Beloved Melbourne musician dies after cancer diagnosis
Melbourne musician Dean Sky-Lucas has died after being diagnosed with late-stage cancer.
As a singer, accompanist and teacher, Sky-Lucas was an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who performed with Orchestra Victoria, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
A family member announced the sad news on Facebook on Saturday.
They said Sky-Lucas was in the hospital recovering from a recent surgery when doctors discovered he had advanced cancer.
Friends and music followers were quick to share tributes to the beloved musician.
“Dean Sky-Lucas is such a loss to our Australian music community,” said Benjamin Northey, the chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Melbourne musician Dean Sky-Lucas has died after being diagnosed with late-stage cancer
As a singer, accompanist and teacher, Sky-Lucas was an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who performed with Orchestra Victoria, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
“He was an extremely gifted musician and collaborator who always brought depth and integrity to everything he did. He will be greatly missed by all of us. Deepest condolences to his family and friends.’
The Australian Children’s Choir also posted a tribute to Sky-Lucas via Facebook.
“He brought incredible warmth and joy to our young Melody choristers, often using funny puppets, props and engaging stories to inspire and educate,” the company wrote.
Sky-Lucas began his illustrious career after graduating from the University of Newcastle’s Conservatorium of Music.
He played the leading role in Handel’s opera Orlando and Vivaldi Giustino.
Sky-Lucas became known to classical music enthusiasts as a pianist in Australia and New Zealand after touring extensively with Ensemble Troika and the Kurrawong ensemble.
He also built a career on the Tasman in classical music circles, including as a lecturer at the University of Auckland between 2010 and 2015 and as an opera critic at Radio NZ.
Sky-Lucas has also performed with Voices New Zealand and Choirs Aoteoroa.
In Australia, the gifted artist taught at the University of Melbourne in the wind and opera department, the Melbourne Conservatory and the Australian National Academy of Music.
He also worked as a singing coach at the Victorian Opera and later studied speech pathology at La Trobe University.
He conducted the Melody Choir and accompanied the Senior Choir of the Australian Children’s Choir.
A highly skilled multi-instrumentalist, Sky-Lucas played harpsichord, organ, celeste and piano, and was well known to music followers having appeared on broadcasts across the BBC, ABC FM, Sunday Live and Radio National.
He was also an artist and released a CD of Italian Baroque music in 2005.
At the time of his death he was organist at the Newman College Chapel of the University of Melbourne.