Peter Mander, BMusEdMelb AMusA

Tenor Peter Mander commenced his musical career as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne. After graduating from the University of Melbourne Peter was engaged by the Victorian State Opera before leaving for Germany in 1982, where he performed as a character and lyric tenor in more than 45 major roles in opera, operetta and musicals. He appeared regularly as a concert artist in Lieder recitals and in most of the major religious works of Bach, Haydn and Mozart. Since returning to Australia in 1994 Peter’s career as a concert artist has continued. He teaches voice at the Australian Catholic University, the Victorian College of the Arts, and the University of Melbourne, where he also teaches German Language and Diction, and the Melba Conservatorium, also teaching German. He is increasingly in demand as an adjudicator and examiner and returns regularly to Germany to perform on the Concert platform. His students can be found as far afield as Sweden and Germany and in Australia his students can be found in most professional musical productions.

Margaret Nisbett MBE
Soprano Margaret Nisbett, MBE, has a long and illustrious career in the music industry. From taking over the role of Gilda at 24 hours notice for the opening night of Verdi’s opera Rigoletto at the Princess Theatre, and then playing the role for the duration of the season, to touring Australia and New Zealand as Maria in The Sound of Music in place of June Bronhill, Margaret has extensive experience in the performance arena. After working as soloist with the Victorian State Concert Orchestra for 15 years and performing as Principal Soprano for a number of opera companies throughout Europe, Margaret was awarded the MBE for Outstanding Performance in Music in 1980. Upon her return to Melbourne Margaret has made many television and radio appearances, including a 26 part series of operettas for the ABC, regular performances for In Melbourne Tonight and Carols by Candlelight, as well as recording a number of operas and continuing her live performances. Margaret now shares her love of music and her extensive experience in the performance industry with her students at the Melba Conservatorium.

Elyane Laussade Dr Mikhail Solovei

Heads of Piano Studies

Dr Mikhail Solovei
Dr Mikhail Solovei was born in Ukraine and studied at the State College of Music, Ukraine. In 1979, he won the Ukrainian National Piano Competition. After gaining his Master’s degree in 1980 at the Gorky Conservatorium in Russia, he was awarded his PhD in 1985, following further studies at the Gorky and Moscow Conservatoriums. Post graduate studies followed and he gave solo concerts and performances with orchestras in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, as well as many masterclasses. In 1985 Mikhail was appointed as Head of the Piano Department of the Donetsk College of Music, Ukraine, after a period as Lecturer in Piano Studies at Vladivostok University and as Pianist-Soloist, Russia. He accepted invitations to make concert tours of Poland in 1990, 1991 and 1992 and gave masterclasses at the Academy of Music at Katowice and has performed and held masterclasses in Belgium. Since arriving in Australia in June 1992, Mikhail Solovei has given recitals in the Melbourne Concert Hall, Melba Hall, Robert Blackwood Hall, the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Victoria, Brisbane Concert Hall, in Bangkok (Thailand) and elsewhere. In 1997 Mikhail gave a concert tour of Malaysia and the United States of America, and in 2002, gave a concert tour of Zimbabwe and South America. Mikhail is currently a lecturer in piano at Monash and the Catholic Universities. In 1994, he was appointed to the position of Head of Piano of the Melba Conservatorium. He also holds regular masterclasses in many tertiary institutions in Australia and overseas. As well as concert performances, Mikhail has regularly played for ABC Classic FM national radio, both live and pre-recorded broadcasts, and has appeared on SBS television (Australia). In 1998, Mikhail produced a CD, "Piano Recital" with Masters Classic in Holland.

Elyane Laussade
International pianist Elyane Laussade has garnered attention from enthusiastic audiences on four continents for her imaginative and strongly individual playing. Dr Laussade’s concerts have led her across the United States, from New York City’s Lincoln Center and Carnegie Recital Hall, to South Africa, Australia and Europe. An orchestral debut at age thirteen brought immediate recognition of her sensitivity and interpretative flair. She has since continued to enjoy many engagements with orchestras in the United States. A graduate of the Juilliard School in New York, Dr Laussade has appeared in music festivals across America. Beyond the concert stage, she has been featured on radio and television programs. Dr Laussade now teaches at the Melba Conservatorium, Monash University and the Victorian College of the Arts. Since her arrival in Australia, she has given solo debuts in Melbourne and in Geelong and has performed recitals in Melbourne, Bendigo and Hobart. In 1999 Dr Laussade performed the Mozart Double Piano Concerto with the New Monash Orchestra.

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