Who we are
Our core members are Soprano Christelise de Graaf,
and guitarist Meredith Connie
Duo de Graaf Connie.
We welcome guest musicians and who join us for various performance projects
and a fantastic network of volunteers who help us to stage and run our community events.
"de Graaf’s voice and acting were impeccable. She inhabited her role with grace and beauty."
- Juliet Charles, Melbourne Observer
Christelise de Graaf
Christelise de Graaf became enamoured with the singing voice as a young girl. This love continued while she completed her Bachelor of Music Performance specialising in Classical Voice at Monash University, and remains today; in her roles as performer and vocal coach.
In recent times, Christelise has co-founded guitar and voice duo: Duo de Graaf Connie, a capella quartet: Fourtune, and with funding from Yarra Ranges Council has founded The Hills Singers, a community choir for adults in the Dandenong Ranges.
With wide experience spanning world premieres of new works, curating and programming recital programs, and arranging and producing existing operas; Christelise is passionate about being involved in making classical music accessible and approachable to the audience member – regardless of their previous experience with the art form.
Dan Richardson
Dan Richardson is a versatile freelance percussionist based in Melbourne, where he studied classical percussion at the Victorian College of the Arts, and drum kit at NMIT. He has performed in orchestras, musicals, operas, ballets, rock bands, big bands, Persian pop bands, stadiums, pubs, barns, tents, and open fields, and may well do any of them again.
His playing can be heard on recorded releases from Syzygy Ensemble, Anthony Pateras, Astra Chamber Music Society, Ruth Lindsey, Anja and Zlatna, and (tiny snippets of) Lloyd Webber.
Meredith Connie
Meredith Connie is a performer, composer and educator, having studied all disciplines extensively. In recent years, since relocating to Melbourne, Meredith has introduced Australian audiences to historical female composers from around the world; World premieres include new works by Australian composers Anne Cawrse and Sally Whitwell.
Her community work includes directing festivals for young guitarists (the Naarm Guitar inFormal and Discovery Day) and she believes passionately in creating a love of music in the next generation. She is a tireless advocate of compositions by female composers, both historical and living.
A performing artist who works with composition, performance and multi-media, Meredith Connie works to navigate and interpret the natural world, often through site specific works. She is a composing member of the Australian Music Centre and in 2024 released a recording of her compositions, Undomesticated Pockets. The next recording project is already underway, Art Songs for voice and guitar by Australian female composers.
Kim Tan
Kim Tan is a Naarm based musician. Studying with Mardi McSullea, Greg Dikmans, Lawrence Whiffin, and Margaret Crawford, Kim has developed a craft that embraces the diverse disciplines that encompass contemporary music performance practice. She studied in Germany under the tutelage of flautist, Camille Hoitenga (Cologne) before returning to Australia to complete a PhD at the University of Melbourne.
Kim is flautist and core musician of Forest Collective. She has commissioned and premiered contemporary compositions for modern flute and flauto traverso. She has performed world premieres of works by Evan Lawson, Micah Thompson, Thomas Meadowcroft, and Klaus Lang, her repertoire also includes local premiers of works by Salvatore Sciarrino, Clarence Barlow, Liza Lim, Elliot Carter, and Morton Feldman.
