Our Music Directors - present and past
ADRIAN KING (Music Director – 2007 to the present)
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. The repertoire of the main concerts include An Evening of Music by John Rutter, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Carmina Burana, Fabulous Faure, Charpentier’s Te Deum, Handel’s Coronation Anthems, Haydn’s Creation, The Magic of Mozart, a programme of Brahms including his Requiem, and A Miscellany of Marvellous, Much Loved and Memorable Melodies in the October of 2011. Lastly, 2012 saw Adrian conduct the celebrated Karl Jenkins’ Armed Man to a capacity Bicentennial Hall for two performances.
He was appointed Conductor and Music Director of the Sunshine Coast Choral Society in the latter part of 2007, and he has since conducted Musical Treats from Around the World, Rutter’s Mass of the Children, Handel's Messiah and Samson, Vivaldi’s Gloria & Dixit Dominus, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Opera Favourites, an a cappella concert of madrigals and part songs, Handel’s Dixit Dominus and in April 2012 a programme of music by Faure including his celebrated Requiem.
In July of 2010, Bach’s St Matthew Passion, performed by Noosa Chorale and the Sunshine Coast Choral Society, was conducted by Adrian to a full house at the Bicentennial Hall and Lake Kawana Community Centre. These same venues echoed to the operatic sounds of Verdi’s Requiem in the June of 2013. Again these were sung by the two choirs, and again to packed halls for this Bicentenary celebratory concert of Verdi’s birth.
Adrian also has directed music for the Noosa Arts production of Gigi and conducted West Side Story with the Pacific Lutheran College. His past repertoire of musicals include Joseph, Wizard of Oz, Blood Brothers, Guys & Dolls and Godspell.
In the latter part of 2008 he also was engaged as Conductor and Music Director of the Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra, and his programmes with them have included Best of British, An Australian Afternoon, The QLD 150, and a concert specifically designed for children and the young at heart, An Adventure In Music.
Adrian has also regularly conducted Light Music at Coolum, The Classics as part of the Kenilworth Arts Festival and the celebrated series of Proms Concerts at Lake Kawana, Noosa and Mount Mee.
Adrian has a busy schedule freelance conducting, adjudicating and teaching privately. Until 2018, he was Head of Instrumental Music at the Pacific Lutheran College.
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. The repertoire of the main concerts include An Evening of Music by John Rutter, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Carmina Burana, Fabulous Faure, Charpentier’s Te Deum, Handel’s Coronation Anthems, Haydn’s Creation, The Magic of Mozart, a programme of Brahms including his Requiem, and A Miscellany of Marvellous, Much Loved and Memorable Melodies in the October of 2011. Lastly, 2012 saw Adrian conduct the celebrated Karl Jenkins’ Armed Man to a capacity Bicentennial Hall for two performances.
He was appointed Conductor and Music Director of the Sunshine Coast Choral Society in the latter part of 2007, and he has since conducted Musical Treats from Around the World, Rutter’s Mass of the Children, Handel's Messiah and Samson, Vivaldi’s Gloria & Dixit Dominus, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Opera Favourites, an a cappella concert of madrigals and part songs, Handel’s Dixit Dominus and in April 2012 a programme of music by Faure including his celebrated Requiem.
In July of 2010, Bach’s St Matthew Passion, performed by Noosa Chorale and the Sunshine Coast Choral Society, was conducted by Adrian to a full house at the Bicentennial Hall and Lake Kawana Community Centre. These same venues echoed to the operatic sounds of Verdi’s Requiem in the June of 2013. Again these were sung by the two choirs, and again to packed halls for this Bicentenary celebratory concert of Verdi’s birth.
Adrian also has directed music for the Noosa Arts production of Gigi and conducted West Side Story with the Pacific Lutheran College. His past repertoire of musicals include Joseph, Wizard of Oz, Blood Brothers, Guys & Dolls and Godspell.
In the latter part of 2008 he also was engaged as Conductor and Music Director of the Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra, and his programmes with them have included Best of British, An Australian Afternoon, The QLD 150, and a concert specifically designed for children and the young at heart, An Adventure In Music.
Adrian has also regularly conducted Light Music at Coolum, The Classics as part of the Kenilworth Arts Festival and the celebrated series of Proms Concerts at Lake Kawana, Noosa and Mount Mee.
Adrian has a busy schedule freelance conducting, adjudicating and teaching privately. Until 2018, he was Head of Instrumental Music at the Pacific Lutheran College.
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.
