Performers
Mirusia, Headline Soprano
Mirusia, celebrated as one of the world's most sought-after sopranos, boasts a remarkable 17-year global stage presence. Hailing from Brisbane, she achieved operatic excellence at Griffith University’s Queensland Conservatorium and made history winning the prestigious Dame Joan Sutherland Opera Award at just 21. Her post-graduation journey led to over a decade of international stardom as the star soprano alongside André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra, performing before world leaders, royalty and millions of enraptured fans. Mirusia features on over 20 million records sold worldwide, both with André Rieu and as a solo artist.
Recognised by ARIA as Australia's #1 Classical Crossover artist, her albums consistently top ARIA and AIR charts, earning numerous #1 rankings in Pop, Classical Crossover, Jazz & Blues and Music DVD categories. Mirusia's accolades include Platinum and Gold Album Sales Awards, an ARIA #1 Award and the 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Award for her Christmas single, “Snowflake”.
Mirusia’s versatile career has seen her perform in operas, musicals, oratorios and she has collaborated and worked alongside some of the world's finest entertainers including André Rieu, The Seekers, The Wiggles, Anthony Hopkins, Nana Mouskouri, José Carreras, Jermaine Jackson, Lou Bega, Georghe Zamfir and many more.
Beyond the stage, Mirusia proudly serves as the International Ambassador for Don Spencer's Australian Children's Music Foundation, the Redland Foundation and as Prima Ambassador for Silver Memories.
Lionel Theunissen
Lionel Theunissen was born in Brisbane, Australia. He commenced vocal studies at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 1991, studying with the renowned Australian tenor, Donald Smith OBE, and continued his studies with Joseph Ward OBE, completing a Bachelor of Music (Voice) degree in 1995. His Conservatorium awards include the Lewis B.J. Reid prize for 1991, the Donald Penman prize for voices in combination for 1992, the Victoria League Betty Fadden bursary for 1993, and the Italian Lyric Diction prize for 1994. He was a finalist in the 1995 and 1996 Shell Covent Garden Scholarships, and won the Bathurst Singer of the Year Competition in 1996, and the Brisbane Musical Theatre competition in 1998 and 2000.
In 1997, Lionel was selected for Opera Queensland’s Young Artist Program and performed the roles of Malatesta in Don Pasquale and Marcello in La Boheme. In 1998 he performed the challenging role of the Hotel Manager in the Australian premiere of Thomas Ades' chamber opera Powder Her Face for the Brisbane Festival. He also appeared in the Brisbane Festival’s production of Kiss Me Kate, for which he covered renowned baritone Thomas Allen in the lead role.
Lionel’s roles include Mr. Redburn in the Australian premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd, Frilly in Snugglepot and Cuddlepie - The Musical, Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore, Michele in Puccini’s II Tabarro, Javert in Les Miserables, the title roles in Jekyll and Hyde, Fred/Petruchio in Kiss Me Kate, Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf in Sondheim’s Into the Woods, and Sir Dennis Galahad in the Brisbane premiere season of Spamalot.
In 2007, Lionel performed the role of Judge Turpin in the Gold Coast Arts Centre production of Sweeney Todd, and covered the late great Rob Guest in the title role. In 2010 and 2011 he played Pilate in Harvest Rain’s critically acclaimed production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Recently he played the title role in Spotlight Theatre's production of Sweeney Todd for which he won Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 2014 Gold Coast Area Theatre Awards.
Roger Davy
Roger Davy is a familiar face both internationally and locally, not only for his unique Pavarotti ™tribute shows but also for being one of the original voices behind Australia’s well-loved export ‘The Ten Tenors’.
Starting his impressive career as a boy soprano he also studied at the Victorian College of the Arts and Queensland University.
As a young Artist with Opera Queensland he performed the role of Ruiz in ll Trovotore, and later under contract with Opera Australia performed several roles including Steva (Jenufa) and Gabriele Ardorno (Simon Boccanegra) …During this time he was a finalist in the prestigious Royal Covent Garden Scholarship which enabled him to study and perform other major operatic roles in Germany and the UK.
Upon returning to Australia, Roger co-founded “The Ten Tenors” and performed with them for three years. After leaving the Ten Tenors, Roger formed his own production/entertainment company Vavachi Entertainment
Roger has established himself as one of Asia’s highly sought after classical corporate performers and this has seen him perform for 5 consecutive years at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix. A resident six-month performer at the Venetian Casino Macau/China., Roger recently returned to China, for a six-week contract touring in a concert production of Aida with Australian International Productions.
Career highlights have been performing for Olivia Newton John and partners at the exclusive GAIA Retreat and Spa (NSW) singing at Landaa Giraavaru Four Seasons Resort in the beautiful Maldives, working alongside international soprano Louise Kennedy as a featured artist in “Puccini and Fettuccini” and his involvement in local community theatre productions. Piangi (Phantom of the Opera), Alfredo (Die Fledermaus), Alfredo in La Traviata and recently appeared in the role of "Bishop" in Lynch and Patterson's production of Les Miserables in February 2022.
Kathryn Bradbury-King
Australian Mezzo-Soprano Kathryn Bradbury-King is a multi-award-winning artist both on the operatic and musical theatre stage.
Kathryn Bradbury-King graduated from The University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Education (Music / Drama), completed a Postgraduate Diploma of Opera at the Victorian College of the Arts and subsequently, completed her Master of Music studies at Griffith University Conservatorium of Music, Brisbane.
