UA31316 Lumen Spring 2024 Final Digital - Flipbook - Page 34
World
The University’s family of tens
of thousands of alumni is
scattered far and wide across
the globe – each making an
impact in their own way.
For this special creativity issue
of Lumen, we asked three of
them to share where their
extraordinary talents have
taken them in the world.
News
In a 2023 career highlight, his
composition, Spiral, and its accompanying
video, won two awards at the 49th Annual
Pacific-Southwest Emmy Awards in the
categories of “Arts and Entertainment”
and “Director – Short Form Content”.
He’s also performed in a range of shows
in Las Vegas – Phantom of the Opera, Lion
King and Wicked – and for Cirque du Soleil.
Alex still loves being a musician, relishing
the sense of community that comes from
performing with friends and colleagues and
the joy of sharing music with an audience…
all things he missed during the pandemic.
“I still remember my first gig back once
things reopened. It was such a joy to play
music for an audience! It helped me
appreciate how fortunate I am to do what
I do. Getting to play music for a living is
truly a privilege.”
B Mus, 2000
Current position: Musician, composer, teacher
Current employers: University of Nevada,
Las Vegas; Cirque du Soleil
Michelle Carey, Netherlands
Alex Stopa, Las Vegas
Percussionist Alex Stopa always loved
music and by the age of 15 he couldn’t
imagine doing anything else, so when he
finished school, he headed to the
Elder Conservatorium of Music.
Alex says he was fortunate to study
with one of Australia’s greatest percussion
educators, Jim Bailey, who emphasised the
importance of the strong work ethic Alex
still possesses.
“Of course, you need to be able to play
your instrument, but the importance of
showing up on time (early), being prepared,
and being a nice person can’t be
understated,” says Alex.
After graduating, and with encouragement
from Jim, Alex moved to the US and hasn’t
looked back. He’s played with music legends
including Aretha Franklin, The Who, Idina
Menzel, and Placido Domingo.
No one in Michelle Carey’s family had ever
gone to university before, but she had a
sense that it was going to unlock a door to
something “magical and mind-blowing”,
and she hasn’t been disappointed.
“I HAVE SUCH AMAZING
MEMORIES OF ADELAIDE
UNI AND THAT ERA OF
DISCOVERY. GOING TO
UNIVERSITY COINCIDED
WITH A TIME OF GREAT
CULTURAL AND
INTELLECTUAL DISCOVERY
FOR ME, SO IT’S WRAPPED
UP WITH A LOT OF FUN
MEMORIES.”
Although it wasn’t the focus of her
studies, Michelle has spent her career
working in film as a programmer, curator,
and creative producer. She was Artistic
Director of the Melbourne International
34
Film Festival (MIFF) for many years and,
since relocating to Europe, has worked with
Cannes, Rotterdam, Berlin and New York
Film Festivals, selecting films for the
program and doing Q&As with filmmakers.
Michelle is the proud recipient of a
Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters
from the government of France for her role
with MIFF. During an introductory speech
at the ceremony, MIFF Patron Geoffrey
Rush said Michelle had “an encyclopaedic
knowledge and passion for global and
local filmmaking”.
What does Michelle love most about the
work she does? “Apart from the films, which
still make me giddy when they are good,
it’s the sense of community. It’s precarious
work and expensive to make films and fund
the infrastructure around it, so everyone
working in the field bands together to make
it work. It’s like alchemy.”
BA (Hons), 1999
Current position: Programmer
Current employer: International Film Festival,
Rotterdam
