CONDUCTOR AJ America is making an impact on Canberra’s music life, with her fans calling her “a busy bee”. 

She took over from pianist Alan Hicks in July this year to lead the Canberra Community Chorale and she’s about to direct the Canberra premiere of Bob Chilcott’s contemporary work “Requiem” in the Wesley Uniting Church in a concert called “Secrets of the Heart” featuring tenor Dan Walker and soprano Veronica Milroy and an instrumental ensemble.

Then on Sunday she’ll be performing at Kangara Waters in “When Music Sounds”, where she’ll joined by members of the Luminescence Chamber Singers in vocal solos, duets, trios and quartets by Berg, Bach, Handel, and Mendelssohn as well as contemporary Australian composer Dan Walker and Swedish ensemble Kraja.

America is one of the talented musicians who have been making an impact on the music life of Canberra, and so is Lucus Allerton, who is also a member of Luminescence and the pianist for the Chorale. For Friday’s concert at Wesley, Allerton will be conducting a contemporary work by Petr Eben, “Zauberspruch den Liebsten zu Beschworen”.

“Secrets of the Heart”, Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, 7.30pm, Friday November 24. Bookings to trybooking.com/SJVT or at the door.

Kangara Concert Series final, “When Music Sounds”, Cooinda Community Hall,  Kangara Waters, 2 Joy Cummings Place Belconnen, 2pm, Sunday, November 26. Tickets at the door include afternoon tea.