Meet the Team

BackStage Music brings together a strong team behind the scenes of technical and financial support. To present a Series of concerts featuring local artists showcasing local, national and international talent. The Series is curated by flautist Lamorna Nightingale who has a strong connection with the Sydney music scene through her work as a performer in Ensemble Offspring and personal artistic projects. The organisation was founded by Lamorna Nightingale and Elizabeth Jigalin in 2016 and has benefitted from the generous contributions of expertise and time by many artists along its journey, thank you to you all!

Lamorna Nightingale, Director
Photo by Rolling Media

Lamorna Nightingale, Artistic Director, is a freelance flautist, concert presenter, educator and publisher who is passionate about the future of art music in Australia. She has many years experience working in the orchestral sector and is a core member of the new music group, Ensemble Offspring. Lamorna Nightingale’s transformative contribution to new Australian music spans many recordings and performances, the presentation of unique concerts experiences, and multiple pedagogical volumes published via her company, Fluteworthy.

Damian Barbeler, Creative Producer, is a composer, media artist and director. While primarily music based, his work incorporates a variety of visual, sculptural and theatrical elements. He regularly directs and curates festivals and concert events and is passionate about connecting adventurous artists with audiences in approachable, playful and exploratory contexts. Barbeler lectures in digital music, composition and performance practice and Sydney Conservatorium and University of NSW. In 2020 Damian set up an online festival HiberNATION which aimed to carve out space for experimental music online. Its first season, which spanned 2020’s lockdown, was nominated for an APRA Award for Excellence in Experimental Music it also made the long-list for the German-based global Classical:NEXT Innovation Award.

Liam Mulligan, Production Assistant, is a composer, filmmaker, visual artist, curator and academic based in Sydney. Currently a Masters student at the Sydney Conservatorium of music, Liam’s creative work explores the potential of multi-sensory art through designing instruments, curating experiences, and building installations. Liam has been featured in events at the Sydney Conservatorium, City Recital Hall, Vivid, the hiberNATION Festival, and playlists curated by Making Waves. Liam has had a hand in multiple large-scale projects. He is co-founded new music collective Konzertprojekt and was project manager for the 2019 ‘Light Qualities’ mini-festival as part of Vivid Sydney. Liam has co-curated the completely-online hiberNATION Festival of the Lo-fi, alongside artists such as Damian Barbeler, Elizabeth Jigalin, Dahyo Lloyd, Maddy Briggs and Siân Lindsay.

Elias Wilson, Marketing & Production Assistant, is a Biripi man, audio describer, classical tenor and Aboriginal arts administrator, whose work occupies the intersection of old art forms and new audiences. As an Audio Describer, he has delivered live theatre & event audio description for Riverside Theatres, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, and Sydney WorldPride, and has also described visual art, with a focus on First Nations work, for the National Portrait Gallery Canberra, NGV Melbourne, State Library of Victoria, and galleries at UQ and UNSW. As a singer, Elias is a sought-after opera, oratorio and chamber performer, and has appeared with Pinchgut Opera, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, and Victorian Opera. Elias balances his creative practice with work for Backstage Music, and ACHAA, the NSW Aboriginal Culture, Heritage & Arts Association.

Philippa Horn, design and website support. With over 20 years experience within the arts, Philippa has demonstrated a strong commitment to the sector. Having worked with many companies including the International Society of Contemporary Music, Artology and Graeme Wood Foundation, New Music Network, Aurora Festival, Australian Music Centre, The Song Company, Salut! Baroque and Pinchgut Opera.