The Winston Churchill Trust has today announced the recipients of the 2024 Churchill Fellowships.

Sarah Penicka-Smith with River City Voices. Photo supplied.

Sarah Penicka-Smith has been named of this year’s recipients. With the Fellowship, the Western Sydney conductor will “research socially-engaged orchestral and operatic models in order to run projects in Australia”.

Across her career, Penicka-Smith has been consistently dedicated to the promotion of marginalised voices in the world of classical and choral music. She currently serves as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of River City Voices, a community-centred choir that presents classical and contemporary choral music designed with the spirit of the Western Sydney community in mind. She was also named the first Associate Conductor of Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, and was the longest-serving Music Director of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir.

Sam Whiting has also been named a Fellow. An advocate for live music as hub of community and a platform for local and emerging artists, Whiting’s Fellowship will take him to the UK to learn from the UK Music Venue Trust’s support of local venues and music.

Arts journalist and creative director Bec Mac is another...