Mr Richard Bonynge AC CBE

Richard Bonynge was born in Sydney in September 1930. His early musical education at the NSW Conservatorium of Music led to further piano studies at the Royal College of Music in London and also with Herbert Fryer, who had been a pupil of Busoni. His first appearance as a conductor was in Rome in January 1962. He has subsequently conducted in many of the world’s major opera houses, in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Argentina, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

His repertoire is wide ranging but consists mainly of 18th century opera, the great bel canto operas, 19th century opera and ballet, several verismo works and many operettas. He is responsible for the revival of many works that were not at the time included in the repertoire; Orfeo (Haydn) Sigismondo and Semiramide (Rossini), La Fille du Régiment , Maria Stuarda, Anna Bolena and Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti) Medea (Pacini), I Masnadieri (Verdi), Fra Diavolo (Auber) Les Huguenots and Semiramide (Meyerbeer), Esclarmonde, Le Roi de Lahore and Thérèse (Massenet).

Mr Alan Jones AO

Alan Jones is a graduate of Queensland and Oxford Universities, with majors in English and French Language and Literature, Politics and Education. He has University Blues from both Queensland and Oxford in tennis.

Lauris Elms was born in Springvale, Melbourne, and studied art at Swinburne  from 1948. She began singing lessons with Madame Katherine Wielaert, and later joined Gertrude Johnson’s National Theatre Opera School in 1952 which was then based in the hall of St. Peter’s , Eastern Hill.  At this time she appeared in Swallow’s P & A Parade, which she won in 1952 and again in 1954. During these two years she sang the songs of Mrs. Sharpshott in the Village Glee Club on A.B.C. Radio.

Mr Malcolm Donnelly AM

Malcolm started his vocal studies with Marianne Mathy at the Sydney Conservatorium and later in London with Vida Harford.

He joined the Elizabethan Trust Opera in 1966, for two seasons, and was also a regular recitalist for the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

In 1969, Malcolm won the Sydney Sun Aria competition and was also a finalist in the Pan-Pacific New York Opera Competition in Honolulu. He was also awarded a special scholarship from the Australian Opera Auditions Committee enabling him to travel to London for further study at the London Opera Centre in 1970.