People Group: Management

Dr Jay Byrnes is a highly regarded arts leader, event producer, musician and educator with a career spanning performance, arts administration, and cultural development. As Executive Producer at Piano Plus Australia (Sydney International Piano Competition), he has delivered Festivals, Competitions, tours and recitals throughout the organisations transition to a multifaceted, year-round arts institution.

Jay is also a key figure in the Orange Chamber Music Festival, where his work in event production, and fundraising has helped transform it into one of Australia’s leading regional music festivals. His strategic expertise has played a crucial role in growing the organisation’s reach, acquiring funding, and securing sustainability.

Jay was instrumental in developing the National Saxophone Program for El Sistema Venezuela, a globally recognized initiative that uses music education to drive social change. He has also served as a contract lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

As a saxophonist, Jay has enjoyed a distinguished career as a soloist and chamber musician. He has performed with renowned orchestras, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Simón Bolívar Orchestra and as a soloist with Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, and at many of Australia’s festivals.

Outside of his professional life, Jay has a deep appreciation for food, wine, and travel. With studies in Wine Science and Business, he enjoys exploring Australia’s wine regions, discovering new culinary experiences, and immersing himself in local creative communities. His ability to merge artistic leadership with personal passion has made him a dynamic force in the cultural sector, fostering innovation, collaboration, and meaningful connections between artists and audiences.

Jay holds both a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Bachelor of Music from Sydney Conservatorium, Sydney University, as well as a Masters in Music from Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo, Porto, Portugal.

Grace Wellik is a Meanjin/Brisbane based composer and performer known for her magical and distinctively powerful voice. Wellik’s music has been performed by groups such as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Trio Immersio, Commonwealth Resounds, and Trio Chroma, with recent premieres in Austria, Scotland, New Zealand, and Australia. As a 2024 Todd Young Composer Awards finalist with her piece Celestial Sunrise, two-times recipient of the Allan Robertson Memorial Scholarship for Composition, and a Cantorum Chamber Choir Choral Commission Award winner, she is a rising star in Trans-Tasman Composition and beyond.

As the 2025 Young Composer-in-Residence for the Auckland Philharmonia, and 2024 Young Composer-in-Residence for Auckland Youth Choir, Wellik’s musical range spans from pieces for orchestra and choir to chamber and solo works. Wellik is a versatile musician whose work traverses a multitude of areas within the music industry. Having been a 2023 and 2024 New Zealand Choral Federation Young Conductor, and a singer in the New Zealand Youth Choir, The Australian Voices, Fusion Vocal Ensemble, Brisbane Chamber Choir, and Auckland Chamber Choir, winning awards such as Choir of the World at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the Grand Prix of Nations Folklore category at the European Choir Games, she embodies a practice which stands both in the shoes of the performer and the composer, informing her work on both sides.

Wellik’s music utilises strong contemporary devices to create immersive narratives and soundscapes within a voice that is present and magical. Stripping back the weight of modern life, her music reminds us that at the core of humanity is the connections we have with others. This people-first approach to composing allows for stronger, personal writing and performances which place collaboration between artists above all else. Wellik holds a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland.

Debopam (Debo) has a strong background in digital marketing, content creation, and customer service/engagement. His creative approach drives his work, and he is eager to offer unique perspectives in presenting Camerata to its audience.

Debo holds a master’s degree in Marketing and Business Analytics from the University of Wollongong, Australia, and has volunteered in marketing roles for various communities, clubs, and charities.

With a passion for music, Debo enjoys playing guitar and is particularly interested in learning more about orchestral music and the artform.

Brendan Joyce’s leadership of Camerata has been described by The Australian as dynamic and by Limelight as indefatigable. An alumnus of the original version of Camerata that played to high critical acclaim 1987-1997, he frequently appears as soloist with the group, has led for milestones including its first recordings, tours, broadcasts, many collaborations and world premieres, and in acclaimed performances at the Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide, Tyalgum, Orange Chamber Music, Qld Music and 4MBS Festivals and at five seasons of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.

In consultation with his colleagues, Brendan curates Camerata’s renowned programming, including its 2016 and 2019 Helpmann Award-nominated concerts, Home and Sara Macliver with Camerata, as well as the 2014 APRA/AMCOS Best Performance in Queensland for its role in Natalie Weir’s When Time Stops for Australasian Dance Collective (then Expressions Dance Co). During his leadership, the ensemble received the Queensland Luminary Award at the 2024 Australian Art Music Awards, recognising the group’s presentation and promotion of Australian music, particularly in regional Australia over the previous 15 years.

