Meet the Team

Executive Director
JASON SIMMONDS

​​Jason is the founder and Executive Director of Melbourne Contemporary Choir and makes every session enjoyable and engaging. His vision for the choir has seen its growth from 15 members to 100+ singers all across Melbourne.

Jason has performed at local concerts, and events in and across Melbourne as a backing singer, sessional singer, soloist and ensemble singer. Jason holds a teaching degree with The University of Melbourne and has taught classroom music at secondary level.

Jason has a keen interest in working with singers of differing abilities, helping them to develop a consistent singing technique, solid understanding of their instrument and good ensemble performance skills. Jason has also co-written the original songs that the choir records and performs.

MCGOSPEL Lead
​GRANT HARDISTY

Whilst completing his first degree, Grant joined the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic choir, performing at many of Melbourne’s iconic venues such as The Town Hall, Etihad Stadium and Hamer Hall with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. This brought about some amazing backing-vocal job opportunities, being given the chance to sing with Josh Groban, Jimmy Barnes, John Farnham and many others.

After studying classically, Grant went on to complete a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Vocals at the Australian Institute of Music.

MCYOUTH Lead
ALINTA BURNELL

​Alinta Burnell is a graduate of Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts. She has been on stage since the age of five, covering varied facets of performance, including musical theatre, acting, corporate entertainment and cabaret.

Alinta also has experience as a session singer and solo recording artist and has toured extensively throughout Australia and Asia in Abbaration and cabaret acts.

​She has performed as a featured soloist at the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols. Alinta performs regularly with the Baker Boys Band and Penny Lane.

MCCHOIR Lead - Kew
AMY HORNEMAN

Amy Horneman is an accomplished​ jazz, A cappella singer and seasoned sessional singer.

Amy has loved singing since she can remember, and discovered a passion for small ensemble a cappella singing in her late teens.

​She has trained under some of the finest jazz vocalists in the UK and in Australia and performs as a solo artist around Australia. She also combines the worlds of jazz and A cappella in her quartet "On Church Street".