WAO SINGS
Supported by the Feilman Foundation.
West Australian Opera is proud to present WAO SINGS, a three-year choral education program running from 2025 to 2027, proudly supported by the Feilman Foundation and the City of Swan. The program delivers comprehensive music education through choral singing to Year 5 and 6 students at three schools in the Ellenbrook area, nurturing young voices and inspiring a lifelong love of music.
Led by Choral Director Dr Emma Jayakumar, the program brings weekly singing sessions to participating schools, culminating in a joyful mass performance for friends and family at the end of the school year. Students explore a diverse repertoire across musical genres, including pieces in operatic languages such as Italian, French, German, and Noongar.
A key focus of WAO SINGS is the integration of The Kids Research Institute of Australia’s Social and Emotional Wellbeing in the Arts (SEW ARTS) framework. This research-based approach supports teaching practices that centre on student wellbeing, creative confidence, and positive learning environments, aligning closely with West Australian Opera’s commitment to community engagement and arts education.
To enquire about WAO SINGS and other community outreach programs offered by West Australian Opera, contact Helen Dwyer, Education Manager at [email protected] or 08 9278 8913
Dr Emma Jayakumar Dr Emma Jayakumar is a performing arts professional with 25 years of industry experience in a variety of roles including opera and classical performance, teaching, composition, practice-led ethnographic research with children and families. She has worked extensively with children in research projects, as performers and students, and in specialised compositional and writing approaches to children’s repertoire. Most recently this has included a family audience commission with WA Opera, Our Little Inventor, along with several other children’s works for AWESOME Arts, WA Ballet and Music Book Stories.
| |
Charis Postmus Charis Postmus is a Perth soprano with a First-Class Honours Degree in Classical Voice from WAAPA. In 2023, she conducted further postgraduate research comparing classical and jazz vocal pedagogy and has since developed into a versatile cross-genre vocalist. In addition to her involvement in the WAO Sings! program, Charis manages and tours with Perth Opera Voices and works with Freeze Frame Opera Company in both a performance and administrative capacity. In 2024, Charis received the Barbara MacLeod Scholarship and undertook further jazz studies at The New York Jazz Academy in the US. In 2025, she was awarded Bloomhouse Projects’ Emerging Artist position and was inducted as an Artist in Residence with the Metropolitan Symphony orchestra. Charis was also the recipient of the 2025 Winifrid Hurford Award and was shortlisted for the ‘Outstanding Performer in a Leading Role’ Award for the Performing Arts WA Awards 2025; Musicals & Operas category for her involvement in Freeze Frame Opera’s production of The Magic Flute. |
Watch the videos: Reflections on WAO SINGS
Launched in February 2025, WAO SINGS is now in full swing. Let’s hear reflections from teachers and students on the impact so far.
PART 1 - Alison Roberson, Music Specialist at Malvern Springs Primary School
How are your students responding to WAO SINGS?
PART 2 – Students at Aveley Primary School
What has been your favourite part of these classes so far?
PART 3 – Students at Malvern Springs Primary School, Aveley Primary School, Bullsbrook College
What’s your favourite part of music?
PART 4 – Students at Malvern Springs Primary School
What have you learned in these lessons so far?
PART 5 – Chris Spencer, Music Specialist at Aveley Primary School
Why do you think WAO SINGS is important to the City of Swan community?
PART 6 – Students at Malvern Springs Primary School
What’s your favourite part of music?
PART 7 – Students and teachers at Malvern Springs Primary School, Aveley Primary School, Bullsbrook College
SUPPORT
