Mark O’Leary OAM has worked with young choirs for more than 40 years and is highly regarded for his work with Young Voices of Melbourne, Exaudi youth choir and Gondwana Voices.

Mark founded Young Voices of Melbourne in 1990 following a Churchill Fellowship study tour of outstanding children’s choirs around the world. With YVM Mark has produced thirteen CD recordings, toured all states and territories of Australia and made eleven international tours to Europe, South Africa, North America, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Samoa and New Zealand. The choir has performed for major events such as the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, the ASEAN World Leaders Conference in Melbourne in 2024 as well as at popular events such as the National Folk Festival in Canberra, and Festival of Voices in Hobart. It regularly hosts visiting choirs from overseas and interstate, and has performed Mahler, Orff and Bernstein with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Exaudi youth choir became part of the YVM organization in 2013 and since then Mark has conducted the choir on tours to regional Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT, Northern Territory, Malaysia, Singapore, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Chile and Brazil as well as in many concerts in and around Melbourne.

Mark is also Principal Guest Conductor of Gondwana Voices, Australia’s national children’s choir. He has worked regularly with Gondwana Voices since its first season in 1997, attending 17 National Choral Schools, as well as making four CDs and five international tours to China, Taiwan, the USA and Europe. There are many great videos on Youtube of Mark’s work with Gondwana Voices.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX-qguXMcrrE

Mark has special interests in Kodaly teaching techniques, the development of excellence in children’s choirs and Australian choral music and has presented many workshops on choral music education throughout Australia. Mark publishes Australian choral music for young choirs in the Young Voices of Melbourne Choral Series and his arrangements are performed all around the world. Mark is the creator of the Sight Singing School books and website which has users in more than 55 countries, has three degrees from the University of Melbourne, is a Churchill Fellow, an Honorary Life Member of Kodaly Australia and was awarded an OAM for services to choral music in 2018.

Having retired as Director of YVM in 2024 Mark now runs a guesthouse in the Yarra Valley outside of Melbourne and continues to work as a guest conductor, presenter and teacher.