ARTIST BIOS

Chloé Charody | Composer

Chloé Charody, Australian composer and show creator, is widely recognised internationally for her unique sound world, which she enhances by combining classical music, circus and opera into a captivating genre of its own. She is the pioneer of circus opera–a genre which has gone on to influence many composers around the world. She also composes ballets, musicals, operas, large-scale symphonic works, children’s theatre and interdisciplinary chamber music. Her works have been presented globally by her own production company, Chloé Charody Creations, as well as by the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Dutch National Ballet, Freestyle Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Queensland Symphony Orchestra among others. In recent years, Chloé has dedicated a significant amount of her time to helping refugees around the world. She has been working actively to help these displaced people and uses her position as a composer with an international audience to draw attention to their plight and the injustices inflicted upon them.  

Livia Brash | Soprano

Livia Brash, soprano, is an Emerging Artist with Melbourne Opera, where she was praised for her "full, rich rounded soprano" (Classic Melbourne) singing the role of La Zelatrice in Suor Angelica. With Melbourne Opera she also covered the role of Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the role of Musetta in La Boheme. In February, she debuted the title role in Rusalka for Boroondara Art's Opera in the Park. Other performances this season include the world premiere of Kevin March’s Songs for Dark Days for Lyric Opera and a condensed version of all the female roles from Wagner’s Ring Cycle at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Livia attended the Georg Solti Accademia in Italy, under the tutelage of mentors such as Richard Bonynge, with whom she prepared the title role of Bellini’s Beatrice di Tenda for her debut with the London City Philharmonic Orchestra. Other roles Livia has performed across Europe, the USA and Australia include Sieglinde, Tosca, Alcina, Mimi, Rosina, Donna Elvira and Fiordiligi. She has appeared as a soloist with the Canberra Symphony, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Lake Macquarie Philharmonic, Willoughby Symphony and Central Coast Philharmonic.

Jerry Wong | Piano

Jerry Wong, pianist, is a Steinway Artist who has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia in such prestigious settings as the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, National Concert Hall of Taipei, National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., Opera City Hall in Tokyo, PianoForte in Chicago, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Shriver Hall in Baltimore and Weill Recital Hall in New York City. His recordings can be found on the Albany, MOVE and MSR labels. Wong is an Associate Professor and Head of Keyboard at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in Australia. Frequently sought after for masterclasses, he has guest taught at such noted institutions as Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University, Northwestern University and University of Michigan, as well as conservatories and festivals in Australia, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan. Additionally, he has presented lecture recitals in pedagogical forums such as From the Artists Bench of Clavier Companion, Music Teachers National Association, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and the World Piano Teachers Association.

Sonja Schebeck | Acrobatic violin and co-creator of Limbo

Sonja Schebeck, Australian violinist and acrobat, is a dynamic force in the world of interdisciplinary performance, with a focus on creating projects fusing classical music with contemporary circus and theatre. She founded The Freestyle Orchestra in 2016, and she is a founding member of Nigel Kennedy’s Orchestra of Life as well as duo-partner and arranger since 2010. She tours with Australian circus company Gravity & Other Myths for their shows Backbone and Out of Chaos. Since 2007, Sonja has worked closely with composer Chloé Charody on projects including The Carnival circus-opera, Tale of the Firebird, a concerto for fire-taming violinist and acrobatic orchestra, and LIMBO, a sonata for violinist and acrobat.

Joshua Frazer | Acrobat

Joshua Frazer, physical performance artist, graduated with a BA in Acrobatics from the National Centre for Circus Arts, London in 2016. He has performed internationally with companies such as Circa, The Garsington Opera, Fauna Circus and Ockham's Razor. He has a passion for work that challenges audiences and keeps the wonderfully communal art form of circus growing and evolving. More recently, his interests have turned to the training of dance, singing and dance acrobatics.

Allie Wang | Piano

Allie Xinyu Wang, pianist, is as a multifaceted musician, captivating audiences through both her solo performances and dynamic collaborations. She has appeared at renowned venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Forbidden City Concert Hall, the Melbourne Recital Centre, and Steinway Halls in Beijing, Singapore, Melbourne, and New York City. Allie has received widespread acclaim for her sensitivity and technical brilliance. Classical Post described her performances as “imaginative and impressive” highlighting her nuanced interpretation of Ravel’s Miroirs and the effortless execution of Dutilleux’s Sonata. She has won numerous international piano competitions, including the International Piano Texas International Competition, Piano House Competition in New York and the Zaslavsky-Koch Piano Competition at the Manhattan School of Music. As a soloist, she has captivated audiences alongside orchestras such as the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, performing under esteemed conductor Geoffrey Simon. Her chamber music collaborations include performances with Ensemble Trivium and the Southern Cross Soloists. Allie holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music in New York. She currently serves as a lecturer and staff pianist at the University of Melbourne.