Sarah Penicka-Smith
Sarah Penicka-Smith (Australia) gets kudos for her performance of the big duet that ends the first act of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Puccini is notoriously difficult to conduct because he raises rubato to a new level that gives the singers a .007 designation. Penicka-Smith allowed Palmertree and Vargas to go their own way and the result was a moving performance.'
Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera review, Theater Jones, November 2018
Penicka-Smith ... accompanied stylishly and sensitively in an aria from Vivaldi's Giustino and responded keenly to the twists and turns of a heartrending duet from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Scott Cantrell, Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera review,
Dallas News, November 2018 Versatile, perceptive, & a passionate advocate for music as a force for change, Sarah Penicka-Smith thrives working across genres & disciplines. She conducts opera, orchestras & choirs. Sarah's reputation stands on her work with some of Sydney's finest community choirs, but she has also founded or developed several grass-roots ensembles aimed at providing hard-to-find opportunities for musicians & music-lovers alike. Whether inspiring hundreds of singers in a choral workshop, or helping individual singers find their best voice in her home studio, Sarah's approach as a conductor & teacher is always collaborative, creative, & personalised.
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Freelance Conductor | Specialist in Choral Conducting, Community Ensembles, Student Chamber Opera | Conducting Lessons | Choral Workshops | Arranging Vocal Coaching | Singing Lessons | Vocal Health & Warm-Up Workshops Lecturing | Tutoring| Academic Writing | Research Concert Production | Chamber Opera Production | Choral Event Consultancy Artistic Review Committee Member | Award Panel Juror | Eisteddfod Adjudication | RECENT PROJECTS
Watch ABC Sydney's 2017 Sing Out Sydney event, with Sarah as the workshop conductor. Sarah is proud to have been consulting on this event since its inception in 2016. UPCOMING PROJECTS
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CURRENT POSITIONS
Director of Music - St Andrew’s College, The University of Sydney Principal Conductor - Macquarie Singers Artistic Director & Principal Conductor - River City Voices Founding Director - Pacific Pride Choir Artistic Director - Opera Prometheus Singing Teacher - Cate Madill Voice & Speech PREVIOUS POSITIONS
Participant Conductor, Hart Institute for Women Conductors, The Dallas Opera (2018) Guest Conductor, Penrith Symphony Orchestra (2017, 2018) Music Director - Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir (2005-2017) Guest Conductor, Ku-ring-Gai Philharmonic Orchestra (2013, 2016) Guest Lecturer/Tutor, University of Sydney (2006-2016) Guest Conductor, University of Sydney Intercol Orchestra (2015) Guest Conductor, Thoroughbass (2013-2014) Chorusmaster, Willoughby Symphony Choir (2010-2012) Guest Conductor, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra (2010, 2012) Director, 61st Intervarsity Choral Festival, Canberra (2010) Assistant Chorusmaster - Sydney Philharmonia Choirs (2008-2009) Guest Conductor, Sydney Chamber Orchestra (2004) OPERA
Campra - Tancrede (Opera Prometheus, 2013) Cummins - Anacreontea Antipodean* (Opera Prometheus, 2011) Cummins - Timor* (Opera Prometheus, 2015) Glass - Akhnaten (Ondine Productions, 2013) Korie & Wallace - Harvey Milk (Left Bauer/Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, 2015) Krasa - Brundibar (education concerts - Joseph Toltz/Opera Prometheus/Sydney Jewish Museum, 2014) Leon - Monsoon* (Opera Prometheus, 2015) Menotti - The Medium (Opera Prometheus, 2015) Purcell - Dido & Aeneas (Macquarie Singers, 2017) Purcell - The Fairy Queen (Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, 2009) * = world premiere EDUCATION & TRAINING
PhD, University of Sydney, 2011 BA/BMus (Hons), University of Sydney, 2005 Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program, 2012-2015 Mastercourses: Maestro Johannes Fritsch & the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Maestri Johannes Fritsch, Marko Letonja, Christopher Seaman & the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Maestro Asher Fisch & the West Australian Symphony Orchestra VIDEOS
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Header photo: Karen Almond