Team — Breaksea

Breaksea works across Western Australia championing regional artists and communities. We engage communities and emerging artists to work alongside world class singers, performers, composers, filmmakers, dancers and visual artists in celebration of creative expression and community cohesion.

Our Team

Matt was born and raised in regional Western Australia and went on to study at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Opera/ Music Theatre) and the Royal College of Music London (Master of Performance, RCM Yvonne Wells Award). Matt is an awarding-winning director and has recently been appointed Chair of Music Theatre at the UWA Conservatorium of Music.

Building on long standing relationships with First Nations artists, Matt directed the first opera sung entirely in the Noongar language, Koolbardi wer Wardong by Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse for West Australia Opera, followed-up by a state tour. In 2024 Matt directed Wundig wer Wilura also by Gina and Guy with West Australia Opera for Perth Festival. Currently with Gina & Guy, Matt is directing Aliwah Bardinar! a new children’s work performed using Noongar language, produced by Breaksea and AWESOME Festival.

Other collaborative cultural projects created side by side with Menang Noongar artists include By Other Eyes, Noongar Song Project, Thunderstorm and Caretaker all produced by Breaksea in Albany. Other directing credits include La Boheme for WAO and Opera Queensland (2025), Hansel & Gretel for WAO’s Opera in the Park for an audience of 12,000, Our Little Inventor (WAO for AWESOME Festival), Fairy Queen (Albany Entertainment Centre) and The Magical Weedy Seadragon (2023 AWESOME Festival/ 2024 state tour).

MaTT REUBEN JAMES Ward

Artistic Director & CEO

Pia, a performing Arts WA Award and Pinnacle Award-winning creative, is a music director, conductor and arranger with extensive international experience. As an opera singer, she trained at the Royal College of Music London (Aldama Scholar & Bliss Trust Award) and at the English National Opera and National Opera Studio. Pia has performed as a Principal artist with Opera Holland Park, New York Lyric Opera, and West Australian Opera, notably as Gretel in Hansel & Gretel at Opera in the Park for an audience of 12,000.

As Director of Music at Breaksea, she has arranged, music directed and conducted numerous large-scale projects, including the award-winning children’s show Aliwah Bardinar! at Albany Entertainment Centre and Heath Ledger Theatre. This year, Pia was nominated for Outstanding Musical Direction and Conducting at the Performing Arts WA awards for Aliwah Bardinar!

Pia graduated from Perth Symphony Orchestra WOTP Conducting Programme and her UWACS Scholarship in 2025. Over the past few years, Pia has assisted Chris van Tuinen on multiple productions, Dane Lam on WAO Carmen, was off stage conductor on WAO Otello, conducted WAO Opera in Kalgoorlie and music directed two choral projects for West Australian Opera in Cockburn and Gosnells.

Pia has also music directed and conducted City of Joondalup Community Choral Projects and is the Choral Director of Joondalup Symphony Orchestra Chorus with over 100 participants. JSO is in high demand with engagements including Symphony under the Stars and WA Day Celebrations.

Pia Harris

Director of Music, Marketing & Mentorship

Australian/American soprano Rachelle Durkin has performed regularly with Opera Australia. She is a five-time Helpmann Award nominee and a winner of the Herald Sun Aria, Marianne Mathy Scholarship and Metropolitan Opera Award.

RACHELLE DURKIN

Artist Patron

Rachael Colmer First Nations Artist / Cultural Consultant
Milu Green Artist / Community Engagement
Jonathan Brain Director of Composition
Jarrad Inman First Nations Artist
Bonnie Staude Artist / Social Media Coordinator
Tammy London Ensemble Vocal Director
Jessica Ruggera Ensemble Movement Director