WHO WE ARE

Opera Prometheus (oPr) is one of Sydney’s young chamber opera start-ups. Founded by Bernard Leon in 2010, oPr's current board is Sharna Galvin, Melanie Penicka-Smith and Sarah Penicka-Smith. Sarah, an experienced conductor of choirs and community opera, is oPr's artistic director. Melanie is oPr's Production Manager and a professional event manager currently employed by the City of Sydney. Sarah & Melanie work in conjunction with director and NIDA graduate Sharna Galvin. Together the trio staged Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir’s ground-breaking production of Purcell’s Fairy Queen (2009) with City of Sydney support, and have since produced Krasa's Brundibar (2014, in conjunction with Dr Joseph Toltz), Campra’s Tancrede (2010) and Cummins’ Anacreontea (2010) for oPr. Founder Bernard Leon produced and directed Gluck's Orfeo (2011) and produced the first PromFest, a festival of new Australian works, in 2010.

Dr Sarah Penicka-Smith is an experienced conductor and vocal coach. She has been Music Director of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir since 2005, Director of Music at St Andrew’s College since 2011, and Principal Conductor with the Macquarie University Singers since 2013. Sarah has wide experience as Chorusmaster, including with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Willoughby Symphony Choir, and the Sydney Intervarsity Choral Festival. In 2010 Sarah directed the 61st Intervarsity Choral Festival in Canberra. Her opera credits include Purcell’s Fairy Queen with Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir (the first opera ever staged by a queer choir), Phillip Glass’s Akhnaten with Ondine Productions, and, with Opera Prometheus, Campra’s Tancrede, the premiere of Cummins’ Anacreontea, and Krasa’s Brundibar. Sarah has been part of the Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program since 2012 and has been a guest conductor with ensembles including Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Kuringai Philharmonic Orchestra, and Sydney Chamber Orchestra. In addition to her musical credits, Sarah holds a PhD from the University of Sydney.

Sharna Galvin has been involved with Sydney’s growing grassroots chamber opera scene for the last few years, directing Seeds for Textile Audio and Underbelly Arts Festival, Krasa's Brundibar, Cummins’ Anacreaontea and Campra’s Tancrede for oPr, Rossini’s Opportunity Makes the Thief and Silken Ladder for Sydney Independent Opera, Purcell’s Fairy Queen for Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, and SwOpera’s annual concert. Sharna is experienced working with young performers, having directed The Lord of the Flies for Site Youth Theatre, Romeo and Juliet for Blue Mountain’s Youth Theatre, and Twelfth Night and Chekov’s Farces for Springwood High School. She has also directed Mad Before Midday for The New and Tagore’s The Post Office as her graduation piece for NIDA’s director’s program.

Melanie Penicka-Smith works professionally as an event manager and is currently the Outdoor Events Coordinator at the City of Sydney. For over 20 years she has been actively involved with community based choirs and organisations. For oPr, Melanie has stage managed three productions, and was Production Manager for Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir’s 2009 production of Henry Purcell’s Fairy Queen. She has worked in a variety of Sydney’s leading venues including the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Town Hall, the State Theatre, Verbrugghen Hall and the City Recital Hall. She lives with her wife Sarah, two cats and a disabled Jack Russell terrier.