QPAC

For two decades, William Barton has forged a peerless profile as a performer and composer in the classical musical world, from the Philharmonic Orchestras of London and Berlin to historic events at Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day 2019, Anzac Cove and the Beijing Olympics. With his prodigious musicality and the quiet conviction of his Kalkadunga heritage, William has vastly expanded the horizons of the didgeridoo – and the culture and landscape that it represents.

Iva Davies is a singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. With a career spanning more than 40 years, Iva came to prominence in the 1970’s as co-founder and lead singer of the Australian band Flowers, later ICEHOUSE. ICEHOUSE enjoyed chart-topping success with singles including “Great Southern Land” and “Hey Little Girl” and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006. Iva has made music for television and film, including as the composer for Master and Commander: The Far Wide of the World.

Véronique Serret is a highly versatile violinist, vocalist and composer, effortlessly bridging the divide between classical and contemporary art forms. As a contemporary classical soloist, Véronique performed Arvo Part’s Tabula Rasa with the Sydney Symphony, Peteris Vask’s Lonely Angel at Four Winds Festival and the Australian premiere of Boulez’s Anthèmes for solo violin. In 2022 she gave the Australian premiere of Unsuk Chin’s theatrical work Double Bind for Backstage Music and most recently performed Nico Muhly’s electric violin concerto ‘Seeing is Believing’ with the Tasmanian Symphony. Prima Volta (2022), her ground breaking debut album, is now available through Corella Recordings and online at Bandcamp.

Aunty Delmae has had a long life-journey of performance and collaborative projects in regional Australia, as well on the international stage. Born in Emerald, Central Queensland, Delmae is a descendant of the Bidjara tribe on her mother’s side. Widely recognised as Australia’s Dreamtime Opera Diva, some career highlights have included collaborations to present the Songlines project at the Naples Music Festival; a residency at the Pompidou Centre in Paris 2006 and guest at The Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

John Foreman OAM is a musical director, event director, pianist and composer, and the man behind many of the biggest events in Australian entertainment. John wrote “The Flame”, which was performed by Tina Arena and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony, and his compositions have been performed by artists ranging from Vanessa Amorosi to Jose Carreras. He was Musical Director for Australian Idol (Ten Network) and when Oprah Winfrey came to Australia, John was Musical Director for her finalé concert from the steps of the Sydney Opera House