Meet The Divas
Helen Koehne
Helen Koehne got involved in musical theatre while at university, when she performed her first leading roles: Cosette in Les Miserables and Florinda in Into the Woods.
After graduating, she was a founding member of the Victorian Opera chorus under Richard Gill, and sang with the company for six years.
She has performed with Melbourne Opera in Tosca, Marriage of Figaro, I Puritani, Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci, and with More than Opera and Citiopera. Most recently, she performed in GBD Productions' tour of L'Elisir d'Amore, as Adina.
Her opera roles include Adina (L'Elisir d’Amore), Gilda (Rigoletto), Fiordiligi (Cosi fan Tutte), Lucy (The Telephone), the Countess (Le Nozze de Figaro), Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica), Yum Yum (The Mikado), Mabel (Pirates of Penzance) and Antonia (Tales of Hoffmann).
Non-opera highlights include singing with the Rolling Stones in their 2014 Melbourne performance.
Jessica Joan Graham
Jessica's experiences in the performing arts are many and varied, discovering a love of music and singing at a very young age, and having that love fostered through school musicals, choirs, and jazz bands. She studied a variety of musical instruments during her school years, with her years as a cornet player in Hamilton Brass helping hone her ear for harmony and counterpoint.
Jessica completed the Bachelor of Performing Arts at Monash University, specialising in Drama and Theatre Studies, before training as a Drama & English teacher at the University of Melbourne. She directed many plays and musicals in Melbourne schools, whilst maintaining her skills as a performer through appearances on television, in the Melbourne Comedy and Fringe Festivals, and with Impro Melbourne. Jessica and Zoe first met performing together in Choir Girl by Sarah Collins, produced by Attic Erratic.
After freelancing with a handful of Melbourne choirs, she formed her first a cappella ensemble in 2011, The Poppies, which led her into the world of a cappella arrangement. Her arrangements have won awards globally and have helped ensembles rise to fame on the world's stage. She is also founder and musical director of the award-winning youth a cappella choir, The Buds, and the popular Christmas quartet, The Christmas Belles. She also performed with Bobby & The Pins in 2014, serving as Musical Director for their cabaret and Fringe Festival show, Glamping. After her singing teacher introduced her to the world of classical music a few years ago, Jessica was inspired to create Aria Cappella, and discover what could be done with three or four operatic divas, but without the orchestra. Jessica appeared in her first opera this year, in GBD Productions' L’Elisir D’Amore with two fellow members of Aria Cappella.
Lara Vocisano
Lara is a versatile performer and three time WAAPA Graduate, holding a Cert II in Music Theatre, and an Adv Dip Mus and BMus, both in Classical Voice. She has appeared in operas, musicals, plays, short film, TVC, and cabaret; her most recent performances were as an ensemble member in GBD Productions' L’Elisir D’Amore, as Elle in BK Opera's La Voix Humaine, and as Ariel in Melbourne Shakespeare Company's The Tempest. Lara was also a competitive ballroom dancer, and is fluent in Italian and French. She is loving the challenge of singing with Aria Cappella.
Zoe Dove
Zoe has been singing all her life in school choirs, local musical theatre and independent productions, and at university. Graduating from Monash Uni in 2014 with a Bachelor of Performing Arts, Zoe has also trained in voice since 2006.
Zoe’s passion for music started young with the lullabies her mother would sing to her, and the musicals she was brought to see, and she has been involved in the arts ever since. Although a recent opera convert, Zoe has always possessed a classical vocal tone and is thrilled to finally be able to “let it rip” with such talented ladies.
Choral performance credits include Monash Uni Choral Society (MonUCS), Choir Girl, Aesop’s Fables, Henry, and In Your Dreams.