Pianist

Collaborative pianist Penelope Cashman draws audiences into vivid worlds of song, the shared human experience of poets and composers across time and culture. Her performances have been compared to “a Turner painting . . . iridescent” (GlamAdelaide). Penelope’s recital credits include Ukaria Cultural Centre (South Australia), Het Bethaniënklooster (The Netherlands), and the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts (NZ). Her extensive repertoire ranges from Strauss and Puccini to Boulanger, Cawrse and Price.

2025 marked the establishment of Magpie Artsong, a recital series Penelope co-directs with tenor Kyle Stegall, showcasing the power of artsong to evoke emotions, spark imagination, and inspire human connection. The inaugural season included collaborations with Kyle Stegall, clarinettist Mitchell Berick, bass Pelham Andrews, mezzo soprano Fiona McArdle, and appearances in the Elder Lunchtime Series and at Chamber Music Adelaide’s On The Terrace.

Other significant collaborations include a recording of Glyn Lehmann’s chamber song cycle, As the Universe Expands, with oboist Celia Craig and bass Pelham Andrews. Following its premiere in Chamber Music Adelaide’s Perspectives Series, the work was recorded at Ukaria Cultural Centre.

Another of Penelope’s recent song projects, And the Earth Turns, explores our relationship to nature and the universe surrounding us through repertoire that spans nine centuries. Devised in collaboration with soprano Bethany Hill in 2023, this semi-staged performance of works in five languages includes spoken texts and follows the course of a day from sunrise through to a starlit night. Created in collaboration with director Alek Lev, the project was supported by Chamber Music Adelaide. “Movement, spoken and sung word, music… all combined to create a meditative theatrical force.” (GlamAdelaide).

Opera work has taken Penelope to the Pieve di San Leolino (Chianti, Italy), Theater Akzent (Vienna), and the Festival Theatre (Adelaide). As music director and pianist for Opera Queensland’s Moving Opera she performed for 22 schools and communities across Queensland. She has led chamber productions of The Old Maid and the Thief and Suor Angelica for Mopoke Theatre. Repetiteur credits include Così fan tutte and Madama Butterfly for State Opera South Australia.

A committed teaching artist, Penelope has presented masterclasses at the University of Waikato Conservatorium of Music (NZ) and served as faculty member for the State Opera of South Australia Opera Academy. She currently teaches lyric diction at the Elder Conservatorium of Music and is a guest lecturer in the voice performance class. In addition to a PhD, she holds degrees from the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien (Austria), the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and the Australian National University. She is twice alumna of the Franz Schubert Institut (Austria).

Photos: Kate Elmes, Jason Mildwaters