Credits
Composer Paul Smith
Conductor Luke Spicer
Stage Director/Designer Ian Warwick
Spidermaiden Rebecca Moret
Plum Blossom Jermaine Chau
Chamber Orchestra The Academy, Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium
Violin Meagan Davis, Rose Light, Jonah Spriggs
Viola Felix Hughes-Chivers
Double Bass Julia Magri
Cello Faith Sprigs, Alex McPherson*
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet Drew Gilchrist, Hope Spriggs
Flute/Piccolo Caragh Butler
Piano Feodora Hohenlohe
Score Arrangement for The Academy Robert Melbourne, Paul Smith
*Academy tutor and assistant
Previous Artists Melissa Coleman, Evan Guy, Charlotte Feathersonte, Elle Spicer, Kenichi Mizushima, Ang Shao-wen, Wendy Woon, Vanessa Phang, Shirley Tong, Colin Tan, Christoven Tan, Chan Si-Han
About
A Paul Smith original opera commissioned by chamber•sounds
The Spidermaiden and the Runaway Plum Blossom is a musical fable about a Plum Blossom who leaves her tree looking for adventure. However she unexpectedly gets caught in the Spidermaiden’s silken web. The Spidermaiden promises to set the Plum Blossom free if she can solve her tuneful riddle. Come hear the flute, clarinet, viola and cello create a mystical sound world and help solve the riddle of the Spidermaiden’s song in this charming 25min chamber opera for the whole family, where music can help you make sense of the world.
Blush Opera presents a family friendly chamber opera with original music and story by Australian composer Paul Smith.
Duration 40min total (25 min opera + 15 min introducing the musicians)
Age 8 years +
Genre operatic fable for the whole family
Instrumentation 2 voices + chamber ensemble // flute, clarinet, viola, cello
Highlights
Meet the Creatives
Paul Smith Composer
Paul is a lecturer in music at the University of New England where he teaches composition and music theory. He holds a Doctorate of Creative Arts from Western Sydney University where his research focused on music's connection with visual art forms.
His works for theatre include the chamber opera "Fancy Me Dead", first performed as part if the New Music Network Mini Series in 2015, and "The Spider Maiden and the Runaway Plum Blossom", commissioned by Chamber.Sounds and premiered in Singapore in 2016. He also composed and performed a piano score for a collaborative theatre work, "Frankenstein", at The Q in Penrith in October, 2016. He is currently composing a new work in development - Chop Chef: The Opera - with librettist Julie Koh for the The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre Southlands Breakthrough Award 2017.
Paul's instrumental compositions include numerous pieces for keyboard. He has collaborated regularly with Italian pianist, Antonietta Lofreddo who has performed his work in Australia and Italy. She has released his pieces, "Kawaii Suite", "Iceberg Variations", and "Holding Masks" on three albums with Wirripang. "'Holding Masks" was performed at the Associazione Carducci in Como in May 2017. Other commissions include "The Death of Baldr" for sextet by the Sirius Chamber Ensemble.
His published research explores music and Japanese visual culture and can be found in the volumes "Manga-Vision" (2016, Monash University Press) and "Music's Immanent Future" (2016, Ashgate Publishing).
John Thiering Sand Artist
John is a sand painting artist based in Coffs Harbour, NSW. In 2018, John's most recent engagement has been for Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony where he created 6 vignettes sand artworks to represent each of the 6 regions of the Commonwealth. Screened at the opening ceremony, Gold Coast. His local performances in Coffs Harbour include SWIFF (Screenwave International Film Festival) Lightbox, Sand Art produced as part of an architectural video projection project, in collaboration with Illuminart, Coffs Harbour Jetty.
Throughout 2017-2018, John's main line of work has been as a Guest Entertainer on Princess Cruises. John has been a art teacher in primary and secondary schools for over 15 years. His education background has given him the skill set to run sand painting workshops with school children, including Aboriginal and Refugee students. Most notably 'Gunganbu - Gardens of Belonging', a multicultural sight and sound spectacular, at Jetty Memorial Theatre, Coffs Hr, 2016 where local indigenous students created performance of the local Gumbaynggirr 'Creation Story' in sand painting.
Performances
Site and Sound Arts 2018 // Leichhardt Town Hall // May 12th, 2018
Parramatta Lanes Festival 2017 // UNE Future Campus // University of New England
chamber•sounds // The Esplanade, Singapore // Kris Foundation
Gallery
Meet the artists

Rebecca Moret Spidermaiden
Melbourne-born soprano Rebecca Claire Moret is currently based in Sydney, where recent highlights include Giorgetta in Il Tabarro, the title role in Suor Angelica, and the Australian premiere of Paul Smith's new chamber opera The Spider Maiden and the Runaway Plum Blossom, as well as scenes as Mozart's Donna Anna and Elettra with the QSO. She has sung with Opera Australia, Pacific Opera, Blush Opera, and Opera Projects Sydney. She was a Young Artist with Pacific Opera and since performing in Rossini's The Barber of Seville with the Opera Australia Schools Company, she has performed as a member of the Opera Australia Chorus. She received her Bachelor of Music (Performance) from Melbourne University, and her Advanced Diploma of Opera from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Jermaine Chau Plum Blossom
Jermaine recently trained at the IFAC New Zealand Singing School 2017 where she worked with international coaches. A graduate of the Lisa Gasteen National Opera Summer School in Brisbane (2014), she studied opera at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2013-2014) where she took on the role as a sassy aunt Fidalma in Cimarosa’s comic opera Il Segreto Matrimonio. She took the lead role in Menotti’s Old Maid and the Thief and has performed as Cecilia in Mark Adamo’s Little Women.
2016 was thrilling year as Jermaine made her debut at the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra Gala; performed as Lady Bertram in Operantics’ production of Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park and will again join Operantics and the Penrith Symphony Orchestra in their production of La Sonnambula as Teresa. She revelled in the gluttonous role of Suor Dolcina in Opera Projects Sydney’s Suor Angelica; La Frugola in Puccini's Il Tabarro with Constantine Costi & Luke Spicer and in November, Jermaine was part of the cast of OperaAustralia’s The Eighth Wonder in the role of Madame Magda performing on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. In 2017-2018 she performed in Carmen and La Boheme as part of Opera Australia's chorus on Sydney Harbour.