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Professor Rick Chew

Director, Arts Academy

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Biography

Professor Richard Chew began his career as a professional singer, before focusing on composition, under the mentorship of Judith Weir CBE, Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE, Louis Andriessen and Peter Sculthorpe. Commissions as a composer include works for the Southbank Centre, London, Vienna Festival, Adelaide Festival, Festival of Arts & Ideas (Newhaven, USA), English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Linbury Studio), Young Vic Theatre Company (Barbican Theatre London and New Victory Theatre Broadway) and Salisbury Cathedral (750th commemoration). Richard co-founded the acappella vocal ensemble The Shout in London with Orlando Gough, establishing a ‘blueprint for 21st century choral singing’ (The Times).  

Since moving to Australia in 2005, he has worked as a composer, musical director and presenter for Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, State Opera of South Australia, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and others. He founded Inscape Piano Trio with violinist Varvara Vakhrameeva and cellist Lachlan Dent in 2021. Richard’s music is published by Wirripang and he is an associate artist with the Australian Music Centre (AMC).

Recent projects include two albums, An Inventory of Lost Things (piano), and Hiraeth (piano trio) and international creative research collaborations with University of Hertfordshire and Stan’s Cafe Theatre Company, UK.  

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More about Richard

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Music (Honours), University of Birmingham 
  • Master of Music (RCM) in Performance Studies, Royal College of Music (London) 
  • Graduate Diploma in Arts and Cultural Management, Royal College of Music (London) 
  • PhD, Communication Studies, University of South Australia 

Areas of interest

  • Contemporary composition 
  • Opera and music theatre studies 
  • Jazz, world music and traditional music of the British Isles 
  • Performing arts pedagogy 
  • Music and the visual arts 
  • Devised performance 

Areas of expertise

Richard’s research focus is his professional practice as a composer of instrumental, solo vocal and choral music, opera and music for theatre. As Arts Academy director, he has promoted the making and presentation of new Australian work at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, collaborating with staff and students to facilitate the workshop process for visiting composers, writers and theatre-makers. 

Current research is focused on the role of creative disciplines in the improvement of health and well-being.  

Grants

  • Regional Arts Victoria, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Ballarat International Foto Biennale, 2025. ($3,000) 
  • Philanthropic investment for projects, 2025. ($35,000)  
  • AGL Sponsorship funding to support Word of Mouth Chorus online choral project, 2020–2021. ($20,000) 
  • RSP funding for creative research projects, Federation University, 2015, 2020, 2021. ($12,000) 
  • Regional Arts Victoria, Federation University & Ballarat City Council Funding to support the Concert for Compassion project, 2019. ($15,000) 
  • Creative Victoria Music Works grant, Federation University research grant and private sponsorship to compose, record and distribute the solo piano work The Last of England, 2017. ($10,000) 
  • Collaboration with Tutti Arts, State Opera of South Australia & UniSA to present the Australian premiere of community opera The Six Swans, 2015. ($25,000) 
  • ArtsSA: Successful project application for Vesalius: A Requiem at RIAus, Various People, variouspeople.com.au, 2010. ($24,000) 

Current

  • PhD students, Federation University, co-supervisor and principal supervisor. 
  • Master’s student, Federation University, co-supervisor. 

Past

  • Honour’s students, Federation University, supervisor. 

  • Music theatre repertoire 
  • 19th and 20th century music history and analysis 
  • Composition and musical direction 
  • HDR Supervision (creative practice honours, masters and PhD) 

Specialist roles

  • Director, Arts Academy (2018 – present) 
  • Professor, Performing Arts, Federation University

Professional association memberships

  • DDCA (Australasian Council of Deans and Directors, Creative Arts) Secretary and Mentor 
  • AusAct (Actor Training Conference) member, Advisory Board 
  • BAF (Ballarat Arts Foundation) Board member and member of Grants and Mentorship Committee 
  • Anglican Cathedral Ballarat, Music Foundation, Trustee 

Future Regions Research Centre (FRRC)

Rick is part of the Future Regions Research Centre (FRRC), which aims to develop new knowledge and innovative solutions to the grand challenges facing our natural environments.
  • Publications

Everything You Dont Have to Do: How Fostering Individual Creative Practice Enables Others to Create

Memoirs of an Amnesiac

  • CW - 1. Original Creative Work
  • DOI reference:

The Passion of Joan of Arc

  • CW - 1. Original Creative Work
  • DOI reference: