DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Shanti Michael is the founder and Musical Director of Chorus Ecclesiae Australia, and is an experienced choral conductor specialising in Music and Liturgy. She holds a Master of Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA, specialising in Choral Conducting. 

Shanti has worked with the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur’s Liturgical Commission to provide workshops and liturgical music resources for the parishes in the Archdiocese.  She then moved to Oregon where she was Music Director and Coordinator for Catholic and Episcopalian parishes.  She was also a chorister with Cantores in Ecclesia.

Prior to her Masters, Shanti studied and worked in Melbourne.  She completed her Bachelor of Music at the Australian Catholic University, was a chorister and committee member of St. Francis’ Choir and was the re-founder of the St. Francis Youth Choir. She is also an experienced Arts Administrator who sat on the Board of Directors for the highly acclaimed ensemble Cappella Romana based in Portland, Oregon. She was also the Project coordinator for Pusaka, a cultural organisation that works intimately with the leading custodians of ritual and traditional performing arts in Malaysia and the region.

Shanti currently is a freelance conductor, private voice teacher, and arts administrator. She is also undertaking her second Master of Music in Performance Teaching at the University of Melbourne. Her choral portfolio can be found here.

ARTISTS

SOPRANO - JESIKA CLARK

Jesika began her studies in piano with Yamaha Music Education at the age of 4. Under the tutelage of Peter Hurley, Jesika was awarded her Associate of Music Diploma (AmusA) in 2017 while concurrently completing an Honours degree in Music Performance (Classical Voice) and Diploma of Languages (German) at the University of Melbourne. She has been guided in her vocal studies by renowned mezzo soprano Suzanne Johnston.

Jesika relishes any opportunity she has to perform, as a vocalist or instrumentalist. While studying she performed in Rossini’s William Tell (Victorian Opera) and Dialogues des Carmélites (MCM). Jesika also appeared in Paris: A Rock Odyssey (Music Theatre Melbourne).

Jesika has performed at many prestigious events with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir under the baton of celebrated conductor Andrew Wailes including: with Andrea Bocelli at Rod Laver Arena, the Melbourne Cup, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Olivia Newton-John Charity Gala, the Prime Minister’s Olympic Gala and the Melbourne ANZAC Day Dawn Service. Jesika is a regular cantor for St Michael’s Uniting Church Melbourne and has recorded many hymns for online services.

In 2022 Jesika has returned to the Conservatorium of Music at Melbourne University to undertake a Master of Music (Performance Teaching) degree specialising in Classical Voice and piano pedagogy. She is excited to keep advancing her own knowledge and develop an understanding of varying teaching strategies and resources to better engage with her students.

Jesika is fortunate to have had such fantastic teachers and mentors who instilled in her a love of music, and she wishes to inspire the same love in her own students.  Jesika’s vocal and piano students range from 5 years old to adult and they regularly participate in Australian Music Education Board (AMEB) exams, school musicals and performances. She has accompanied many school choirs and accompanies for AMEB and music scholarship exams. Jesika also offers coaching to prepare for auditions.

ALTO - SOPHIA GYGER

Sophia Gyger is a mezzo-soprano currently completing her studies at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music under Anna Connolly. Passionate about both contemporary and choral music, Sophia was an apprentice with the Song Company in 2024, as well as participating in varied concerts of contemporary chamber music. From 2022–24 she was a member of the Choir of Newman College, serving as both Principal Scholar and Choir Librarian. Sophia is also a longstanding chorister of Gondwana Choirs, touring internationally with their flagship ensemble and this year to Canada and the United States with Gondwana Chorale. Her solo interests include Bach cantatas and art song repertoire of the twentieth century.

TENOR - TIMOTHY DALY

Timothy has a double degree in Music (honours) and Education as well as an Associate degree in classical singing (AMusA). He was a part of the Opera Scholars Australia program for five years and was a top three finalist for Opera Scholar of the Year in 2014/15.

 For Lyric Opera he played multiple characters in Malcolm Williamson’s Our Man in Havana, Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias and Elena Kats-Chernin’s Iphis in 2022. He has also sung a leading role for Shoestring Opera in Offenbach’s Le 66 for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the role of Count Almaviva in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville with Cordelia’s Potted Opera. His most recent roles are Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Pluto in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld and Frederic in Pirates of Penzance for Savoy Opera Company.

Timothy has been a soloist for various oratorios including Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio and Schubert’s 2nd Mass in G. He has also been a chorus member for Melbourne Opera since 2012 and has loved being a part of their many acclaimed productions.

 He currently teaches piano privately and enjoys singing with many choirs around Melbourne including Concordis Chamber Choir.

BASS - LEYLAND JONES

Leyland Jones is a Bass and Multi-Instrumentalist hailing from Southwest Victoria and is studying Voice at the Melbourne Conservatorium under Anna Connolly. As a member of The Choir of Trinity College, Melbourne, he has toured Italy, Ireland and the UK, singing a vast repertoire including the Australian Premiere of Eric Whitacre’s Sacred Veil. Leyland’s passion for contemporary music has led him to commission new works from Australian Composers with support from Regional Arts Victoria, as well as perform in Consort of the Moon with Genevieve Lacey and Erkki Veltheim. His work also includes forays into cabaret, most notably performances of Discogesang with pianist Stefan Cassomenos as part of the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival.  Recent operatic credits include Chorus and Theseus (cover) in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Melbourne Conservatorium), Chorus in Melbourne, Cheremushki (Victorian Opera) and Sarastro (cover) in Die Zauberflöte (Melbourne Conservatorium).