MUS Biographies

Sarah Penicka-Smith
Guest Conductor, Concert 2 2009

Sarah Penicka-Smith has been conducting ensembles of all ages since 1997. She was appointed as Music Director of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir (SGLC) in January 2005 and has since toured internationally with the choir twice. Under her directorship, SGLC has diversified its programme, and recent performances include ‘Tainted Love,' a film collaboration with the Mu-Meson Archives, the fetish cabaret ‘Salon Kinky,' and performing for Retired Bishop John Shelby Spong at the Common Dreams Conference. In 2009 Sarah was Music Director for SGLC's production of Purcell's The Fairy Queen , the first opera ever staged by a queer choir.

Sarah conducted the MUS performance of the Power to the People concert in October 2009. This was a program of protest songs through the ages and Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man : A Mass for Peace.

Sarah was Assistant Chorusmaster with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs from 2008 - 2009, and she made her Sydney Opera House debut in May 2009 with the Sydney Philharmonia Festival Chorus and Orchestra. Apart from her extensive musical commitments, Sarah is currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney , where she tutors in religion and gender and has held an Australian Postgraduate Award since 2006. Sarah also holds a number of other prestigious awards, including the John Cooper Memorial Prize, the Busby Musical Scholarship and the Donald Peart Prize, as well as awards at both state and local levels for her work with community ensembles.

From 2010 Sarah takes up the position of Choir Master with the Willoughby Symphony Choir. She will start the year with the role of Musical Director at the Intervarsity Choral Festival in Canberra.

Tim Chung Principal Conductor 2010 Tim is passionate about choirs and ever since the age of seven, has devoted himself to either conducting or singing in them. He has founded and directed many Sydney-based ensembles including the Willoughby Symphony Choir (Chorusmaster/Conductor), Coro Innominata (Guest Conductor), The Joubert Singers (Musical Director), Sydney Philharmonia Choirs (Chorus Master), VOX (Foundation Artistic Director/Conductor), Polyphony (Founding Artistic Director/Conductor) and Sydney University Musical Society (Guest Conductor/Assistant Chorus Master). He has also conducted Handel's Messiah, Joseph and the Amazing Colour Dreamcoat , The Sound of Music , and Oliver for Artes Christi Performing Arts in The Seymour Centre as well as Godspell at Trinity Grammar School where he leads a large choir of 100 voices as Master of The Chapel Musick. Tim was also recently appointed Conductor of the Radio Community Chest Combined Church Choir's annual performance of Handel's Messiah . He is the 5 th conductor to be appointed in the 70 year history of this popular annual event which is held in the Sydney Town Hall in December. Since changing from bass to countertenor, Tim is regularly engaged as a soloist with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Choir (Allegri, Buxtehüde, Handel, Mozart) under the direction of Paul Dyer, World Voices (Mozart Requiem), The Sydneian Bach Choir (Bach Cantatas), The Joubert Singers (Mozart, Haydn), The Newcastle University Choir ( Messiah ), St Andrew's Cathedral Choir ( Messiah ), St Mary's Cathedral Choirs (Handel, Mozart), Willoughby Orchestra and Choir (Purcell), The SBS Youth Orchestra (Handel, Vivaldi), Coro Innominata (Purcell, Vivaldi), Sydney University Graduate Choir (Bach, Handel, Charpentier), Early Music group La Folia, Thoroughbass, Consort 8 and The Renaissance Players. As a chorister, Tim has performed in numerous recordings and concerts with Cantillation, Pinchgut Opera (Handel, Purcell) The Song Company and ACO Voices.

Joy Lalchere MUS Accompanist Joy Lalchere has been the regular accompanist for the Willoughby Symphony Choir since 1995 and for the Macquarie University Singers since 1988. In each capacity she has been involved in concert performances as both pianist and harpsichordist. After graduating with degrees in piano performance and teaching from Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Sydney Teacher's College, she spent several years with the Department of Education as a specialist music teacher in secondary schools. Joy has worked with Sydney Philharmonia, Sydney University Musical Society, several community musical societies and with the Department of Education as a rehearsal pianist for the combined State Schools' Choir. As well as freelance accompanying and teaching at her home studio, she organizes a small baroque instrumental ensemble, is involved in a Hungarian gypsy / folk ensemble and is the pianist with a local big band.

