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Join us for an inspiring Women in Music event featuring Sirius Chamber Ensemble as they present music by Meta Overman and Margaret Sutherland.
Celebrate the richness and diversity of women in music with an inspiring evening of chamber performance by the Sirius Chamber Ensemble.
Formed in 2011 by Ian Sykes and Dr Alison Evans, the Sirius Chamber Ensemble is known for its vibrant programming and commitment to presenting new works by Australian and international composers alongside beloved classical repertoire—all in an intimate, welcoming setting. The group regularly features musicians Melissa Coleman (flute), Ian Sykes (clarinet), Alison Evans (bassoon), Vanessa Tammetta (violin), Clare Kahn (cello), and Claire Howard Race (piano), with special guests adding depth and variety to their performances.
Sirius’s recent collaborations include celebrated pianist Dr Jeanell Carrigan AM, composer-performer Keyna Wilkins, and composers Dr Paul Smith, Eve Duncan, Dr Corinna Bonshek, and Dr Diana Blom. The ensemble’s dedication to championing contemporary music has led to Australian premieres and the recording of Flying, a genre-spanning album with composer and saxophonist Spike Mason.
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience a dynamic ensemble that celebrates the past, present, and future of chamber music.
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Dr Alison Evans – Bassoon
Alison completed her Bachelor of Music in Performance in 1999 and her Master of Music Studies in 2000 at the Queensland Conservatorium. She then went on to complete Master of Music (Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, graduating in 2005 with High Distinction. Her research thesis focussed on the bassoon compositions of the German bassoonist and composer Victor Bruns. Alison won first prize at the Queensland Double Reed Society Competition in 2003. In 2007 Alison travelled to Germany to take lessons at the Hochshule der Music Franz Liszt – Weimar. Alison returned to Sydney to undertake a PhD at the Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney. Completed in 2014, her doctoral thesis focussed on applied functional anatomy of the soft palate in woodwind and brass musicians. Alison is a co-founder of Sirius Chamber Ensemble, has a keen interest in music education and multidisciplinary research, and is an active member of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare (ASPAH). Alison is currently a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Sydney.
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Melissa Coleman – Flute
Melissa is an active freelance flautist who enjoys performing flute, piccolo and alto flute in a wide range of settings, including solo, orchestral, wind symphony, chamber music, marching band and musical theatre genres. Holding a Master of Music degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Melissa has performed with Sydney International Orchestra, Sydney Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Opera, Blush Opera, the NSW Police Band and Singing Bird Productions among others. Melissa is co-artistic Director of Sydney’s prominent Sirius Chamber Ensemble. A specialist in contemporary flute techniques, Melissa is especially passionate about promoting and performing contemporary Australian chamber works and collaborating with composers in the creation of new music; and has premiered many new works. Melissa also regularly performs solo recitals across Sydney, relishing any opportunity to create recital programs that point to issues of social justice, equality and shared humanity.
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Ian Sykes – Clarinet
Sykes graduated with a Bachelor of Music (first class honours) from the University of Newcastle. Subsequent studies have included a Master of Music (performance) degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and private lessons in Australia and London. Ian is a busy freelance musician, dividing his time between chamber and orchestral music, music theatre and pedagogy. Ian has performed in productions of Sweeney Todd, Mary Poppins – The Musical, Phantom of the Opera, South Pacific and West Side Story. Ian is a founding member of Sirius Chamber Ensemble and has performed with Sydney Philharmonia, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, The Metropolitan Orchestra, NSW Police Band as well as the education programs for Musica Viva and Sydney Opera House.
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Clare Kahn – Cello
Clare graduated from the Canberra School of Music, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree with first class honours, and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she completed a Master of Music (performance) degree. Whilst in Canberra, Clare was the inaugural winner of the Ruth Pfanner Scholarship for Cello, and she was also awarded a University of Sydney Postgraduate Award to support her postgraduate study. As a professional cellist Clare has worked as a freelance performer with the Opera Australia Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as playing as a session musician for the recording of many film and television soundtracks. However, having had a lifelong love for music theatre, this has been the significant focus of Clare’s professional career, and she has been thrilled to hold the cello chairs for the Sydney seasons of Hamilton, Beauty and the Beast, Moulin Rouge!, Muriel’s Wedding the Musical, Matilda, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Kinky Boots, and to have played for the Opera on the Harbour seasons of Phantom of the Opera, and West Side Story.
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Dr Jeanell Carrigan AM - Piano
Jeanell is currently an Associate Professor in the Collaborative Piano Unit at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney. In April 2025, she released her thirty-sixth CD of solo Australian piano and chamber works. Recent publications include several books: Australian Piano Music 1850-1950. A Guide to the Composers and Repertoire (2021); The Music of Meta Overman. Queen of Colour and Fantasy (2021); Breaking the Drought. Roy Agnew: Composer, Pianist, Teacher (co-authored with Dr. Rita Crews OAM), (2022); Amayzing May. The Life and Work of May Howlett (2024); A National Treasure: Celebrating the Life and Achievements of Larry Sitsky, (co-authored with Dr. Rita Crews OAM), (2024) and over eighty critical editions of piano and chamber music written by Australian women published by Wirripang, Australia. In 2019 Carrigan was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (AM) for “For significant service to music education, particularly piano, and to the performing arts.”
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Lucy Carrigy-Ryan - Viola
Lucy enjoys an active freelance career playing orchestral and chamber music with various ensembles across Australia. She has a broad range of interests and studied music, Spanish, Italian and law at the Australian National University before moving to Argentina to learn traditional tango music. Most recently, Lucy studied with Maestro Bruno Giuranna at the Stauffer Academy in Italy and the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Switzerland, graduating with a Master of Viola Performance.
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