In demand as a guest leader and concertmaster, Brendan has led the Orchestra of the Antipodes for many Pinchgut Opera Company productions (Sydney) and was a long-time member and regular guest Concertmaster of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, performing as soloist in their acclaimed world premiere performances on period instruments of Max Richter’s hit work, Vivaldi Four Seasons Recomposed. During his student days, Brendan was Concertmaster of both the Queensland and Australian Youth Orchestras.

Brendan holds music degrees from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Maryland USA (UMD). His teachers and mentors included Joyce Crooks, Lyn Darveniza and Stephen Frewen-Lord as a schoolboy in North Queensland. A significant and ongoing mentor has been Elizabeth Morgan AM, with whom he commenced studying while at UQ and who invited him to take up the leadership of Camerata. For his graduate studies at UMD, he studied with Gerald Fischbach and chamber music with David Salness and the members of the Guarneri String Quartet.

Brendan has played for many orchestras and ensembles, including the Bartok Quartet cycle with the Kurilpa Quartet, the Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra, the Queensland and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and as a guest violinist with the Australian String Quartet and with Tasmania’s Van Dieman’s Band, and the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra.

Angela has cultivated a rich 28+ year career in the arts, spanning roles as Stage Manager, Technical Manager, Orchestra Manager, and Producer across musical theatre, opera, festivals, special events, and corporate functions.

During her Bachelor of Arts studies at Queensland University of Technology and early professional years, Angela discovered what would shape her career path, the belief that music has a unique ability to connect people and strengthen communities.

Camerata has been at the heart of Angela’s work for over 18 years, its collaborative spirit and artistic excellence constantly inspiring her. Her contributions include producing more than 13 years of touring programs and working alongside colleagues to expand community engagement and education initiatives.

Committed to professional growth and organizational development, Angela continues to deepen her knowledge in strategic leadership, governance, and philanthropy through ongoing learning and mentorship. She brings this evolving skillset to her work in strengthening audience engagement and supporting Camerata’s adventurous programming.

Angela’s driving force remains her dedication to creating an environment where artists can flourish. She continues to find inspiration in the exceptional work of Camerata’s musicians, guest artists, and collaborators.

Sonia comes from a stage management and technical production back ground and joined Camerata in March 2021. Sonia has over 14 years experience in the live entertainment industry as a stage manager spanning multiple genres from opera, musical theatre, live music, comedy and events.

Sonia attended the University of Southern Queensland studying a Bachelor of Theatre Arts and Technical Production, majoring in Stage Management. Her love for the arts and culture has brought her to where she is today, working with an abundance of talented musicians and creative teams who support the drive for providing memorable cultural experiences to people around the world.

Jacquiline joined Camerata in July 2021 after five years with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and with a background in marketing, communications, digital media and ticketing. Jacquiline brings with her a breadth of arts marketing experience and an excitement to share and spread the joy of Camerata’s music-making.

Jacquiline holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative and Professional Writing with a Graduate Certificate in Business (Integrated Marketing) from the Queensland University of Technology.

She is an avid music lover and constantly in awe of the talent of Camerata musicians.

After graduating from the University of Southern Queensland with a Bachelor of Theatre Arts majoring in Acting, Tammy Weller has worked extensively as an actor, producer, and writer around Australia.

Tammy is best known for her performance as Annie in the international tour of Peter Pan Goes Wrong and the Australian tour of The Play That Goes Wrong. Further theatre credits include Puffs Life Like Productions, Pocketful of Pebbles White Rabbit Theatre, The Hitmen Baker’s Dozen Theatre Company, and Maple and Vine Bottled Snail Productions. Her voiceover work is a part of radionotes Podcast which was awarded Australia’s Best Entertainment Podcast in 2022.

In 2010, Tammy wrote, produced, and performed Single Admissions at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, and a sell-out season at Metro Arts, Brisbane. Single Admissions was nominated for six Matilda Awards including Best Independent Production and Best New Australian Work. In 2014, Single Admissions was published by Playlab press. In 2017, Pocketful of Pebbles, created in collaboration with Lisa Smith and Victoria Carless was presented at the Gold Coast Arts Centre (now HOTA). She recently completed the Incubator program through Playlab and has been commissioned by Playlab to co-write Theft, a new play to premier in 2026.

Alongside her creative endeavours, Tammy has been Associate Festival Producer for Wynnum Fringe Festival and Orchestra Manager at the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She is relishing the opportunity to grow as a Producer as part of the Camerata team.

Andrew has 25 years of experience working in the Performing Arts. From Installation and Performance Art to Opera, Ballet and Musicals, outdoor events and music programs to large Concert Hall performances, music has driven the work he has been attracted to throughout his career. This is his first experience working exclusively for an orchestra, and he finds Camerata to be the perfect fit. His diverse design, technical and production management skills align perfectly with Camerata’s innovative and bold programming. Like Camerata, he has a passion for collaborating with artists across a range of artforms.