Sarah Penicka-Smith Guest Conductor, Concert 2 2009 Sarah Penicka-Smith has been conducting ensembles of all ages since 1997. She was appointed as Music Director of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir (SGLC) in January 2005 and has since toured internationally with the choir twice. Under her directorship, SGLC has diversified its programme, and recent performances include ‘Tainted Love,' a film collaboration with the Mu-Meson Archives, the fetish cabaret ‘Salon Kinky,' and performing for Retired Bishop John Shelby Spong at the Common Dreams Conference. In 2009 Sarah was Music Director for SGLC's production of Purcell's The Fairy Queen , the first opera ever staged by a queer choir. Sarah conducted the MUS performance of the Power to the People concert in October 2009. This was a program of protest songs through the ages and Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man : A Mass for Peace. Sarah was Assistant Chorusmaster with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs from 2008 - 2009, and she made her Sydney Opera House debut in May 2009 with the Sydney Philharmonia Festival Chorus and Orchestra. Apart from her extensive musical commitments, Sarah is currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney , where she tutors in religion and gender and has held an Australian Postgraduate Award since 2006. Sarah also holds a number of other prestigious awards, including the John Cooper Memorial Prize, the Busby Musical Scholarship and the Donald Peart Prize, as well as awards at both state and local levels for her work with community ensembles. From 2010 Sarah takes up the position of Choir Master with the Willoughby Symphony Choir. She will start the year with the role of Musical Director at the Intervarsity Choral Festival in Canberra.

Elizabeth Scott Guest Conductor, Concert 1 2009 Elizabeth Scott graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1995 having earned the prestigious Student of the Year Award and the Reuben F. Scarf Scholarship for academic and musical excellence. She was the Assistant Chorus Master to Sydney Philharmonia Choirs from 2006 to 2008 and is currently the Musical Director of Vox, Sydney Philharmonia’s youth choir. Elizabeth is currently the Instrumental Music program coordinator at Fort St High School, and is a Regional Arts Coordinator (Secondary Choral Music) at The Arts Unit, a specialist branch of the Department of Education and Training. Since 2007, Elizabeth has been part of Symphony Australia’s Conductor Development Program and was recently awarded the Sydney Choral Symposium Foundation Choral Scholarship. Elizabeth sings regularly with Cantillation and has performed and recorded with The Song Company. She led MUS in an acclaimed performance of Vivaldi Gloria and Bach Magnificat in May 2009

David Hood Guest Conductor Nov/Dec 2008, Nov/Dec 2009 David Hood is a freelance choral conductor and trumpet player. He is currently musical director of the choir of the University of Technology Sydney Music Society (MuscUTS), choirmaster and organist at St Jude’s Anglican Church Randwick and choirmaster at All Souls’ Anglican Church Leichhardt. His music training commenced at Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide. David has been musical director of the Manly Warringah Choir and the Inner West Chamber Choir and has been guest musical director for both MUS and Willoughby Symphony Choir. In July 09 he travelled to the United States to participate in a two-week choral conducting course at the Eastman School of Music. He has prepared MUS for the performance with Auspops Not New Years Eve at the Sydney Opera House.

Margot McLaughlin MUS Musical Director 1987 - August 2008 Margot McLaughlin, Musical Director of the Macquarie University Singers from 1986 to 2008, studied music at the NSW Conservatorium of Music and the University of Sydney. She has sung with the Sydney Philharmonia Motet Choir and Sydney Chamber Choir, and was conductor of the Sydney University Musical Society (SUMS) between 1979 and 1983. In addition, she has been a rehearsal conductor for other choirs, including Sydney Philharmonia, the Willoughby Symphony Choir, and the Sydney Sings Messiah concerts in the Sydney Opera House.


Updated 3 March 2010