Welcome to Hightree House
Studio at Hightree
Conveniently located a 15-20 minute walk on the footpath to Maleny township & minutes to some of the most popular wedding venues, this 1930’s garage was renovated using mostly reclaimed & original materials in an effort to reduce our environmental impact. It has a bathroom, internet, tv, coffee & tea facilities.
November Nights
Eat Art presents November Nights.
Three concerts on the grounds at Hightree accompanied by culinary delights from local food producers and preparers.
Your Hosts
Fiona
&
Tobias
Fiona and Tobias renovated the studio in 2020 when they moved to Hightree House. They came to Maleny from Tamborine Mountain QLD and Hamilton NZ respectively via The Hague, Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai, and London. They are performing artists and keen renovators.
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Fiona, known professionally as Fiona Jopp has danced extensively in both Australia and internationally across many disciplines. She performed in Disney’s The Lion King for seasons in Sydney, Melbourne and Shanghai and the role of Anybodys in Pimlico Opera’s production of West Side Story in London.
As a contemporary dancer she has performed and toured with Michael Clark Company, Bonachela Dance Company, Emanuel Gat Dance, Javier de Frutos and Lucas Jervies and Sydney Dance Company under the direction of Rafael Bonachela.
Fiona has also staged works by Rafael Bonachela on Sydney Dance Company, George Mason University in Virginia USA, Sydney Dance Company’s Pre Professional Year and set a duet by Emanuel Gat on the Czech National Ballet.
Fiona has also appeared in Madonna’s Filth and Wisdom, Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina, Marc Forster’s World War Z, in PUMA advertising and in music videos for Calvin Harris, M.I.A and De Saint.
She created her first work, so much, doesn’t matter for Sydney Dance Company and Carriageworks’ New Breed 2015 season and has continued to pursue a choreographic career making short works and choreographic explorations independently.
Now based on the Sunshine Coast, Fiona is enjoying connecting and collaborating with local artists and makers. She has modeled and choreographed for David Bongiorno’s award winning Fowl Queen at the Australian Wearable Art Festival and collaborated with him to create In Process, a multi disciplinary performance event. She performed in Courtney Scheu and Itamar Freed’s Sand at the Horizon Festival and looks forward to future projects with Musical Theatre Australia and LJ Projects.
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Tobias Merz discovered his love of music in his native New Zealand as a boy soprano before moving to The Netherlands to study classical singing at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.His career has seen him performing in over 40 productions in some of the worlds best known Opera Houses across The UK, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
He has performed with English National Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera and Opera Australia. Roles include Goro in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Bastian in Mozarts Bastian und Bastinenne, Alfredo In Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Cyril in Gilbert and Sullivans Princess Ida, Leonard Meryll in Gilbert and Sullivans Yeoman of the Guard, Zotico in Cavalli’s Eliogabalo, Purcell’s King Arthur and Billy in Kurt Weil’s Mahagonny. He has performed numerous oratorio works and appeared with Amsterdam Symphony, Sydney Symphony and The Resident Orchestra of The Hague amongst others
Tobias has composed and performed in numerous scores for contemporary dance and film. Notably for Sydney Dance Company, Carriageworks, WAAPA and QUT.
Since moving to Maleny on the Sunshine Coast Tobias is thrilled to have performed with Opera Queensland and most recently the Bach B Minor Mass with Canticum Chamber Choir, Haydn’s Creation and Carmina Burana with Brisbane Chorale.
