MORRISTON ORPHEUS CHOIR
MUSICAL DIRECTOR – SIAN PEARCE

Wales’ superb Morriston Orpheus Choir returns to Australia in April 2007 for a strictly limited season.

Internationally acclaimed and known as "the Rolls Royce of choirs", the Morriston Orpheus Choir has more than 500 live performances and 25 albums to its name and has performed in the world's greatest venues including Xarnegie Hall in New York, the opening of he Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales and to standing ovations at Sydney Opera House.

Established 71 years ago, the Morriston Orpheus Choir features 90 male voices on stage with a program including a mix of traditional, pop and contemporary songs.
The World Tour Down Under will be the first opportunity for Australian audiences to hear the choir under the baton of the recently appointed Musical Director Sian Pearce - the first woman to hold the post in the choirs history.

Sian Pearce has had a lifetime's involvement in music; whether through the medium of live performance or teaching.  She is no stranger to the spotlight as she has performed on TV and Radio, and toured extensively around the world, performing as a soloist, chorister and conductor; to audiences from a few through to many thousands.
Born and raised in the Welsh valleys, choral singing has been Sian's passion from an early age.  There has never been a time when she has not been involved, in one way or another with a choir.  At 16 she was a member of the National Chorus of Wales, gaining an interest in choral conducting by singing under the baton of such prestigious conductors as Sir Neville Mariner and Andrew Davies.

Sian gained her vocal training by studying under Jennifer Rhys Davies and Beverley Humphreys.  She then went on to study classical singing and flute at Trinity College of Music, London studying under the great James Gaddarn. 

Following her studies, Sian went on to perform extensively as a classical solo singer, but was also invited to share her talents with others.  She became the community musician for the Penrhys Estate, Rhondda where she set up youth and adult choirs, and rock bands.  She also helped in the design and development of the building of a new art centre and recording studio which now brings quality musicians to a once deprived community.

Nowadays, Sian is more interested in the teaching and directing of singers.  She currently has more than 40 individual singing pupils, and is the recognised singing teacher in South West Wales for the government initiative New Deal for Musicians, and shares her vocal expertise with various musical theatre arts schools.

The late Glyn Jones, conductor for many years of the Pendyrus Male Voice Choir and Music Advisor for Gwent took a keen interest in developing Sian's career, and encouraged her.  This support ignited within her a great desire and ambition to one day conduct one of the world's greatest male voice choirs.  Thus today, as Musical Director of the Morriston Orpheus Choir, she is fulfilling her ultimate goal which can only go on to add further depth to what has already become a colourful life of singing.