Brett Weymark

Artistic & Musical Director

Brett Weymark studied singing at the University of Sydney and conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Mats Nilsson, John Hopkins, Henryk Pizarek and Patrick Thomas.

In 2000, he was appointed Assistant Chorus Master at Sydney Philharmonia and in 2003 took up the position of Musical Director.

As a Chorus  Master, he has prepared works for Sir Charles Mackerras, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Edo de Waart, Sir Simon Rattle & Charles Dutoit. For Sydney Philharmonia he has conducted many baroque works such as Rameau’s Les Grande Motets and Handel’s Messiah alongside works such as Faure’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana and Tippett’s A Child of Our Time. As Musical Director, he is passionate about new Australian compositions, baroque masterworks, music education and access to the art of choral singing.

As a singer, Brett has been a full-time member of the Song Company, a chorus member of Opera Australia and Pinchgut Opera has sung with the vocal group Cantillation. As a soloist, his repertoire ranges from Handel and Monteverdi to Britten and Stravinsky and has performed as a soloist with the Sydney Chamber Choir, Opera Australia, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Pinchgut Opera, Sydney Philharmonia and Sydney Symphony.

From 1996 to 1999, he was the continuo player for Sounds Baroque, part of the Musica Viva Education program and from 1998 to 2003, he was a member of staff in the theatre department at the University of Western Sydney. In 2002 he was awarded a grant from the NSW Ministry for the Arts to future his studies in conducting in England, Europe and America. In 2001 he was awarded a Centenary Medal for services to choral music. From 2003 to 2005 he was Musical Director and Conductor for Pacific Opera conducting productions of The Magic Flute, Hansel and Gretal and Cosi fan tutte.

In 2005 as part of the Sydney Philharmonia season, he led a series of ten concerts dedicated to the genius of JS Bach’s church cantatas in collaboration with ABC Classic FM. Thirty two cantatas were performed over a ten-concert season that also included new works by Rosalind Page and Rafaello Marcelino. He also conducted Tippett’s A Child of Our Time as part of the centenary of the composer’s birth and Orff’s Carmina Burana with the percussion ensemble Synergy. He also conducted the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in a concert of French and English works and was guest conductor with the Sydney Chamber Choir and the Canberra Chorale.

Highlights in 2006 include conducting a concert of Danish works for the Sydney Festival with the Sydney Youth Orchestra and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs,  working with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra  in performances of the Wizard of Oz and leading a weekend workshop and performance of the Mozart Requiem, with over 1,300 voices in the Concert Hall of Sydney Opera House. In addition, in late 2006, Brett Weymark conducted much of the live music recorded for the film Happy Feet.

In 2007 he has already conducted the SSO in a series of concerts with Michael Parkinson and will shortly be conducting Sydney Philharmonia in Easter concerts of Bach’s St Matthew Passion.