Noosa Chorale's Music Director
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KIM KIRKMAN (Guest Conductor January to May 2023, January to May 2024, September to December 2024) The Chorale welcomes Kim Kirkman as its Guest Conductor for the first term of 2023, culminating in two concert performances in May of three magnificent Magnificats. Kim is a highly accomplished violinist, harpist, singer, conductor, composer and teacher. Originally training as a violist (B Mus), Kim moved to voice (Post Grad Dip), and was a founding member and original musical director of The Ten Tenors. He has sung tenor solos in oratorio in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Brisbane as well as solo and chorus for Opera Queensland, Victorian State Opera and EssGee Entertainment. He taught strings, composition, conducting, music technology and voice at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Mackay between 2004 and 2012. He has led, and continues to lead, many choirs and vocal ensembles here on the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere in Queensland. |
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PAUL COPPENS
(Guest Conductor June to August 2024) Born in Brabant, Netherlands, Paul emigrated with his family to Australia in 1955. Deciding to make music his life’s career, he pursued part time music studies before leaving Australia in 1970 for Europe, graduating in Conducting in 1972 at the Graz Music University, Austria. On his return to Australia, he founded the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, the nucleus of the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, which he conducted in more than 350 concerts in almost 150 cities throughout Australia. Between 1974 and 1999 he was Music Director, Assistant Conductor and Administrator of Orchestras with the Edgley organization. He has worked with many choirs and orchestras and has worked in productions of ballet, opera, operetta and musical comedy. |
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GUILLAUME LEMAY-YATES
(Guest Conductor - June to December 2023) For the second and third concert performances of 2023, the Chorale will welcome Guillaume Lemay-Yates to the role of Guest Conductor. Guillaume is currently the Music Director of the Brisbane Apollo Male Choir and Associate Music Director of the Queensland University Musical Society (QUMS) and the Brisbane-based Scomodo Voce Singers. His broad musical experience encompasses roles as a singer, conductor, instrumentalist and arranger. Having learnt first the violin, he has also played clarinet and trumpet, and is proficient on piano and saxophone. He currently sings with Canticum Chamber Choir, and has sung with various Brisbane choirs including the Brisbane Chorale and Fusion Vocal Ensemble. |
ADRIAN KING (Music Director – 2007 to 2022)
Adrian King served in an exemplary way as the Chorale's Music Director for sixteen years before retiring at the end of 2022.
Adrian was born in Lincolnshire, England. His fondest musical memories are of singing and conducting the rich choral tradition that exists throughout the UK.
He received his musical training at the Guildhall School of Music in London, specialising in singing, conducting, piano and french horn. He was also awarded an LTCL from the Trinity College of Music.
For 20 years in the UK, Adrian regularly conducted community and semi-professional choirs, orchestras and ensembles. He adjudicated in festivals and accompanied in recital series and Associated Board Music examinations. For fifteen years he was Director of Music at St James’ Choir School in Grimsby. He was Choral Director of the Grimsby Philharmonic and the Bach Choirs and was closely involved with youth organisations, conducting the area’s Symphonic Wind Band, Orchestra and founding the Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Youth Choir.
He migrated to Australia in August 2006 with his wife Helen to be with his family of four grandchildren and two daughters, both professional string players on the Sunshine Coast.
In January 2007, Adrian was engaged as Conductor and Music Director of the Noosa Chorale. During his 16 years with the Chorale, he conducted their performances of the major choral works of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Twentieth Century repertoire, as well as programmes of jazz and popular music, opera highlights, and musicals. He also conducted several performances including Verdi's Requiem in collaboration between Noosa Chorale and the Sunshine Coast Choral Society of which Adrian was also Music Director from the latter part of 2007.
In the following year, Adrian was also engaged as Conductor and Music Director of the Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra. In a fitting conclusion to leading these three musical associations prior to his retirement at the end of 2022, he conducted a grand concert bringing the two choirs and orchestra together in a performance of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.
In recognition of his meritorious contribution to music on the Sunshine Coast since 2007, Adrian was a recipient of an Award at the Inaugural Queensland Day Award Ceremony in 2016.
Adrian King served in an exemplary way as the Chorale's Music Director for sixteen years before retiring at the end of 2022.
Adrian was born in Lincolnshire, England. His fondest musical memories are of singing and conducting the rich choral tradition that exists throughout the UK.
He received his musical training at the Guildhall School of Music in London, specialising in singing, conducting, piano and french horn. He was also awarded an LTCL from the Trinity College of Music.
For 20 years in the UK, Adrian regularly conducted community and semi-professional choirs, orchestras and ensembles. He adjudicated in festivals and accompanied in recital series and Associated Board Music examinations. For fifteen years he was Director of Music at St James’ Choir School in Grimsby. He was Choral Director of the Grimsby Philharmonic and the Bach Choirs and was closely involved with youth organisations, conducting the area’s Symphonic Wind Band, Orchestra and founding the Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Youth Choir.
He migrated to Australia in August 2006 with his wife Helen to be with his family of four grandchildren and two daughters, both professional string players on the Sunshine Coast.
In January 2007, Adrian was engaged as Conductor and Music Director of the Noosa Chorale. During his 16 years with the Chorale, he conducted their performances of the major choral works of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Twentieth Century repertoire, as well as programmes of jazz and popular music, opera highlights, and musicals. He also conducted several performances including Verdi's Requiem in collaboration between Noosa Chorale and the Sunshine Coast Choral Society of which Adrian was also Music Director from the latter part of 2007.
