Jonathon Welch

Jonathon Welch
Born	(1958-10-05) October 5, 1958 Melbourne, Australia
Occupation(s)	Choral conductor, opera vocalist, voice teacher
Years active	1980–present
Known for	Founder and musical director of the Choir of Hard Knocks

Jonathon Charles Welch (born 5 October 1958) is an Australian choral conductor, opera vocalist, and voice teacher. His career as a tenor includes performances with the Victoria State Opera, Lyric Opera of Queensland, and Opera Australia.

In 2006, Welch took on the role of choirmaster for Fremantle’s television series, The Choir of Hard Knocks, which featured singers experiencing homelessness and social disadvantage in Melbourne. Produced by Jason Stephens, this five-episode documentary was broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2007, receiving widespread public praise.

Welch was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia in June 2009 in recognition of his work as an opera singer, vocal instructor, and founder/director of the Choir of Hard Knocks. That same year, he released his autobiography, Choir Man, recounting his professional journey and community engagement.

Biography

Raised in Ripponlea, a suburb of Melbourne, Welch’s father Kenneth Welch was an engineer from Sydney with English roots, while his mother Olive Margaret Hando came from a rural Victorian farming background and later worked as a legal secretary after moving to Melbourne. He has two elder siblings, Andrea and Glenn, and an adopted younger sister named Elizabeth. Welch attended Ripponlea Primary School and began working at age eight selling newspapers. His early musical development included family musical activities and piano lessons starting in 1966.

As a boy soprano, he sang at St Margaret's Presbyterian Church. Following his parents’ separation in 1969, he completed secondary education at Melbourne High School and subsequently enrolled in a teaching program at Melbourne State College, later part of the University of Melbourne.

By 1980, Welch transitioned from teaching to join the chorus of the Victoria State Opera as a tenor, making his professional debut in 1981. At age 23, he lost his mother to lung cancer. He appeared in Victoria State Opera’s inaugural staging of The Pirates of Penzance in 1983 and then spent four years (1984–88) as principal tenor with the Lyric Opera of Queensland while studying at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. In 1988, he became part of Opera Australia, performing alongside renowned soprano Joan Sutherland at the Sydney Opera House. By 1994, he co-established Tenor Australis with Gerry Sword. In 1997, Welch assumed the role of musical director for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir.

During a visit to Canada in 1999, Welch discovered Montreal’s Homeless Men’s Choir, which inspired him to create the Sydney Street Choir in 2001—a choir composed of homeless individuals for a television project. He also directed other ensembles including Geelong Pop Choir, Pop Kidz, Australian Pop Choir, and Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus. In 2003, Welch described music as a driving force behind his transition from performer to educator and community choir conductor.

Welch became choirmaster for the Choir of Hard Knocks in 2006, supported by non-profit RecLink. The choir’s creation was chronicled in a five-part ABC TV series aired in 2007. That year also saw the release of his solo album With a Song in My Heart on ABC Records.

Between June and August 2008, Welch served as a judge on the television talent competition Battle of the Choirs. He parted ways with RecLink in 2009; subsequently, The Choir of Hard Knocks was succeeded by Choir of Hope and Inspiration. That year he launched THECHO!R community initiative and developed Voices from the Inside for incarcerated women featured on the TV series Jail Birds.

In November 2009, Welch founded Australia’s national Social Inclusion Week aimed at enhancing community engagement and inclusion. He also acted as music director for the KwaYa Uganda project during 2012 and 2013.

The documentary Beyond Hard Knocks (2013) followed original members of the Choir of Hard Knocks alongside Welch’s ongoing work; it was broadcast on GEM TV in 2014.

In November 2014, Welch took part in Australia’s first performing arts cruise aboard , sharing the stage with prominent artists such as Cheryl Barker and Elaine Paige.

Welch established several projects:

• Melbourne Festival of Choirs (2010–2012), which transitioned into the annual Melbourne International Singers Festival starting in 2013
• Sing For a Cure cancer benefit concerts initiated in 2011
• School of Hard Knocks (now Upbeat Arts), launched September 2012
• Only Women Aloud ensemble formed September 2012
• Melbourne Eisteddfod inaugurated in 2013
• Brisbane International Singers Festival commenced in 2016
• Play It Forward, delivering inclusive arts programming since September 2018

After directing Choir of Hard Knocks artistically for thirteen years, Welch stepped down in December 2018; Danielle Matthews and Adam Przewlocki succeeded him. He continues to serve as Patron of the choir.

In 2020, Welch appeared as a contestant on The Voice, joining Boy George’s team before being eliminated during the battle round.

Relationships and family

Welch is openly gay and has served as the leader of both the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir and the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus. In late December 2000, during a working holiday performing on the cruise ship Regal Princess, he met Matt, an electrical engineer from Orion, Illinois, who would become his domestic partner. By September 2007, the couple had been together for six and a half years and were residing in Yarraville.

Controversies

On April 28, 2009, it was reported by The Age that Jonathon Welch separated from Reclink, the organization responsible for the Choir of Hard Knocks television series. This division led to legal proceedings, threats, expulsions of choir members, and public disagreements between Welch and Reclink. Tess Lawrence, representing the suspended choir members, described their removal as "devastating." The Sydney Morning Herald noted in 2012 that some choir participants sought legal counsel and expressed opposition to Welch.

In July 2021, Welch filed documents in Federal Court alleging that the School of Hard Knock Knocks comedy school infringed upon his intellectual property rights and caused him to lose business opportunities. The defendant responded by claiming Welch’s school violated Fremantle Media's trademark associated with the Choir of Hard Knocks. The matter was ultimately resolved through an out-of-court settlement.

In September 2021, Paulien George from Voices of Casey contested Welch’s registration of the choir name with ASIC at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). During these proceedings, it emerged that Welch’s Play It Forward musical education company was not a registered charity despite earlier assertions. Welch subsequently issued an apology for this misunderstanding.

On September 21, 2021, Senior Member Anne O’Connell conducted a hearing in Welch’s absence concerning his legal threats made during tribunal actions against George. On October 8, 2021, the AAT decided that Welch's Play It Forward enterprise could no longer utilize the Voices of Casey Choir name. Following this decision, Welch withdrew his trademark application for 'Voices of Casey', citing adverse media coverage and damage to goodwill.

In early 2024, Welch initiated another Federal Court lawsuit against Morry Morgan, founder of Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School, alleging violations of a prior settlement and rebranding agreement. The case experienced delays due to Welch’s attorney unexpectedly taking leave ahead of mediation.

Awards and accolades

In 1999, Welch achieved victory at the Australasian Choral Championships held during the City of Sydney Eisteddfod. The South Sydney Council acknowledged his contributions with a community services award in 2002. He was honored with the Australian Local Hero Award in 2008—part of the Australian of the Year awards—for his work with The Choir of Hard Knocks. The National Australia Day Council emphasized his influence in demonstrating how singing can help restore lives impacted by hardship. Additionally, in 2008, Griffith University bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate.

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards celebrated accomplishments in live performance from 1975 until 2016. Jonathon Welch received the John Campbell Fellowship Award in 2006. |- | 2006 | Jonathon Welch | John Campbell Fellowship Award | |-

Honours

In the Queen's Birthday honors of June 2009, Welch was recognized as a Member of the Order of Australia in acknowledgment of his contributions to the arts through his work as an operatic singer and vocal instructor, as well as for founding and serving as the musical director of the Choir of Hard Knocks.

External links

• Official website
• The Choir of Hard Knocks
• Melbourne International Singers Festival
• Play It Forward
• Upbeat Arts (formerly School of Hard Knocks)
• Social Inclusion Week
• THECHO!R