Women in Music

The Women's Club is thrilled to announce the revival of our celebrated Women in Music program: a celebration of the incredible contributions of women to the world of music, with a special emphasis on Australian music.

Neon Fan in collaboration with Sophie Blades (soprano), Arabella Riepler (soprano) and Mya Whatson (cello).

Neon is a Sydney based creative talent who has completed their Bachelor of Music (Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney majoring in piano collaboration. Additional to their joy in music, they enjoy acting and modelling whilst connecting with LGBTQIA+ organisations in bringing campaigns to life and supporting the queer youth, creating artworks, and connecting with all sorts of musicians and creative artists to bring projects to life.

Neon has many notable successes in their career as a performing artist. Performing in Carnegie Hall, Weills Recital Hall for the first time in January 2019 as a guest performer in New York, whilst being able to grasp the incredible opportunity to visit distinguished music schools; Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, and Curtis. During their time in New York, they were also fortunate enough to be able to have lessons from professors Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music; Joseph Kalichstein and Dr. Solomon Mikowsky respectively.

In 2021, they were given the opportunity to perform at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), in the co-production, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, performed by final-year students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and NIDA. Neon was the keyboard (harpsichord and celeste) member of the orchestra which accompanied the vocalists of the production along with the orchestra.

In March 2022, Neon had the opportunity to collaborate as a pianist, alongside three other respected musicians in a Neil Gooding Production, “Leap” created and directed by distinguished dance choreographer Amy Campbell and musical director Victoria Falconer. They went on tour in March and June, performing the show in a variety of theatre across NSW and at the Star Casino on the Gold Coast.

Neon has been the recipient of many scholarships throughout their education from high school to tertiary studies. They were the inaugural recipient of the Emily Reinhardt Piano Scholarship in 2019 awarded by the Griffith University, Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Since 2020, they are the current recipient of the Major Music Scholarship awarded by St. Andrew’s College, where they live on campus as a resident whilst they complete their tertiary studies in Sydney. In January 2023, they received an award by her excellency the honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC Governor of New South Wales and the National Council of Women of New South Wales Inc. sponsored by The Women’s Club in supporting women of excellence in their field of study.

The next step for Neon after university, is to connect with an array of creative talent to bring an interactive, sensory solo concert to life for children with ADHD and people who would like something peculiar and unique brought to Australia. Neon has made networks with women in animation and graphic design to start the brainstorming process of projecting a 3D art projection for the major art project.

Soprano Sophie Blades is completing her Masters of Music Studies (Opera Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Dr Anke Hoeppner-Ryan. During her studies, Sophie has been the recipient of various scholarships and awards including the Eton College Choral Scholarship, the PATIM Fund and the Patricia Lucas Music Achievement Scholarship. Sophie was also a finalist in the Demant Dreikurs Scholarship Song Competition. Masterclasses include that by David Miller AM, Graham Johnson OBE, Lynne Dawson and Michael Smallwood.

Sophie’s performed roles include Second Witch and Phoebus in Dido and Aeneas (Purcell), Silvia in Zanetto (Mascagni), Theodora in Theodora (Handel), Echo in Courtney Cousins new opera Echo and the Sandman in Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck). Sophie is looking forward to performing as Mathilde in Dialogues des Carmélites (Poulenc) and premiering the roles of Mara, Mum and Snake Skin 1 as a part of Sydney Conservatorium of Music and NIDA’s 2024 New Opera Project, ‘Mother’. Her soloist concert repertoire includes Spatzenmesse KV 220 (Mozart), Krönungsmesse K.317 (Mozart), Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo (Haydn), Easter Cantata BWV 4 ‘Christ lag in Todes Banden’ (Bach) and Carmina Burana (Orff).

Arabella Riepler is a classical Soprano who has just completed her Bachelor of Classical Performance in Voice at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Though studying classical, she also has an avid background in contemporary singing and musical theatre, performing as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music, Roscoe in The Follies and a chorus role in Grease. Through Arabella's studies of music, she has been the recipient of the Eton College Choral scholarship (2018), the PATIM Fund scholarship (2020-2021) and the Helen Myers scholarship (2020-22).

Arabella has also recently released a complete EP album with her band 2SA, as well as her own debut single “When you’re Lonely.” She has worked with studios, such as Bondi Beats, TAFE NSW, Studios 301 and Brand X recording. Most recently, she has been featured on Songsta’s “Acousta” album on the first track “Hung Upon the Wall.” This year, Arabella is looking forward to releasing her six track original album "Lovin'" and is looking at the possibility of studying classical singing abroad, closer to her family in Europe. 

Mya Whatson began her journey as a cellist at 8 years old and since, has been offered multiple study scholarships, chamber music opportunities and has performed extensively as a soloist with many different orchestras, the most notable being the Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra (2021). In the same year, she was both invited to represent the Queensland Conservatorium along with three other students in a chamber music concert at Tyalgum’s Annual Music Festival, and selected to perform alongside her professors in the Queensland Conservatorium's annual Side-by-Side Concert. The following year, Mya was selected to participate in both Southern Cross Soloists' 'Next Gen' and Camerata's 'Upbeat' Programs for upcoming young artists, which saw her perform at the Bangalow Music Festival and various QPAC concerts. In the same year, Mya went on to win both 1st prize and one of two 2nd prizes alongside her various chamber groups in the 4MBS Chamber Music Competition, and graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium with a Bachelor of Music. In 2024, Mya has performed as a member of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, having been invited to tour alongside the likes of renowned musicians Jack Liebeck, Lloyd Van't Hoff and Piers Lane AO.

Program
All pieces are performed in partnership with Neon Fan