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Melbourne musician Dean Sky-Lucas has died after being diagnosed with advanced cancer.
A singer, accompanist and lecturer, 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 Saturday on Facebook.
They said that Sky-Lucas had been recovering in hospital 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 principal conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Melbourne musician Dean Sky-Lucas has died after being diagnosed with advanced cancer
A singer, accompanist and lecturer, Sky-Lucas was an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who performed with Orchestra Victoria, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
'He was a supremely gifted musician and collaborator who always brought depth and integrity to everything he did. He’ll be deeply missed by us all. Deepest sympathies 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 choir 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 Conservatorium of Music.
He performed the lead role in the opera of Handel's Orlando and Vivaldi Giustino.
Sky-Lucas was well-known to classical music lovers as a pianist in Australia and New Zealand after touring extensively with Ensemble Troika and the Kurrawong ensemble.
He also built a career across the Tasman in classical music circles, including lecturing at the University of Auckland between 2010-2015 and working on Radio NZ as an opera critic.
Sky-Lucas also performed with Voices New Zealand and Choirs Aoteoroa.
In Australia, the gifted artist lectured at University of Melbourne in the wind and opera department, the Melbourne Conservatorium and the Australian National Academy of Music.
He also worked as a vocal coach with 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 the harpsichord, organ, celeste, and piano, and was known to music followers after appearing in broadcasts via the BBC, ABC FM, Sunday Live and Radio National.
He was also a recording artist, having released a CD in 2005 of Italian Baroque music.
At the time of his passing, he was organist for the Newman College Chapel at the University of Melbourne.
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