Jonathon Welch
2008 Award
Choral conductor
Jonathon Welch touched the heart of the nation when he demonstrated the power of singing in building and renewing promising lives that had been saddened and defeated by circumstance. His Choir of Hard Knocks, one of Jonathon's community choir initiatives, raised to new levels Australia's awareness of the problems of homelessness, depression, and addiction. This is just one of many community projects to which Jonathon has given his time. Others include Geelong Pop Choir and Pop Kidz, the Australian Pop Choir, the Sydney Street Choir, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir and the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus. Jonathon is also well known as a singing teacher to young singing students and choirs as an adjudicator at community eisteddfods and competitions. He continues to perform as a singer in his own right and is a member of Tenor Australis, a trio of professional tenors. Most of all he has shown that engaging with creativity, expression, with each other, brings new hope.
