About us

Bel a cappella is a chamber choir of 25-30 experienced singers who are dedicated to the performance of diverse, high quality choral music in fine venues around Sydney.

Established in 1995 by a few members of Sydney University Musical Society who were looking for the challenges of singing in a smaller group, Bel a cappella continues to attract able singers who are keen to explore the more demanding repertoire to the highest possible standard.

Bel a cappella normally presents three concerts each year, providing a mix of well-loved choral works with lesser known pieces of merit and appeal.  Although we specialise in a cappella repertoire, we regularly perform with piano, organ or small ensembles to offer a variety of musical experiences for our growing audiences.

Bel a cappella also participates in significant choral events, including the 2008 Sydney A Cappella Festival and the 2009 Blackheath Choir Festival. This year Bel a cappella has been selected to perform at Choralfest, the biennial national conference of the Australian National Choral Association, in Port Macquarie in July.

In 2009, Bel a cappella achieved first place in both the Chamber Choir and Sacred Choral Awards in the Sydney Eisteddfod.

Click here for major works performed and Musical Director history.

   Musical Director - Anthony Pasquill

About to embark on a professional life embracing the roles of conductor and educator, Anthony has already enjoyed a distinguished career at his relatively youthful age.

Born in 1984 in Royal Leamington Spa, Anthony began his musical training in the choir of Lichfield Cathedral where he was head chorister under the guidance of Andrew Lumsden. During this time he gave concerts at Les Soeurs de l’Assomption; a concert and Eucharist in Cologne Cathedral and also a full choir recital in Frankfurt Cathedral, Germany. As a chorister he has also appeared with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Michael George and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at Coventry Cathedral, as well as Midnight Mass in 1995, both of which were televised by the BBC.  

Educated at Shrewsbury School (UK), he gained his Diploma in clarinet performance a year before his A-levels and made his conducting debut at St John Smiths’ Square, London before obtaining a place at Leeds University to study clarinet performance in 2003. There he received his Bachelor of Music (Performance) in 2007 after completing a year at the University of North Texas, studying composition, contemporary clarinet performance with Dr Elizabeth McNutt and conducting with Clay Couturiaux.

During his studies at Leeds, Anthony was appointed conductor of the Leeds University Union Music Society (LUUMS) Chamber Orchestra and assistant of the LUUMS Symphony Orchestra. He was also involved with LS2 (School of Music Contemporary Music Ensemble (2007), the University of Leeds Philharmonia (2006-7) and the University Liturgical Choir.

Since moving to Australia, he has worked with the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra and has performed with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Symphony Orchestra. In 2009 he assisted in the preparation of the surrealist two act opéra bouffe Les mamelles de Tirésias by Francis Poulenc and in 2010, Benjamin Britten’s comic opera Albert Herring at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he is studying for his MMus in conducting with Maestro Imre Palló.

Anthony was appointed Assistant Chorus Master of Willoughby Symphony Choir at the start of 2009 and completed his year with the choir preparing Bruckner’s Mass in E Minor and Dvorak’s Spectre’s Bride. Earlier in 2011 he worked alongside players from the newly formed Marrickville Symphony Orchestra, conducting a performance of Haydnʼs Creation with the Macquarie University Singers. He is also engaged as Choral Director at St Stephenʼs Uniting Church where he has worked since early 2010.

He is currently Musical Director of Sydney based chamber choir Bel a cappella who have sung concerts around Sydney since his appointment in 2008. At the end of 2010 Bel gave a performance of Britten’s A Boy Was Born and Arvo Pärt’s Berliner and recently the Howells Requiem. 2011 has also seen the choir perform alongside the Marrickville Symphony Orchestra performing works by Wagner, Beethoven and Cherubini.

He is currently involved with the Symphony Australia Core Conductors program which is designed for musicians aspiring to a career conducting around the world and has already spent time working with the Auckland Philharmonia with Chief Conductor Eckehard Stier and recently Christopher Seaman as well as a week in Melbourne with Sebastian Lang-Lessing. 

2012 will see him work alongside the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs as their assistant chorus-master, during which he will be preparing the choirs for concerts with many international conductors at the Sydney Opera House including Poulenc ‘Gloria’ with David Zinman and Tchaikovsky ‘Pique Dame’ with Vladimir Ashkenazy.