Emerging Women in Music with Neon Fan

The Women's Club is thrilled to announce the revival of our celebrated Women in Music program: a celebration of the incredible contributions of women to the world of music, with a special emphasis on Australian music.

Neon Fan in collaboration with Sophie Blades, Arabella Riepler and Mya Whatson.

Neon is a Sydney based creative talent who has completed their Bachelor of Music (Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney majoring in piano collaboration. Additional to their joy in music, they enjoy acting and modelling whilst connecting with LGBTQIA+ organisations in bringing campaigns to life and supporting the queer youth, creating artworks, and connecting with all sorts of musicians and creative artists to bring projects to life.

Neon has many notable successes in their career as a performing artist. Performing in Carnegie Hall, Weills Recital Hall for the first time in January 2019 as a guest performer in New York, whilst being able to grasp the incredible opportunity to visit distinguished music schools; Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, and Curtis. During their time in New York, they were also fortunate enough to be able to have lessons from professors Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music; Joseph Kalichstein and Dr. Solomon Mikowsky respectively.

Soprano Sophie Blades is completing her Masters of Music Studies (Opera Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Dr Anke Hoeppner-Ryan. During her studies, Sophie has been the recipient of various scholarships and awards including the Eton College Choral Scholarship, the PATIM Fund and the Patricia Lucas Music Achievement Scholarship. Sophie was also a finalist in the Demant Dreikurs Scholarship Song Competition. Masterclasses include that by David Miller AM, Graham Johnson OBE, Lynne Dawson and Michael Smallwood.

Arabella Riepler is a classical Soprano who has just completed her Bachelor of Classical Performance in Voice at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Though studying classical, she also has an avid background in contemporary singing and musical theatre, performing as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music, Roscoe in The Follies and a chorus role in Grease. Through Arabella's studies of music, she has been the recipient of the Eton College Choral scholarship (2018), the PATIM Fund scholarship (2020-2021) and the Helen Myers scholarship (2020-22).

Mya Whatson began her journey as a cellist at 8 years old and since, has been offered multiple study scholarships, chamber music opportunities and has performed extensively as a soloist with many different orchestras, the most notable being the Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra (2021). In the same year, she was both invited to represent the Queensland Conservatorium along with three other students in a chamber music concert at Tyalgum’s Annual Music Festival, and selected to perform alongside her professors in the Queensland Conservatorium's annual Side-by-Side Concert.