QPAC

Jess Hitchcock captivates audiences with her powerful voice and evocative storytelling. A singer-songwriter with a unique blend of pop, country, folk, and opera, Jess crafts an enchanting style of song that resonates in its unique sound.

Jess is currently working on a new album while composing an opera, both of which promise to showcase her creative evolution, reaching into multiple genres and transporting listeners through the worlds of her songs.

Jess’s connection to her family throughout the Torres Strait, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific drive her passion to create and advocate for a more just world. With her unique artistry as a genre-defying songwriter and performer, Jess Hitchcock stands out as a distinctive figure in contemporary music.

Image by Claudio Raschella

Megan Sarmardin is a dynamic singer, songwriter, and actress whose career has taken her from her hometown of Mount Isa, Queensland, to stages across Australia and the UK. A self-taught musician and passionate performer, Megan starred as Julie in the stage production of The Sapphires (2011) and portrayed Aunty Auriel Andrew in Queensland Theatre’s Country Song (2015). Her strong ties to Queensland Music Festival have seen her grace productions such as Bobcat Dancing, Swinging Utes, and Songs That Made Me, where she mentored aspiring female artists and shared the stage with icons like Deborah Conway and Claire Bowditch.

Music and creativity have been Megan’s anchor through life’s challenges, fueling her passion for mental health advocacy. Now, she’s developing a creative mentorship program to empower the next generation of female trailblazers to pursue their dreams while prioritising wellbeing.

Aurora Liddle-Christie aka SOLCHLD is a Magan-djin-based multidisciplinary artist of Arrernte, Alyawarr, Jamaican, Irish, and Scottish settler descent. Her practice explores regeneration as a process of reclaiming ancestry, liberation, and healing, particularly in relation to self, the collective, and nature. Aurora’s performance, music, and spoken word delve into her personal experiences, using metaphor, faith, and place-based storytelling to explore the threshold of metamorphosis.

Paul Grabowsky is an award-winning pianist, composer, arranger, conductor – and is one of Australia’s most distinguished artists, renowned for his extraordinary contributions to the worlds of jazz, film, theatre, and classical music.

Born in Papua New Guinea and raised in Melbourne, he emerged on the late‑1970s jazz, theatre and cabaret scene before working in Europe and the US alongside Art Farmer and Johnny Griffin. Returning home, he led ensembles such as his trio, sextet and The Wizards of Oz, served as musical director for Vince Jones and Tonight Live with Steve Vizard (1990–92), and edited arts programming at ABC Television (1995–98). Founder of the Australian Art Orchestra, he’s scored films, TV and operas, won numerous ARIA, Helpmann and APRA awards, and was named an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2014.

Image by David Kelly