Lotterywest Christmas Spectacular

Jen Winley
Conductor

Jen Winley is WASO’s Associate Conductor. Jen began her career in percussion and timpani working principally with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and regularly with Orchestra Victoria and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO). She then spent several years as a classroom music educator and loves being able to combine her passions for music and education when working with young people.

Jen made her professional conducting debut in 2020. Jen is a highly versatile conductor and enjoys working on a wide variety of projects. She has conducted WASO in mainstage concerts, family, education and outreach projects, regional tours, films in concert, and contemporary and recording projects. Jen is also proud to have conducted the WA Youth Orchestra since 2019.

In 2023, Jen made her debut as conductor with West Australian Opera and Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and in November 2023 WASO announced Jen as their Associate Conductor. The two-year appointment sees Jen become the first Associate Conductor in the organisation’s history.

Outside of music, Jen loves learning French and planning her next trip to Paris, Lindy Hop dancing, and is obsessed with her little schnoodle Luna that she shares with her partner, WASO cellist, Nick Metcalfe.

Jen Winley is supported by the Simon Lee Foundation and JACE Foundation.

Genevieve McCarthy
Host

Genevieve McCarthy is an OffWestEnd Award-nominated actor who started her career in Australia appearing in national productions of Les Misérables (Cameron Mackintosh), The Sound of Music (GFO) and on screen in children’s television series Parallax and The Sleepover Club (Nine Network).

In 2018, Genevieve made her London stage debut as Aphrodite in the world premiere of new musical Mythic (Charing Cross Theatre) and appears on the Original London Cast Recording. That same year, Genevieve made her feature film debut in The Spy Who Dumped Me (Lionsgate) with scenes opposite Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon.

In 2023, Genevieve toured with Disney 100: The Concert which opened at the iconic Sydney Opera House Concert Hall before visiting Home of the Arts, Gold Coast and Perth’s Riverside Theatre. In 2022, she starred in Disney in Concert: A Dream is a Wish and the Lotterywest Christmas Spectacular at Perth’s RAC Arena with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

Other notable career highlights include performing as a soloist for President Bill Clinton, Mayor Rudy Giuliani and singing the Australian national anthem at the Rugby World Cup and World Lacrosse Championships opening ceremony. Whilst in London, Genevieve voiced the character of Aubrey in Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! for three seasons, and appeared as Johanna in Sweeney Todd (Theatre Royal Stratford East) and in workshop performances of Murder at the Gates (Steven Sater), Hood (Douglas Carter Beane) and The Happy Prince directed by Maria Friedman.

Genevieve holds a Master of Arts (Music Theatre) from the Royal Academy of Music, London, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Notre Dame. Genevieve is admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of Western Australia and worked at leading international law firm Ashurst Australia before turning her sights to the Arts. Together with her business partner Amy Manford, Genevieve is one half of theatrical production company MM Creative Productions.

Lorina Gore
Vocals

Australian soprano Lorina Gore completed her postgraduate voice studies at the Australian National University in Canberra and at the National Opera Studio in London. She has won numerous prestigious opera awards, including two Helpmann Awards (2017 and 2018), a Green Room Award (2018), the Dame Joan Sutherland Scholarship (AOAC), the Opera Awards, the Covent Garden National Opera Studio Scholarship, 2nd prize in the Herald-Sun Aria (2002 and 2004), and first place in the Australian National Aria Competition.

Lorina joined Opera Australia as a principal artist in 2008 and has since performed many roles for the company including: Violetta (La Traviata), Marie (Wozzeck), Roxana (King Roger), Leïla (Les pêcheurs de perles), Amina (La sonnambula), Musetta (La Bohème), Queen of Night (Die Zauberflöte), Die Fiakermilli (Arabella), Tytania (Midsummer Night’s Dream), Honey B (Bliss), Yum-Yum (The Mikado), Despina (Cosi fan tutte), Oscar (Un ballo in maschera), Marzelline (Fidelio), and Woglinde (Der Ring des Nibelungen). International operatic roles include Lucia di Lammermoor for Iford Arts, Die Fiakermilli (Arabella) for Garsington Opera, Giulia (La Scala di Seta) for Independent Opera, Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Agilea (Teseo) and Sandrina (L'infedeltà delusa) for English Touring Opera, and performances of Norina (Don Pasquale) and Violetta (La Traviata) for New Zealand Opera. She will next perform Ophelia in Brett Dean's Hamlet at the Sydney Opera House in July and August with Opera Australia.

Recordings include: A Toast to Melba and also Johann Strauss: Waltzes and Arias with Marko Letonja and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for ABC Classics, highlights from Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier with Yvonne Kenny, Bliss with Opera Australia, and Handel's Rodelinda conducted by Maestro Richard Bonynge.

