About Coast Opera Australia
Coast Opera Australia aims to demonstrate leadership in all aspects, while involving and developing support for its programs from a broad section of the community. We have a well established organisational framework. Our Board and Ambassadors Team is a small closely knit team of committed individuals, ensuring that skills and experience are well balanced and complementary. Members include business leaders bringing marketing, legal and financial expertise as well as empathy and understanding of the importance of music and the arts to a rich and fulfilling community life. We regularly accept advice from well respected advisors and opinion leaders from business, education and cultural sectors. This includes professionals who have had roles with Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, The Australian Youth Orchestra and Sydney, Melbourne and Macquarie Universities.
GRAEME BLUNDELL - chairman
Just wait until you hear about our new Chairman!
Actor, director, producer and writer, Graeme blundell has been associated with many pivotal moments in Australian theatre, film and television. After working at the legendary Pram Factory in Melbourne and then Hoopla, he was co-executive director of the Playbox Theatre Company, associate director of the Melbourne Theatre Company, artistic director of the National Playwrights’ Conference and artistic director of Kinsela’s in Sydney. He has directed dozens of plays, acted in about the same number, appeared in more than 40 films and hundreds of hours of TV. He is also an award-winning director of commercials and a prolific journalist. He co-authored a biography of painter Brett Whiteley, An Unauthorised Life, and edited and compiled Australian Theatre: Backstage With Graeme Blundell for Oxford University Press. For many years he presented movies for Foxtel, presented Screen with Margaret Pomeranz and is the national TV critic for The Australian.
Angela Brewer - BMUS (HONS)- Founder
Artistic Director
Angela has called the Central Coast home for over 10 years. She is an international opera singer, whilst teaching as a vocal teacher for Melbourne University, Coast Opera Australia’s Emerging Artists Program, conductor, concert producer and a mother. After 25 years working as a professional operatic artist traveling the world she can account for over 200 professional operatic productions and concerts in Europe, China, Sydney Opera House and Melbourne State Theatre, her home town.
Angela sings and speaks regularly on ABC Radio and has sung for Sean Connery, Cate Blanchett and Dame Joan Sutherland…. to name a few. Angela is an advocate for world class music events on the Central Coast that introduce internationally acclaimed and emerging artists. Angela’s emerging artists in training have received awards and grants from all over Australia and Europe and have been accepted into highly competitive university courses such as WAAPA (Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts), and Opera Summer School Programs in Europe.
Angela’s desire is simple, to grow the Arts and Music on the Central Coast at a professional level for generations to come.
Annie Tooby - ba
business manager
Annie was born and raised on the Central Coast. Her studies at Macquarie University majored in ‘Arts Industries, Management’ and ‘Creative Writing’, all essential for the recent rebranding of Coast Opera Australia. Annie specialised in Sociology of the Arts as well as gaining the highest achiever award for her internship at 2Ser. Her Arts Management studies have given her a platform to refine her understanding of the business and management side of the Arts. Annie became an international artist through her studies with her art displayed in the FISAD Student Art Exhibition for the Albertina Academy in Italy. Annie is also passionate and adept in copywriting, scriptwriting, narrative, poetry and reviews.
Annie’s role at COA includes managing everyday running of a company, website content, creation of social and physical media, organising sponsorships, insurance acquisition, liaising with professional contacts and marketing strategies. She is enthusiastic about developing COA into the future whilst expanding our audience to show younger generations the value of musical experiences from established international and local emerging artists.
Patrick Brislan MA - Board SECRETARY
Patrick entered the music profession after studying the French horn at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Early in his career he was a principal horn in the Australian Youth Orchestra, and after his debut with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1955 under Sir Eugene Goossens he subsequently performed with all the major orchestras, including as guest principal horn with the West Australian, Adelaide and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras.
An academic career at the University of Adelaide followed, and during the 1980s he served for 4 years in the elective position of Director of the Elder Conservatorium of Music. As well as a researcher and administrator in music education in Australia he has also conducted masterclasses in the U.S., China and Korea, having previously advised the Malaysian Ministry of Culture, and the Commonwealth Government on performing arts policy. He holds an M.A. in Musicology from Flinders University.
In 1989 he was elected Associate Dean of Performing Arts at the University of Adelaide – a position he held until retirement in 2000. In recent years he has served as alumni co-ordinator for the Australian Youth Orchestra, and is a member of the National Council of AYO. Other activities include voluntary work as consultant in international music education involving schools in Korea, China and the U.S.
MURRAY WEBSTER - Board Member
More coming soon!