Our Musical Director
Josh Salter was born in Port Macquarie, and his involvement with the Hastings Choristers spans decades, having first sung with the group at age 11, under the baton of the choir’s founder, Robyn Ryan OAM.
He studied in Sydney and Newcastle, being awarded a Bachelor of Music and Grad.DipEd.
After his tertiary studies, he worked in Sydney as a vocal teacher and freelance opera singer.
Josh taught voice and conducted vocal ensembles at St Andrews’s Cathedral School for 8 years, before moving to Germany.
While he was in Berlin, Josh sang as a guest in the Chorus of both the Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Berlin State Opera) and the Deutsche Oper, singing under the baton of such conductors as Christian Thielemann and Sir Donald Runnicles.
He also worked with the Staatsoper Hannover and Anhaltisches Theater in Dessau.
As a soloist he sang the role of Papageno/ DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for the Andreaskirche Kinderchor in Wannsee, and in 2022 sang the role of Mydas/ DIE SCHÖNE GALATHÉE for the Choriner Opernsommer Eberswalde.
In 2021 he debuted as Belcore / L’ELISIR D’AMORE (Der Liebestrank) with the Oper Oder Spree Festival in Brandenburg.
Josh’s singing students have been nominated for ENCORE, worked at a professional level with Opera Australia, and gone on to study at tertiary level in both Australia and abroad.
Josh is excited to return to lead the choir which originally provided him with a foundational love of singing and so will ensure the continued provision of high quality choral music to the community.
