Our conductor

Our principal conductor is Luke Spicer, who debuted with the orchestra in 2013. An acclaimed Violist and chamber musician, Luke is now making his mark as an operatic and symphonic conductor. Graduating with a Masters of Conducting from the Sydney Conservatorium, he has furthered his studies in Freiburg, and Manchester; and attended the Fondazione Musicale Chigiana, Siena, working under Maestro Guanluigi Gelmetti. Luke was also a participant in the Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program during 2016.

In 2014 he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Sydney University Symphony Orchestra, in 2016 became Music Director of Blush Opera in Sydney, and has been the assistant conductor of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra for several years. Luke made his operatic debut in 2015 with Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, directed by Shannon Murphy and featuring Silvia Colloca, Stacey Alleaume, and Catherine Bouchier in the principal roles, as part of the Spectrum Now Festival. Luke has also conducted Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Walton’s Façade, Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder, and in 2016 conducted and a sell-out production of Puccini’s il Tabarro, directed by Constantine Costi.

2017 has seen Luke join Opera Australia as Music Director of the NSW schools tour, and make his debut with the Tasmanian and Canberra Symphony Orchestras. In 2018 Luke conducted the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra as part of their subscription series, The Tales of Hoffmann with Rockdale Opera Company, and The Armed Man with the Sydney University Symphony Orchestra.