Heads of Vocal Studies

Janette Kearns, BMusAdel DSCM LMusA

Janette Kearns began her performing career touring with the SSO at the age of 16 as a solo pianist. She then worked regularly as an accompanist and singer with the ABC and taught with the NSW Education Department. After this, Janette went to England and to London playing with D’Oyly Carte and E.N.O. Returning to Australia as cabaret artist, she joined the Adelaide Singers and then became head of a specialist music centre in South Australia. After four years in Adelaide, she made Melbourne her base and has worked here as a performer and teacher. She has performed as a soloist with various opera companies and orchestras as well as repetiteur with the Australian Ballet and the VSO, and an actor for film and television. Janette worked during this period as a musical therapist and has always maintained a studio of students. She has been a teacher at the Melba Conservatorium since 1992 and is presently the Associate Head of Vocal Studies.

Janette Kearns

Barbara Sambell, BAMonash TSTC

Soprano Barbara Sambell was born in Melbourne and began her career with the Victorian Opera Company as it was then called, touring with the School’s Opera through Metropolitan and country Victoria. After winning the reserve award of the Sun Aria, she travelled to England for further study. On returning, she resumed working with the opera company as well as pursuing concert and recital work with the ABC and other organizations. Her operatic roles include Mozart’s Fiordiligi, Pamina, Sandrina, Marcellina, and second lady in Magic Flute, Mimi, Nedda and Mistress Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor. With the contemporary opera company Chamber Made, Barbara has appeared in Fall of the House of Usher, Greek, Sweet Death, Wide Sargasso Sea, Dr Forbes Will See You Now, Matricide the Musical and Teorema. Barbara toured Australia with the Broadway production of Pirates of Penzance, several times singing the role of Ruth. For the Australian Ballet she sang and danced in the Melbourne and Sydney seasons of Gaiete Parisienne. Barbara’s voice was used in the Melbourne Theatre Company productions of Pericles and Amadeus and she recorded the vocals for the just released film The Man Who Sued God starring Billy Connolly and Judy Davis. Barbara has maintained a busy teaching practice along with her performing career. She is currently Associate Head of Voice at the Melba Conservatorium.

Susan Breen Clarke, BMusVicMelbaCon DipOpera&StagecraftVCA AMusA
Susan Breen Clarke (B.mus/melba/Vic.Uni. Dip. Opera and stagecraft Victorian College of Arts. A mus A. piano)
Susan is a graduate of the Melba Conservatorium, and the Victorian College of the Arts Opera School. After completing eight years of tertiary studies, during which time Susan also obtained her A.MUS.A in Piano, Susan studied in London with Professor Paul Hamburger, specialising in Lieder, Art song, and Mozart Operatic repertoire. On returning to Australia, Susan was appointed Musical Director/Performer to the prestigious Adelaide Festival (1984). This led to Susan being appointed Musical Director of Opera Melbourne, during which time Susan directed as well as performed in several cameo operas.
Currently she is teaching at the Melba Conservatorium and is in demand as a specialist teacher particularly of operatic repertoire. Several of her students have gone on to considerable success including obtaining prestigious international scholarships and being accepted into various opera companies both in Australia and also in the United Kingdom. Susan is also teaching and lecturing at the Australian Catholic University and Melbounre University.
The philosophy Susan strongly believes in is one of developing the complete performer, a singer who has not only obtained a secure technical knowledge, but a musician who has been able to bring intellectual understanding, dramatisation of text, and perhaps the most important of all, the confidence and ability to communicate all of these aspects to the listener/ audience. Susan is highly sought after as an examiner at tertiary level, both locally and in country centres as well as interstate.
Susan is also in demand as a vocal adjudicator, the highlight being invited to adjudicate at the Royal South Street Competitions in Ballarat in 2001. Susan is also still performing giving several concerts throughout the year as an accomplished recital artist.

Ruth Guthrie, BMusVicMelbaCon LMusA
Ruth Guthrie is a member of the Victorian Music Teachers’ Association and has extensive experience in teaching music students at a number of different levels. From her employment as a guest lecturer at the University of Melbourne to her work as an examiner and course adviser for VCE and adjudicator for eisteddfods, Ruth has vast experience in welcoming and encouraging a love of music in students of all ages. Currently Ruth teaches voice to both Single Studies and Course students at the Melba Conservatorium.
Bass-Baritone Ian Lowe began his early vocal studies at the Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music under Ian Field and sang regularly with the Victorian State Opera. In 1978 he travelled to Salzburg, Austria, for advanced vocal study at the Mozarteum. An International Scholarship from the Austrian Government enabled Ian to continue studies at the Mozarteum until 1980. The Salzburg Festival, ORF Radio Choir and Mozarteum Opera Studio provided valuable performance opportunities in Salzburg, Prague, Barcelona and Norway.

Ian Lowe, BMusVicMelbaCon DipTeachMelb
Bass-Baritone Ian Lowe began his early vocal studies at the Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music under Ian Field and sang regularly with the Victorian State Opera. In 1978 he travelled to Salzburg, Austria, for advanced vocal study at the Mozarteum. An International Scholarship from the Austrian Government enabled Ian to continue studies at the Mozarteum until 1980. The Salzburg Festival, ORF Radio Choir and Mozarteum Opera Studio provided valuable performance opportunities in Salzburg, Prague, Barcelona and Norway.
A contract with the Badisches Staatstheater in 1983 took him to Karlsruhe, Germany, where he remained for the next thirteen years performing a wide range of opera, operetta. musical, oratorio and concert repertoire. Tours with the company included Athens, Dresden, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Warsaw and many German theatres. In 1986 Ian accepted an offer by the Music School of Bruschal and later the Karlsruhe Teachers College to teach singing and vocal pedagogy.
Upon returning home in 1996, Ian began teaching singing at the Melba Conservatorium. He now also teaches at Camberwell Grammar and Xavier College. Ian has maintained an active performance schedule including major roles for 'Melbourne City Opera' and V.C.A./Melbourne festival, a national tour of 'The Merry Widow,' regular performances with George Dreyfus, The Robert Stolz Society, the Lieder Society of Victoria and many other groups in Melbourne and Victoria.
Ian is currently the President of the Lieder Society of Victoria.

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