Mentors
Our team combines diverse musical experience and perspectives, inspiring communities through the shared joy of music.
Helen Kruger
Helen is an international violinist, program designer and director with a passion for artistic excellence and community connection. Helen brings strong leadership, creative vision and extensive project experience throughout Europe to her work, championing experiences that celebrate local talent both in schools and in the wider community. Helen has delivered programs in Narrogin, Karratha, Margaret River, Shark Bay, Moora and Perth, working with thousands of young musicians and community members.
Director
Brian Kruger
Brian Kruger is composer and arranger for the Sounds of Esperance Community Music Project and Festival, and a core team mentor. A film composer, producer, conductor and multi‑instrumentalist, he has toured with Australian Baroque, directed Ballet by Candlelight and Perth Symphony regional tours, and delivers rap and education workshops across WA. He is widely respected as a performer and educator..
Composer, arranger & violinist
Conductor and Vocal Coach Pia Harris
Pia Harris is conductor of the Sounds of Esperance Festival and vocal coach for the Community Music Project. A Performing Arts WA award winner, she is a Perth‑based music director, conductor, arranger and soprano trained at the Royal College of Music, English National Opera and the National Opera Studio. Pia has performed internationally and works regularly with West Australian Opera while leading major regional choral projects.
Singer songwriter, composer and arrangerFelicity Groom
Felicity Groom is a West Australian post‑pop musician and composer known for her ethereal voice and layered, electronic‑infused sound. A WAM Award nominee for Best Female Vocalist, she has released multiple acclaimed albums and collaborated across film, theatre and the arts. Her work blends emotional depth with imaginative, future‑focused themes, establishing her as a distinctive creative voice.
Emma Jayakumar
Emma Jayakumar is an Australian composer of opera, ballet and chamber music known for creating engaging, accessible works for diverse audiences. Her commissions include Our Little Inventor for West Australian Opera, The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie for West Australian Ballet, and Swim With Me for Perth Symphony Orchestra. She is a Performing Arts WA award winner and holds a PhD in composition from WAAPA.
Singer, Composer and Vocal Coach 
Mary-Anne Goyder
Mary‑Anne Goyder is an award‑winning music educator, conductor and adjudicator with extensive experience across primary and secondary education. A recipient of the National Award for Excellence in School Music Education and the 2019 Women of Achievement Award, she has served as President and Music Director of the Massed Choir Festival since 2000 and as conductor since 2009.
Massed Choir Festival