Profile
Shelli Hulcombe is certainly a trendsetter. Despite being born into a family of mathematicians, she managed to rise above this to pursue her love of music (she realised early that solving a mathematic equation doesn’t allow one to wear glamorous dresses and visit exotic places!). Along the way she converted her three younger siblings, and the ‘House of Numbers‘ became more of a Von Trapp situation (embarrassing as that is to admit!) with everyone now in some way professionally involved in the music industry.
After studying at the Queensland Conservatorium and later in Manchester, UK, Shelli joined Opera Queensland as a Young Artist. Roles she has performed for this company include Nannetta in Falstaff, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Giannetta in L’Elisir d’amore, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Papagena in The Magic Flute and Ensemble in Sweeney Todd. In 2002 she also made her Sydney debut with Pinchgut Opera as Cupid in Semele, which was broadcast on ABCFM and released on ABC Classics.
On the concert stage Shelli has performed as the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Rutter’s Gloria, Purcell’s Te Deum et Jubilate, Verdi’s Requiem, Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. She has sung with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Pops Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. She was a soloist in the opening ceremony of the Goodwill Games in 2001, which is where she got her first taste of a lush Richard de Chazal creation!
Nowadays Shelli has learned several new skills – for example, patience, time-management and surviving on minimal sleep – as she is mother to two gorgeous and energetic toddlers. She divides her time between singing and mothering (or rather, the mothering takes up ALL her time and the singing gets squeezed in that 25th hour of the day!).
She also helps guide the Sirens of tomorrow in her capacity as vocal tutor at the Queensland Young Conservatorium. One day, Shelli may return to her roots and become a qualified (not creative!) accountant, but for now, she’s having too much fun... |
