Larissa burak - vocal teacher/choir director
M.Mus (Kiev, Ukraine) MEd (Sydney)
Larissa's musical journey began in childhood. As she fondly recalls, “I sang before I talked.” She studied voice, bandura, and conducting at the Kiev Conservatorium of Music, quickly establishing herself as one of Ukraine’s leading musicians.
Larissa performed at numerous festivals across Ukraine and Western Europe, including events in Latvia, Estonia, Germany, and France. Her talent earned her recognition as a laureate at the 1993 All-Ukrainian Bandura Festival, and she gained international acclaim with her performance at the 1994 "All the World’s Violins" Festival in France, organized by the legendary Yehudi Menuhin.
Since relocating to Australia, Larissa has worked with SBS and ABC Radio and Television, and has performed at prestigious venues and events such as the Sydney Opera House, Multicultural Festivals, Musica Viva, Café Carnivale, and Australia Day Concerts. In 2014, she was invited to perform as a soloist with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra for their "Noel! Noel!" concert series and later appeared at the 2015 Woodford and 2022 National Folk Festivals. In 2024, she showcased her talents on Channel 7’s The Voice.
In addition to her vibrant performing career, Larissa earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Sydney. She now balances her time between performing and teaching at the Riverina Conservatorium of Music.
KATHERINE CHOI - vocal teacher/choir director
BMus (Music Ed), MEd (Sydney)
Katherine has completed her Bachelor of Music (Music Education) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2010. She is also a qualified Special Education teacher who works as a secondary teacher with the Department of Education and communities as she has also completed her Master of Education (Special and Inclusive Education) at the University of Sydney.
During her studies at the Conservatorium, she had studied piano under Lyall Duke had previously studied piano with Stephanie McCallum. Katherine has had many years of experiences teaching piano as she had been teaching since 2007. As a music teacher, she has prepared students for their exams (such as AMEB and Trinity exams) and had also prepared HSC students for the performance and written exams. She had also previously run her own piano studio and worked as a piano teacher in Sydney before moving to Wagga.
Also Katherine also specialises in voice as she had studied voice under Dallas Watts in Sydney, and was a member of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Chamber Choir. She has also participated in performances, studio recitals and had also been in ABC live recordings in performances with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Chamber Choir.
Katherine is a passionate teacher, who is able to teach all types of learners
stephanie johnston - vocal teacher
BMus, DipMus (CQUniversity), CertPerf (Piano & Voice)
Stephanie is a singer and pianist who feels privileged to 'share the joy of music' as she teaches students of all ages and helps them develop in their own musical journeys. She firmly believes in the benefits and rewards of music education and is delighted to be a part of facilitating music learning opportunities at the RCM. Stephanie is pleased to work in such a vibrant, collaborative musical environment. She aims to support her students in making the most of the quality music education they can receive.
Stephanie has been learning and performing music since early childhood. With a value of giving back to the community, she has spent much of the last two decades preparing solo and choral performances for a wide variety of audiences and events. Her singing background includes solo recitals, events singing, children’s choirs, Gospel choir, a Capella chamber or jazz groups, various classical choirs and touring youth choirs who have performed nationally and internationally. Recent performance projects include musical theatre productions such as Phantom of the Opera and Evita and larger-scale choral projects such as Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Faure’s Requiem. Areas of particular interest for Stephanie are Early/Baroque music and Sacred music. As a member of the RCM Vocal Department, Stephanie teaches classical and contemporary voice and does choral direction.
PETER CASEY - VOCAL TEACHER
Dip. Mus (Jazz Studies), B.Ed, UC.
Peter studied Jazz at the Canberra School of Music, majoring in Voice, and holds a Bachelor of Education from Canberra University.
Peter has worked as a performer, writer and accompanist in cabaret and musical theatre for over thirty years. He appeared with dozens of singers at the Queanbeyan School of Arts Café and Tilbury Hotel, Sydney, and has worked as a pit musician and Musical Director for The Really Useful Group, Sydney Theatre Company, David Atkins, The Gordon Frost Organisation , Harry M. Miller, and The Ensemble Theatre.
Peter won the Sydney Cabaret Convention with his first one-man show, Closes On Saturday Night, and has since co-written and performed three more solo shows – Alone, Renaissance Bloke, and I Am Sick to Death of Hearing About the Weimar Republic.
Peter’s composer/lyricist credits include Angry Penguins (Olympics Arts Festival), The Windows Project (Australian Theatre for Young People), Too Hot to Handle (Jigsaw Theatre Co), Tiger Look at This, The Canberra Cantata (Canberra International Music Festival), The Devil Builds a Chapel (New Opera Ventures Australia), and The Lizard of Oz (Crow Crow Productions).
Peter’s other activities have included improvising entire musicals for ACT Impro, and contributing piano and songs to ABC-TV’s Play School.
MAGGIE LAWRENCE - VOCAL TEACHER
BMus (MQUni)
Maggie is a contemporary vocalist and pianist who finds great joy in helping students of all ages discover their unique musical voice. With a deep belief in the power of creative expression, she is passionate about nurturing each student’s growth in skill, confidence, and artistry, regardless of age or ability.
A proud alumna of the Riverina Conservatorium of Music, Maggie began learning piano there as a child. She later completed a Bachelor of Music at Macquarie University in Sydney, graduating with First in Course awards for both Vocal Studies and Songwriting. Now, she is thrilled to return to the RCM as an educator and contribute to its vibrant and inclusive teaching community.
With over three years of teaching experience, Maggie has worked with students from a wide range of backgrounds and learning styles. Her lessons are tailored to support each individual’s goals, helping them build confidence and connect with their own musical creativity.
In addition to teaching, Maggie has performed in a variety of contemporary settings, including community festivals, weddings, recording projects, showcases, and ensemble performances. She has a special interest in vocal performance, stage presence, and authentic artistic expression. Above all, she loves seeing students flourish as they develop technical skills and musical confidence.
judy FERGUSON - murrumbidgee magic choir director
GradDipEd (Primary), Certified Director (Sweet Adelines International)
Judy Ferguson is the musical director of Murrumbidgee Magic Chorus. Her unstinting effort and enthusiasm keeps the chorus working hard while having a worthwhile educational experience and a lot of fun besides.
In her role Judy has directed performances at the Opera House Sydney, Entertainment Centres in Brisbane, Perth and Hobart as well as venues throughout the British Isles and Nordlingen, Germany.
Judy has been a member of Murrumbidgee Magic since 1995, serving as Assistant Director until 2017 when she became Director,
She has been involved with music in the schools for many years, directing the Wagga Wagga Combined Primary Schools Senior Choir for many years as well as co-directing the Riverina Central Choir.
Judy is also the director of Wagga City Rugby Male Choir, a group of 80 members who sing a repertoire from traditional male voiced music to contempory.
In addition to individual and group learning opportunities, the RCM vocal Department also offers both students and community musicians with access to many different ensembles including:
Murrumbidgee Magic
Chorale Francias (French Choir)
Riverina Youth Choir
Sing-It-Out
RCM Rock Band - Junior & Senior
Singing Sessions - Beginners & Intermediate