Musical Director: Joanna Brooke is a choral conductor and soprano based in Melbourne. Joanna has over 10 years experience leading adult, children’s, community and auditioned choirs, including as the Artistic Director of the Jubilate Singers from 2015-2022 and a regular conductor with Gondwana Choirs and Queenwood School for Girls. In 2020, Joanna was the proud recipient of River City Voices’ Assistant Conductor Scholarship, with whom she continued working as a guest conductor. A vibrat soprano, Joanna enjoys performing regularly in oratorio, with highlights including soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria in D in 2019 with the Hobart Orpheus Choir and in the Good Friday Messiah in 2021 at Epping Baptist Church. A dynamic operatic performer, Joanna played the role of Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with St. Matthew’s Singers’ Motet in April 2022 and with the Hobart Orpheus Choir in November 2021 and has enjoyed performing regularly with The Cooperative in Sydney.
With training in social work, Joanna’s practice sits at the intersection of music and community work. She continues to research and practice trauma-informed interventions in creative practice. In 2017, Joanna presented at the University of Melbourne’s Symposium: “Peace, Empathy and Conciliation through Music“. In 2024, she led the closing plenary session at ‘Big Trauma/Big Change: Building Tomorrow Today‘ at the University of New South Wales.
Accompanist: Filip Fulco is currently studying his Bachelor of Music at Monash University, where he is specialising in Classical Piano Performance under Robert Chamberlain. As well as being the accompanist for MonUCS, he has experience accompanying students for AMEB exams and school recitals. He is very passionate about fulfilling the role of accompanist, particularly in choral music, having taken part as accompanist for Monash University’s vocal ensemble.
In addition to his music studies, Filip is completing a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Psychology.
In his spare time, Filip enjoys playing piano (obviously), listening to music, reading, and watching movies.
View our past musical staff here.