MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Christine M Storey

B Music Ed – Secondary, University of Melbourne
Grad Dip Early Music Performance, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London

Head of Choral at Yarra Valley Grammar, Christine conducts four of the seven choirs at the school as well as teaching voice and classroom. The choral and music programme at Yarra Valley Grammar was a National Finalist in the Flame Awards 2009 – Schools that Sing! Christine has been guest conductor of the Australian National Choral Association's Victorian Senior and Junior Honour Choirs as well as several leading community and school choral programmes.

Christine won a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship to study Post Grad Performance (Early Music, Voice) at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where she studied with teachers Emma Kirkby and Nancy Argenta as well as many other world leading specialists.

Performing highlights have included appearing for BBC television, performing Belinda in a live to air BBC broadcast of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in London as well as singing the title role in the Australian premiere of Handel's' Alceste. Christine has also performed and toured with ensembles such as The Song Company and La Romanesca.

Currently, Christine is Vice President of the Australian National Choral Association and past President of the Victorian State Chapter. As a freelance choral conductor and workshop leader, Christine specializes in vocal, choral and conducting skills for choral and singing leaders. She is also co-researcher with the Bionic Ear Institute, investigating the effect of specific music/singing training for children with hearing impairment and cochlear implants.

She is passionate about voice and choral music education – her rehearsals always aim to be exciting, engaging and fun as well as challenging. She combines aural, visual and kinaesthetic learning in every session to draw on each individual's passion and facilitate deeper learning and performing experiences for her singers.

ACCOMPANIST

Roger King

Roger King studied Medicine at King's College Cambridge where he was Top Scholar in his final year. Whilst a young doctor he studied composition part-time at Hull University and then did a medical PhD at London University. He was in the Medical Faculty at Monash University for 25 years, teaching, researching and being a medical practitioner. He has published several hundred original research publications. He is now in full time medical practice. He plays piano, flute, piano accordion and guitar, sings, and has played and/or sung in bands, pop groups, folk groups, classical orchestras, choirs and other ensembles. Since 2000 he has accompanied and sung in over 700 concerts with the Monash Aires, a voluntary group that entertains in and around Melbourne, in hospitals, day care centres, hostels, nursing homes and senior citizens clubs. He was accompanist for the South Eastern Philharmonia Choir for a number of years, and now accompanies the Monash Chorale.