Gondwana National Choirs

Paul Holley is a choral conductor and music educator. His personal warmth and passion for choral music have inspired many singers to discover and develop their skills as choral musicians. With over 25 years of teaching experience in schools and many years of working with instrumentalists and singers Paul knows how to connect with people of all ages and enjoys collaborating with them in the music making process. 

Presently, Paul is the Artistic Director of Voices of Birralee a community youth and children’s choir organisation based in Brisbane. He conducts two of the signature choirs the Birralee Blokes and Resonance of Birralee. Both of these ensembles have toured nationally and internationally, won several competitions, made numerous recordings and supported community events. He is also the co-conductor of the national youth choir Gondwana Chorale. In addition to these roles, Paul is a workshop presenter, choral clinician, guest conductor and mentor to younger conductors. He was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in January 2016 for his services to choral music. 

Dr. Carl Crossin OAM – conductor, educator and composer – has been directing choirs in the professional realm, within the community, and at all levels of music education for almost 50 years.  He founded the multi-award-winning Adelaide Chamber Singers in 1985 and subsequently led the choir to national and international acclaim and respect over the ensuing 36 years before stepping down from his role as Artistic Director and Conductor of ACS at the end of 2021.  Carl has also been music director and conductor of the Elder Conservatorium Chorale at the University of Adelaide since 2002.

Carl has been a guest conductor, choral clinician and adjudicator throughout Australia and internationally, and has also toured Britain, Europe, South-East Asia and North America on several occasions with his various choirs.  Carl has become increasingly active as a composer in recent years and enjoys creating new music for a wide range of choirs and instrumentalists.

In 2007, Carl was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to music, and, in recognition of his contribution to music in South Australia, he was inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame in 2021.

Rowan is a freelance conductor, adjudicator and clinician based in New Zealand. He holds undergraduate degrees in Voice and Composition and has completed a Masters degree in Choral Conducting with First Class Honours studying with Dr Karen Grylls at Auckland University. Rowan founded the Taranaki Youth Choir and the internationally-acclaimed Choralation Choir from Westlake Girls & Boys High Schools. Under his direction, Choralation is the most successful choir in the history of the NZ Secondary School choral festival The Big Sing. In 2014, Choralation was awarded 1st Place in the Summa Cum Laude Music Festival in Vienna where they performed in the Musik Vehrein. Rowan currently holds the positions of Director of Choirs at Holy Trinity Cathedral Auckland, the Music Directorship of the Auckland Youth Choir and was made an Associate Conductor for New Zealand’s professional chamber choir, an ensemble he also sings in, Voices New Zealand. He is a Choral Advisor for the NZ Choral Federation. 

Claire Preston has worked extensively in Australia and North America specialising in developing young singers.  She has been Assistant Conductor of the Toronto Children’s Chorus and Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, accompanist for Canada’s foremost professional choir, Elmer Iseler Singers; and was Co-Founder of the award-winning, Exaudi Youth Choir.

Claire returned to Australia as Head of Choral Studies at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School where she commissioned and recorded Australian music and collaborated regularly with the VCA Orchestra.

Claire maintains an active career as a choral conductor and is in demand as an adjudicator for choral festivals and eisteddfods including New Zealand Choral Federation The Big Sing; Festival of Voices, Australian Honours Ensemble Program, and Voices of Birralee.  She has been a regular guest conductor at Gondwana National Choral School and is delighted to be conducting in the 2025 season!

Claire is Head of Vocal and Choral Studies at Hillcrest Christian College and in 2020 was awarded a scholarship through the National Excellence in School Leadership Institute. In 2021, Claire was honoured to receive a Leadership Award from the Australian Council for Educational Leaders.

Annie is truly excited by children’s and youth choirs, inspired by their energy, honesty, and sound. Her works have been performed in major choral festivals in Australia and internationally, as well as being actively sought out for primary and secondary school music programs.

She has been a member of the artistic staff of the Public Primary Schools Festival of Music, Young Adelaide Voices, Gondwana Voices, and Sydney Children’s Choir. Annie was the 2011-12 Composer-in-Residence for Young Adelaide Voices, and the 2014-15 Composer-in-Residence for the Sydney Children’s Choir.

Annie is currently the Assistant Head of Performing Arts at Pulteney Grammar School teaching Year 7 to 12 Music, is the instigator of whole school singing from Reception to Year 12, and the director of Grammarphones and Senior Concert Choirs.

In 2020, she was awarded the South Australian World Teachers Day Award for Excellence by the Australian National Choral Association.

After completing a Masters degree in choral conducting and aural training Allison lectured at Victoria’s Melba Conservatorium and Monash University and then Queensland’s University of Technology.  She conducted the music faculty choirs at each of these institutions following many years of music education roles in primary and secondary schools. After moving to New South Wales, Allison enjoyed time as Director of Choral Education at Gondwana Choirs and conducting at National Choral School. For the past eleven years she has been Musical Director of Choirs at Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School.  Allison lectures in choral conducting and musicianship for the Kodaly Music Education Institute of Australia and is conductor of the NSW Arts Unit flagship choir Senior Singers.  She is passionate about supporting Australian choral composers, commissioning new works, rigorous music education and helping young choristers and their conductors to reach their artistic potential.