Luke Kennedy
Vocals

Luke Kennedy shot to international attention in 2013 as Ricky Martin’s grand finalist on Season 2 of The Voice Australia. As series runner-up, Luke was the first artist to secure a #1 single on the iTunes charts with Time To Say Goodbye. He performed with Ricky Martin as a special guest on his 2013 Australian tour and released his debut album, A Time For Us, which debuted at #6 on the ARIA charts.

Luke has extensive international touring experience with The TEN Tenors and is a founding member of the big band supergroup Swing On This. He has toured the country with The Little Red Company productions From Johnny to Jack, Christmas Actually, Rumour Has It and There’s Something About Music. The Lotterywest Christmas Spectacular will be Luke’s third performance with WASO, having previously appearing in The Music Of James Bond in 2022 and Swing On This in 2017.

Prudence Sanders
Vocals

Prudence Sanders is a principal artist with West Australian Opera, making her role debut in 2020 as Fiordiligi in the Glyndebourne Festival production of Così fan tutte. Other roles for WAO include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Madame Herz (Der Schauspieldirektor), Eleonora (Prima la musica poi la parole), Michaëla (Carmen), Rapunzel (Into the Woods) and Eurydice/Amore (Orfeo ed Eurydice).

A graduate of WAAPA and the Guildhall School of Music, Prudence performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall. She has recorded and performed with the BBC, London Voices, Opera Rara and was a member of the chorus at the Royal Opera House and Opera Australia.

Upon returning to Perth, Prudence has appeared as a soloist with WASO, Perth Symphony Orchestra and Australian Baroque. She made her Perth Festival debut in 2021, singing the title role in an adaptation of Dvořák’s Rusalka with Freeze Frame Opera and in 2024 was nominated and awarded a PAWA for most outstanding performer in a supporting role for Opera / Musical Theatre. In 2025, Prudence will play Mabel in West Australian Opera’s production of Pirates of Penzance, directed by Stuart Maunder.

Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse
Vocals & Guitar

Guitar brilliance and incandescent vocals. These exceptional performers connect and capture audiences all over the world through the power of song. It’s made even more special when it’s sung in rare Noongar language. Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse bring a fresh, modern take on ancient traditions; merging evocative sounds, natural acoustic instruments, poignant stories with that incredible, beautiful voice.

Gina is a Balladong (Noongar) daughter, covering the south west corner of Western Australia. She has connection to the Kija people of the East Kimberley through her grandmother’s line. By official records, Noongar language is critically endangered, with only a few speakers left.

As well as four albums, they have released three major works; Koort for the Festival of Perth, Koorlangka: Reimagined for the inaugural Perth International Cabaret Festival and Koolbardi wer Wardong for a sell-out season for the West Australian Opera. In February 2024 they premiered their most recent major work, Wundig wer Wilura, commissioned by the West Australian Opera, at the Festival of Perth.

Currently they are working on the third instalment of their Kalyakoorl song cycle, Moort, to be released in 2025. 2024 will also be the first sighting (Awesome Festival - September) of Aliwah Bardinar! a work for young people, and they will be touring the UK in October including performances and a major workshop with local Cardiff youth for the Llais Festival.

Performing with the all-important blessings of Gina’s elders and community, this duo will leave you breathless!

WASO Chorus

The WASO Chorus was formed in 1988 and consists of over 100 volunteer choristers who represent the finest form of community music making, bringing together singers from all walks of life. They regularly feature in the WASO annual concert season and are directed by Hugh Lydon.

The Chorus has built an international reputation for its high standards and diverse range of repertoire. While its main role is to perform with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra the Chorus also maintains a profile of solo concerts, tours and community engagements.

The Chorus sings with the finest conductors and soloists including Asher Fisch, Simone Young, Stephen Layton and Paul Daniel. Recent highlights have included Britten’s War Requiem and Verdi’s Requiem. In 2019 the Chorus performed at the Denmark Festival of Voice, and in 2018 toured China with performances of Orff’s Carmina burana.

In 2020, they performed two Gala events on the Kalbarri Skywalk. In 2023, the chorus was invited to Hobart to perform Brahms’ German Requiem with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO), the TSO chorus, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and members of the public, conducted by Simon Halsey.

Hugh Lydon Chorus Director
Gladys Chua Répétiteur

Perth Broadway Chorus

Established in 2019, the Perth Broadway Chorus (PBC) has brought music theatre enthusiasts together to sing songs from classics such as West Side Story, Guys and Dolls and My Fair Lady to contemporaries such as Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton and Tick, Tick…BOOM!.

PBC’s concerts typically feature chorus numbers interspersed with a variety of solos and duets performed by its members, with a portion of the ticket sale profits going directly to local charities.

PBC strives for performance excellence, finding friendship and joy in working together and in connecting with audiences. If you can read music, sing in tune and love music theatre, PBC invites you to contact them on social media to find out more and to join them in 2025!