Jonathon Charles Welch AM (born 5 October 1958) is an Australian choral conductor, opera singer and voice teacher.
During 2006 Welch was invited to be the choirmaster for the Fremantle TV production known as The Choir of Hard Knocks comprising homeless and disadvantaged singers from Melbourne.
The TV producer was Jason Stephens[1][2] and the five-part documentary series was televised during mid-2007 on Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
In June 2009 on the Queen's Birthday, Welch was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia with the citation, "For service to the arts as an operatic performer and vocal coach, and to the community as the founder and musical director of the Choir of Hard Knocks".
Olive and Andrea sang and played the piano at home, while Kenneth enjoyed listening to opera and Gilbert and Sullivan.
[6] By 1980 Welch left his teaching course and became a member of the Victoria State Opera chorus as a tenor, making his professional debut in 1981.
I believe that's why I was put on this earth ... [the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir] in many ways were a catalyst for me, making a very big career change from just singing to go back to teaching and conducting.
Welch developed another choir, Voices from the Inside, for the November 2009 TV series, Jail Birds, with female inmates of HM Prison Tarrengower.
[20] In November 2009, Welch created the inaugural national Social Inclusion Week "to connect people, encourage participation and form communities".
The inaugural Australian cruise of the performing arts on the MS Radiance of the Seas in November 2014 included Welch as well as, among others, Cheryl Barker, David Hobson, Colin Lane, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Simon Tedeschi, Elaine Paige, and Marina Prior.
[7] On April 28, 2009, it was reported in The Age[28] that Jonathon Welch decided to break away from Reclink, the very organisation that created the Choir of Hard Knocks TV show.
"[16] The Sydney Morning Herald on November 1, 2012, stated that a “few choristers, upset at what they saw as an injustice, sought legal advice and even turned on Welch.”[1] In July 2021 Jonathan Welch filed documents in the Federal Court of Australia claiming that the stand-up comedy school, School of Hard Knock Knocks, has lost "Mr Welch potential business opportunities and income.
"[34] On September 21, 2021, Senior Member Anne O’Connell held a hearing in Jonathon Welch's absence asking him to provide written submissions explaining why he “should not be referred to the Legal Services Commissioner and the Attorney-General for making legal threats in the middle of tribunal proceeding” against Paulien George.
"[36] Jonathon Welch also withdrew his trademark application for 'Voices of Casey' saying that because of the "damaging media attention the Voices of Casey name and brand has now received, we are choosing to focus our energy where it should be, on the singers, and withdraw our trademark application as the goodwill it (the name) once had, has been irrevocably tarnished.”[30] At the beginning of 2024 Jonathon Welch took action for the second time in the Federal Court against "comedy training outfit the Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School and its founder Morry Morgan" alleging that Morgan did not honour an earlier deed of settlement and rebranding undertakings."
The case, however, was delayed due to Jonathon Welch's "long-standing" lawyer, Stuart Gibson, suddenly taking leave days before the mediation.
In June 2009 on the Queen's Birthday he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia with the citation, "For service to the arts as an operatic performer and vocal coach, and to the community as the founder and musical director of the Choir of Hard Knocks".