Sophie Loades - President 

Sophie completed a Business Research Masters at QUT in 2018, researching the value co-created between performers, audiences and communities in the performing arts. Professionally Sophie has worked across the events & entertainment sector both across Australia and internationally as a director, manager, coordinator and performer as well as specialising in the delivery and management of community engagement programs. Sophie has worked as both an executive committee member and general committee member for various not for profits in the last few years. 

Sophie has performed with DeepBlue since 2006, and since 2011 has taken on managerial roles as well as directing community engagement and value co-creation activities. In these roles she has co-produced seven DeepBlue SummerSchools for young musicians aged 8-18; tour managed national and international tours (USA, India, Taiwan & Vietnam and across Australia in QLD, NSW, WA & SA); directed and managed DeepBlue at Your School events and co-produced the DeepBlue show “India Stories” which premiered at the Woodford Folk Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse.

From 2012- 2017 she worked for the Queensland University of Technology as an Events Manager for QUT’s large-scale public events, such as Robotronica and CreateX. Sophie also worked for QUT’s Student Engagement designing, developing, managing and facilitating a community engagement program called QMuso. Other positions at QUT have been with the Music and Creative Industries faculties as an events manager, Research Assistant, Auditions panelist and workshop facilitator. 

Paul O’Kane - Treasurer

Paul O'Kane is the Principal Director of a Legal Services company which provides services to media, entertainment, intellectual property, and general commercial matters.  He also plays musical instruments and plays a lot of football. He has held positions in Arts Queensland, on the boards of circuses, and a number of arts companies.

Greta Kelly - Secretary

Greta Kelly plays violin and shah kaman in DeepBlue a contemporary string ensemble and Mzaza, a sextet inspired by Mediterranean and Balkan traditions. After studying at The University of Queensland she lived in Prague for four years where she fell in love with Central and Eastern European music. Greta also studied shah kaman in Greece, Turkey and Iran.

Greta co-produced and performed in a number of large scale, multi-arts productions including Song to the Earth (premiering at Bleach* Festival / Commonwealth Games 2018), Our Place (premiering at Queensland Music Festival 2019) and The Birth and Death of Stars (premiering at Brisbane Festival 2020). Greta manages DeepBlue and Mzaza tours nationally and internationally and also delivers music workshops for migrants and refugees.

Anitah Kumar - Board Member

Zinia Chan - Board Member

Australian early-career artist, Zinia Chan’s diverse work as a composer, pianist, arts manager and educator is unified by her ability to immerse audiences of all backgrounds into a world of spellbinding interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Renowned for her cutting edge, community-minded approach, Chan’s extensive work in theatre, film and contemporary music has garnered her opportunities to work with the likes of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Commonwealth Games Federation, Mohworks Films, the Grainger Museum, and Science Gallery Melbourne. In 2013, she joined DeepBlue as their pianist and in 2016, welcomed the ensemble's invitation to join as a committee member on the Board.

Zinia Chan is a recipient of the Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC) and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (MCM) Composition Award, facilitating a commission for award-winning chamber ensemble, Syzygy Ensemble to be performed during MRC’s 2021 season. Chan was also awarded the 2020 Australian Music Centre MOMENTUM II Commission (funded by Cinque Arts Management) and in 2016 received the Sonic State Queensland Microfestival Commission (supported by Chris Perren, Luke Jaaniste, Metro Arts). She is the grateful recipient of COVID recovery funding from City of Melbourne (Oceanis Collective Commission, 2020).

Wayne Jennings - Board Member

Greg Olley - Board Member

Gregory Olley is a composer, violinist and music-technologist, working and performing in Brisbane and Melbourne. Gregory completed his Bachelor of Music Technology at the Queensland Conservatorium before going on to finish an honours year focussing on new musical instruments through pitch detection and sampling.

In addition to formal study Gregory has legato'd and staccato'd his way through various pop, classical, electronic and even death metal groups. He has performed original works at the Queensland Music Festival and Queensland Poetry Festival as well as iconic Brisbane venues such as the Tivoli and The Zoo. Gregory regularly performs violin with DeepBlue as well as with his own band; Strangely Enough.

Gregory has taken a leading role in several DeepBlue productions and has recently joined the DeepBlue board. Gregory has also continued to push the boundaries of music and technology with his work with AiMi; an AI music company based in Los Angeles. Gregory’s work here focuses on artist interaction with the AI platform."