In the following year, Adrian was also engaged as Conductor and Music Director of the Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra. In a fitting conclusion to leading these three musical associations prior to his retirement at the end of 2022, he conducted a grand concert bringing the two choirs and orchestra together in a performance of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.
In recognition of his meritorious contribution to music on the Sunshine Coast since 2007, Adrian was a recipient of an Award at the Inaugural Queensland Day Award Ceremony in 2016.
Leonard Spira, OAM (Founding Music Director – 1994 to 2006)
At the invitation of our Patron and founder, Joe McMahon, Leonard became choirmaster in 1994 and for the next 12 years, until he retired in 2006, he gave Noosa lovers of choral music a feast of musical afternoons and evenings featuring a total of 26 works by Bach, Beethoven, Puccini, Verdi and other ‘greats’.
And these audiences also had the unique-to-the-Sunshine Coast experience of hearing these works given an extra dimension by symphony orchestras, the first of these being Noosa Musicians Chamber Orchestra which Leonard helped to form.
Leonard came to Noosa with his wife Gail in 1993 after a successful career as an architect and musician in Melbourne and Sydney. In 1963 he formed and directed the Victorian Opera Company and eminent Opera Australia singers like John Pringle and Graham Ewer gained their first operatic exposure under his direction. He further diversified with performances with his own Leonard Spira Opera Company.
In 1967 he went to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music. Two years later he returned to Melbourne, met and married Gail and moved with his bride to Sydney. He dropped out of music to further his architectural career but in 1973 he was at the Sydney Opera House playing French horn with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the icon’s opening concert. “It was a never-to-be-forgotten highlight, a very special thing to be involved in,” he once said. Two years later Leonard the architect was back at the Opera House, this time directing major refurbishment works.
Music again took a back seat until 1988. As he told it, “I got back into it by starting my own wind group, Sydney Harmonie, and later the Sydney Occasional Orchestra, a 100-piece orchestra.”
During his years with the Noosa Chorale, Leonard was more than just our volunteer choirmaster. He was orchestra conductor, inspiration mentor and marketing manager. He was also an irrepressible showman and had huge affection for visual effects. For the Triumphal March from Verdi’s Aida he had a three metre tall elephant carved from masonite carried across the stage by two men dressed as pharaohs. For A Night of Offenbach he appeared in a white afro wig and floral tails with iridescent reds, greens and blues.
But most of all he will be remembered as a man of consummate musical ability and who, by sheer dint of dedication, skill and musical depth, created a unique imprint on which the Chorale’s reputation has been built and extended.
Leonard retired in 2006 and two years later was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to music, particularly as a contributor to the early development of opera in Melbourne and through establishing musical groups in Sydney and Noosa.
He was extremely proud of his OAM and, typically, keen to share the honour. “You don’t do these things in a vacuum. The award was for a team effort. I was just lucky to be the one up front.”
Leonard died in September 2013, and the Chorale dedicated their performance of the Mozart Meets Jenkins concert one month later in his memory.
At the invitation of our Patron and founder, Joe McMahon, Leonard became choirmaster in 1994 and for the next 12 years, until he retired in 2006, he gave Noosa lovers of choral music a feast of musical afternoons and evenings featuring a total of 26 works by Bach, Beethoven, Puccini, Verdi and other ‘greats’.
And these audiences also had the unique-to-the-Sunshine Coast experience of hearing these works given an extra dimension by symphony orchestras, the first of these being Noosa Musicians Chamber Orchestra which Leonard helped to form.
Leonard came to Noosa with his wife Gail in 1993 after a successful career as an architect and musician in Melbourne and Sydney. In 1963 he formed and directed the Victorian Opera Company and eminent Opera Australia singers like John Pringle and Graham Ewer gained their first operatic exposure under his direction. He further diversified with performances with his own Leonard Spira Opera Company.
In 1967 he went to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music. Two years later he returned to Melbourne, met and married Gail and moved with his bride to Sydney. He dropped out of music to further his architectural career but in 1973 he was at the Sydney Opera House playing French horn with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the icon’s opening concert. “It was a never-to-be-forgotten highlight, a very special thing to be involved in,” he once said. Two years later Leonard the architect was back at the Opera House, this time directing major refurbishment works.
Music again took a back seat until 1988. As he told it, “I got back into it by starting my own wind group, Sydney Harmonie, and later the Sydney Occasional Orchestra, a 100-piece orchestra.”
During his years with the Noosa Chorale, Leonard was more than just our volunteer choirmaster. He was orchestra conductor, inspiration mentor and marketing manager. He was also an irrepressible showman and had huge affection for visual effects. For the Triumphal March from Verdi’s Aida he had a three metre tall elephant carved from masonite carried across the stage by two men dressed as pharaohs. For A Night of Offenbach he appeared in a white afro wig and floral tails with iridescent reds, greens and blues.
But most of all he will be remembered as a man of consummate musical ability and who, by sheer dint of dedication, skill and musical depth, created a unique imprint on which the Chorale’s reputation has been built and extended.
Leonard retired in 2006 and two years later was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to music, particularly as a contributor to the early development of opera in Melbourne and through establishing musical groups in Sydney and Noosa.
He was extremely proud of his OAM and, typically, keen to share the honour. “You don’t do these things in a vacuum. The award was for a team effort. I was just lucky to be the one up front.”
Leonard died in September 2013, and the Chorale dedicated their performance of the Mozart Meets Jenkins concert one month later in his memory.
