Celebrating Sibelius

Michael Lampard & Rhodri Clarke
10 Pieces for Piano Op.24: III. Caprice
Hymn to Thaïs
King Christian II, Op. 27: IV. Fool's Song of the Spider 
Seven Runeberg Songs Op.13: VI. To Frigga
Seven Songs, Op.17: IV. Astray

Chloe James & Rhodri Clarke
6 Bagatelles for Piano, Op. 97: II. Lied
Seven Songs, Op.17: I. Since then I stopped asking
Six Songs, Op.36: VI. The Diamond on the March Snow
Five Songs, Op.37: V. The Tryst 
Five Songs, Op.37: IV. Was it a Dream
The Little Girls

Mezzo-soprano Chloe James holds a Bachelor of Music (Classical Voice) and a Master of Music (Opera Performance) from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. During her studies, she was supported by the Mona McCaughey scholarship, Muriel Cheek scholarship and the Grace Durling Encouragement Award. An alumna of Opera Scholars Australia, Chloe was the winner of the Alliance Française Prize in their 2024 Art Song Competition and was awarded the Runners Up Prize in their 2024 Aria Competition. 

Throughout her studies, her performance credits included: Hänsel und Gretel (Hansel), The Old Maid and the Thief (Miss Todd), Die Zauberflöte (Second Lady) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Cobweb). With Victorian Opera, she has featured in their productions of English Eccentrics (various roles), Parrwang Lifts the Sky (Mrs Waa), The Grumpiest Boy in the World (Scientist 1) and Abduction (chorus). Most recently, Chloe featured as Raby Carmichael in the World Premiere of Stefan Cassomeno’s Eva in the 2025 Port Fairy Spring Music Festival and appeared as Cora in Victorian Opera’s Boojum! this past November. 

Chloe is the proud recipient of the Jo Horgan & Peter Wetenhall Opera Scholarship and the Ruskin Opera Scholarship with Melba Opera Trust.

Michael has been a finalist in Placido Domingo's international Operalia competition subsequently appearing as Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte for the Rome Opera Festival. Appearances for Opera Australia include Schaunard in La Boheme, Dancairo and Morales in Carmen and Bartolo in The Barber Of Seville.

Roles for Victorian Opera include Alidoro in La Cenerentola while for Melbourne Opera his performances include Schaunard in La Boheme, the Marquis in La Traviata, Biterolf in Tannhäuser, Di Luna in Il Trovatore, Fiorello and Ambrogio in The Barber Of Seville, Morales in Carmen, Zurga in The Pearlfishers, Killian in Der Freischütz and Kurwenal in Tristan & Isolde and he has also appeared for Gertrude Opera, the Australian Contemporary Opera Co. and Lyster Opera.

His concert appearances include being soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, at the 2023 Albury Chamber Music Festival and the lead role in the dramatised-song cycle, The Weight Of Light for the Canberra Street Theatre.

Rhodri Clarke studied at the Royal College Of Music, London.

He has lived in the Netherlands where he performed with members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and has toured extensively with tenor, Rolando Villazon’s Bolivar Soloists appearing with the group at the Berlin Philharmonie, London’s Royal Festival Hall and the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris and also in Mexico, programmes recorded for the Deutsche Grammaphon label. 

He has also toured to Venezuela, with double bass player, Edicson Ruiz of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and accompanied Bryn Terfel at Carnegie Hall in New York. Other engagements as an accompanist have seen him perform at many prestigious European concert venues including London’s Wigmore Hall and also at the Lucerne International Music Festival. 

As duo-pianist, with internationally renowned, David Helfgott, Rhodri has given performances of the two-piano version of the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 throughout Australia, in New Zealand and in Europe.