Kathryn has worked extensively around Australia and Asia and most recently with Opera Queensland, Opera Australia, Pacific Opera, Melbourne Opera, Queensland Musical Theatre, Underground Opera Company and Vavachi Entertainment.
With over 40 lead roles under her belt, Kathryn has enjoyed singing in a number of professional operas, operettas and musical theatre productions. However, she is just as comfortable singing Celtic Tunes as an inaugural member of The Australian Celtic Women.
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Leslie Martin-Nightingale
Leslie has been performing professionally for over 25 years, working with Opera Australia, Opera Queensland and internationally. Her enthusiasm for sharing her love of opera and the stage has also seen her perform for Corporate functions, Festivals, in parks, restaurants and local halls, in schools, with circus performers, and on the beach.
A regular performer in Brisbane, Leslie looks forward to concerts with the Brisbane City Pops Orchestra, a relationship that has been built over many years.
Concert highlights include: New Year’s Eve at QPAC with the Queensland Pops Orchestra; the Armidale Bach Festival; the Royal Australian Navy Band; and the Australian Army Band Brisbane. Audiences have enjoyed her performances at the Brisbane City Hall and Sydney Town Hall, where she sang solos plus duets with David Hobson.
Leslie puts her vast performance experience and vocal expertise to use by sharing her knowledge with aspiring Brisbane singers of all levels, ages and styles. Through her business, Success on Stage, Leslie teaches how to sing as well as how to perform and, most importantly, provides real performance experience for her prodigies.
Leslie enhanced her real industry expertise with knowledge gained through vocal pedagogy studies at the Queensland Conservatorium and took an active interest in the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing being both a director of the Board and the Vice President of the Queensland Chapter.
Over the years, Leslie has assisted emerging performers launch their careers in the music industry locally, nationally and internationally. Her career advice has introduced young artists to Opera Queensland, with another currently performing professionally in Europe and in West End productions.
Her knowledge of singing has been utilised by various Schools, Councils, Summer Schools and Eisteddfods through adjudicating, presenting workshops and masterclasses.
As a creative director, Leslie has produced iconic opera events such as Opera on the Beach in Sydney, and opera concerts on Broadbeach and Kings Beach, Caloundra. For 4MBS Classic FM she has created and directed various shows for the Festival of Classics including Verdi’s Women, a comparison of the real women in Verdi’s life to his operatic heroines; and a cut down version of Puccini’s opera Tosca, which was performed at the Powerhouse Theatre. She can also be heard on 4MBS Classic FM on Thursday nights.
Leslie regularly performs with Italian Tenor, Raffaele Pierno as Raffaele and The Nightingale. With their accompanist, Leanne Warne they have recorded an album of Italian songs and arias, Sogno d’Italia (Dream of Italy). Other recordings of Leslie include her solo CD, Treasures, showcasing music made famous by Gladys Moncrieff, June Bronhill, Jeanette MacDonald and Kathryn Grayson, Say Hello to the Opera for ABC Kids and Vavachi Classic Occasions’ recording Showstoppers. Leslie also appears on Opera Australia’s video-recordings of Patience and Die Fledermaus.
Viva La Musica Voices
In 2012 the Red Hill and Brookfield Community Choir’s combined to form Viva La Musica. Under the direction of founder Rhonda Davidson-Irwin, and with accompanist Kathy Jacobsen, the choir is a friendly group of adults who to share the gift of music. Their most memorable performances include Carols by Candlelight and the lighting of the QSM Christmas Tree.
Rhonda Davidson-Irwin
Rhonda is a virtuosic flautist, producer, conductor and advocate for music education in all its forms. Rhonda has a master’s of music education with distinction, a BA in music education in flute and piano. In 2008, she was Queensland University of Technology’s Faculty of Education, Outstanding Alumni Award winner. In 2021, Rhonda was also nominated for a Telstra Business Award and has also won the Born to Fly award. Spread over her lifetime and through music Rhonda has also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a large number of worthy communities in need. Rhonda has taught more than 100,000 children. She is well known for establishing the dynamic organisation Viva La Musica. She has composed music for the 2004 Athens Olympics and her orchestra performed for the Warner Brothers Great Outback Spectacular. Rhonda is internationally recognised for her consultancy work and is sought after as a keynote speaker throughout the world. She has advised the governments of Singapore, China and Hong Kong in music, education and written curriculum for Queensland and Victoria. She is currently the education consultant and corporate trainer for P&O Australia and the co-producer for the Lord Mayor’s City Hall Concerts.
Rhonda is passionate about combining community and professional musicians together in outstanding performance experiences and has done this regularly for the Commonwealth Multi-Faith Service for Commonwealth Day, which is live streamed to Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth and Opera In The Gardens . A Masters with Excellence graduate from the Queensland Conservatorium of She is also an accomplished flautist . Rhonda has performed in Albert Hall, London, Red Square, Moscow, Beijing, and China. She has performed for the Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth the II, Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, and many other famous personalities and dignitaries.
She has a pedigree of thousands of compositions for children, which have been performed on television every day throughout Australia for 23 years including her hit kids show “ In The Box “. Rhonda has hundreds of recordings on Spotify, and she is also sort after as a conductor. Her hands on approach, combined with vivacious communication skills linked with music excellence, gives her the ability to get the best out of any community she has the pleasure to direct.
