gluttonous role of Suor Dolcina in Opera Projects Sydney’s Suor Angelica; La Frugola in Puccini's Il Tabarro with Constantine Costi & Luke Spicer and in November, Jermaine was part of the cast of Opera Australia’s The Eighth Wonder in the role of Madame Magda performing on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House.  In 2017 she performed in Carmen as part of Opera Australia's production on Sydney Harbour.

Paul smith

Co-Artistic Director // Composer

Paul is a lecturer in music at the University of New England where he teaches composition and music theory. He holds a Doctorate of Creative Arts from Western Sydney University where his research focused on music's connection with visual art forms. 

His works for theatre include the chamber opera "Fancy Me Dead", first performed as part if the New Music Network Mini Series in 2015, and "The Spider Maiden and the Runaway Plum Blossom", commissioned by Chamber.Sounds and premiered in Singapore in 2016. He also composed and performed a piano score for a collaborative theatre work, "Frankenstein", at The Q in Penrith in October, 2016. He is currently composing a new work in development - Chop Chef: The Opera - with librettist Julie Koh for the The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre Southlands Breakthrough Award 2017.

Paul's instrumental compositions include numerous pieces for keyboard. He has collaborated regularly with Italian pianist, Antonietta Lofreddo who has performed his work in Australia and Italy. She has released his pieces, "Kawaii Suite", "Iceberg Variations", and "Holding Masks" on three albums with Wirripang. "'Holding Masks" was performed at the Associazione Carducci in Como in May 2017. Other commissions include "The Death of Baldr" for sextet by the Sirius Chamber Ensemble. 

His published research explores music and Japanese visual culture and can be found in the volumes "Manga-Vision" (2016, Monash University Press) and "Music's Immanent Future" (2016, Ashgate Publishing). 

Luke Spicer

Music Director // Conductor

An acclaimed Violist and chamber musician, Luke is now making his mark as an operatic and symphonic conductor. Graduation with a Masters of Conducting from the Sydney Conservatorium, he has furthered his studies in Freiburg, and Manchester; and attended the Fondazione Musicale Chigiana, Siena, working under Maestro Guanluigi Gelmetti. Luke was also a participant in the Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program during 2016.

In 2014 he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Sydney University Symphony Orchestra, in 2016 became Music Director of Blush Opera in Sydney and has been the assistant conductor of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra for several years. Luke made his operatic debut in 2015 with Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, directed by Shannon Murphy and featuring Silvia Colloca, Stacey Alleaume, and Catherine Bouchier in the principal roles, as part of the Spectrum Now Festival. Luke has also conducted Mendelssohn's Elijah, Walton's Facade, Wagner' Wesendonck Lieder, and in 2016 conducted a sell-out production of Puccini's Il Tabarro, directed by Constantine Costi.

2017 as seen Luke join Opera Australia as Music Director of the NSW schools tour, and make his debut with the Tasmanian and Canberra Symphony Orchestras. In 2018 Luke will conduct the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra as part of their subscription series.