John D'Arcy (Piano)

John has recently retired from full time teaching music and mathematics hoping to spend more time composing and directing. Most of his teaching was at Sydney Grammar - 15yrs at St Ives Prep School, and 5 yrs at the college. Having taught full time in Penrith High, Ascham Girls, St Patricks College, Reddam House, and more recently at Moss Vale High, and Greenvale College, he is very aware of a variety of teaching situations. He was for several years the main tutor for the Saturday School at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (for Primary students with exceptional musical ability).

For the last 25 yearsJohn has conducted weekend and Summer School workshops for students of all ages, especially in conjuction with Suzuki Talent Education.

As a conductor: John has worked with The Blue Mountains Orchestra, Penrith High Concert Band, Northside Youth Orchestra, Suzuki String Orchestra, Peter Seymour Orchestra (Sydney Youth Orchestras), Stanley St Big Band, St Ives Singers, Sheldon Symphony Orchestra, Lane Cove Youth Orchestra, and more recently with the Highlands Theatre Group Orchestra.

As a musical director: Salad Days, Pyjama Game, Turtle Drum, Tom Sawyer, Manutea, Noyes Fludde (Benjamin Britten), Wizard of Oz, and various 'Parent Reviews'. More recently Back to the Eighties, Charades, Summer Rain, Sanity Clause, Anything Goes, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Jekyll and Hyde, and Rumplestiltskin.

As a composer: Most recently John wrote a musical "Rumplestiltskin" with John Forbes (young playwright). His setting of the Catholic Mass has been sung every Sunday at St Paul's Catholic Church at Moss Vale for the last 3yrs. He has just completed a new mass for the new setting yet to be introduced. His output includes orchestral settings and arrangements, but he prefers smaller groups such as Orff percussion, quartets, SATB choir or solo songs. Some of his choral works have been performed in Europe and America.

As a performer: John has sung in the Sydney Chorale, Lachrymae Singers, Bundanoon Voices, and taken lead roles in "Noyes Fludde", Orfeus in the Underworld", "Back to the Eighties", "My Fair Lady" and "Sanity Clause". He has performed as piano soloist and repetiteur regulary since moving to the Highlands 7 yrs ago. He hopes to expand his inluence as a singer, under his wife's guidance (Yvonne is a singing teacher and peformer in her own right.)

John enjoys horse riding, tennis, motor bike touring, flying ultralights, programming computers, and most recently, teaching piano with the Powerpoint team.