National Council

PRESIDENT Shelli Hulcombe

QLD Chapter

Shelli Hulcombe studied classical voice at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, UK). Her professional engagements have included operatic and concert performances both nationally and internationally. Shelli still regularly performs as a chamber musician and tours nationally with Musica Viva in their schools’ program.

​Shelli is currently a Lecturer in Voice at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. She is a regular adjudicator at eisteddfodau and an AMEB examiner across all singing syllabi. She holds a MMusSt in vocal pedagogy and is currently enrolled in doctoral studies, investigating the implications of cross genre vocal training on overall vocal function.

VICE PRESIDENT Linda Barcan

 VIC Chapter

Linda Barcan trained at the Conservatorium of Newcastle, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and

the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). She performed as a lyric mezzo-soprano for Opéra de

Lyon (France) and Opera Australia, amongst other companies, before choosing to combine vocal

performance with voice teaching, a balancing act she continues to enjoy!

Before taking up her current position as Lecturer in Voice at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Linda was for nine years Lecturer in Voice at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), teaching into the Classical Voice, Music Theatre and Acting departments.

TREASURER Christina Wilson

NSW Chapter

A graduate of the Canberra School of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and the National Opera Studio London, mezzo-soprano Christina Wilson has sung professionally in opera, oratorio and recital performances throughout the UK, Europe, the USA and Australia. Christina studied in London with Janice Chapman AM.

She has completed several Estill Voice courses and Accent Method Breathing workshops. In addition to her private studio, Christina taught at tertiary level for many years, including the Australian National University and University of Canberra. She regularly adjudicates and gives master classes nationally and internationally. Christina was ACT Chapter President from 2014-2018 and served as Assistant Treasurer from 2017-2018.

SECRETARY Debbie Grace

NSW Chapter

Debbie Grace holds a BMus (Hons) from UNSW, GradDipEd from University of Melbourne and a

GradDipOp from VCA.  She originally studied singing with Beth Willis and gained her AMusA in

voice at 21, performing as a soloist and singing as a Cantor at the Leo Baeck Centre in Melbourne.

Debbie has taught singing to girls and boys for the last 16 years mainly in secondary schools. She

specializes in young voice and currently has a large vocal studio at Kambala Girls School, as well as

teaching classroom music and conducting choirs. Debbie is the current Secretary of the NSW

Chapter of ANATS.

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Emma Wilson

QLD Chapter

Emma Wilson is a voice teacher and performer, with experience in various styles of contemporary commercial singing. Emma recently completed training in Vocology (The Science and Practice of Voice Habilitation) at the NCVS in the USA, under the instruction of Dr Ingo Titze. She holds a Master of Music Studies (Vocal Pedagogy) from the Queensland Conservatorium, and a Bachelor of Music from QUT.

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In addition to running a private singing studio, Emma is a Voice Teacher and Music Lecturer in the Bachelor of Contemporary Music and Performance at JMC Academy, runs regular workshops for singers and singing teachers, performs regularly, and is the head of the vocal department at Browning Street Studios, South Brisbane. Emma is currently the National Membership Secretary, and the Vice President of the Queensland Chapter of the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing (ANATS Ltd).

COUNCIL Naomi Cooper

NSW Chapter

Naomi Cooper is a freelance choral conductor based in Sydney with extensive experience conducting children’s, school, university and community choirs. Naomi holds a BMus(Hons) and a PhD in Music for her research on directing community choirs. Her expertise in this field has been recognised through publications nationally and internationally in journals, books and conference proceedings. In 2019 Naomi travelled to Estonia with Kooskõlas Australian-Estonian choir to perform at Laulupidu, a large choir festival in Estonia. Naomi lectures and tutors in vocal studies at Macquarie University. She also runs a busy studio teaching guitar and performs in a bluegrass band.

COUNCIL Angela Giblin

ACT Chapter

Angela Giblin studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and then joined the Opera Studio of Opera Australia, becoming a principal. Awarded grants from the Arts Council of Australia and the Austrian Government, she studied at theVienna Academy, and then sang in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Highlights include a commendation for Idamante (Idomeneo) in the Yearbook of the prestigious German magazine, Opernwelt, and the title role in Der Rosenkavalier with Gundula Janowitz as Marschallin. Angela has sung fifty operatic roles, and sings in nine languages. She was nominated for a Green Room Award, and awarded a Canberra Critics' Circle Award.

In 1996 Angela was appointed Lecturer in Voice  at the ANU School of Music. In 1999 she was appointed Head of Voice, and 2003 Senior Lecturer in Voice. She is a foundation member of ANATS. Angela Giblin resigned from the ANU School of Music in 2004.

Julia Nafisi began her voice training in her hometown Münich (Germany), continuing her studies in Vienna with, amongst others, Prof. KS Hilde Rössel-Majdan and Prof. KS Walter Berry. She has appeared in opera, oratorio and recital throughout Europe.

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Julia holds a MMus (Vocal Pedagogy) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, a Grad Dip Ed at the Australian Catholic University and a PhD at Monash University.  She divides her time between performing, teaching and researching, the latter with a focus on 'the role of gesture and body-movement in voice teaching/therapy and performance' as well as 'German Lieder in Australia', publishing numerous articles on both topics.

Julia currently teaches Voice at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Audiology and Speech-Pathology at the University of Melbourne. She is the president of the Victorian chapter of ANATS and co-editor of Australian Voice.

COUNCIL Julia Nafisi

VIC Chapter

COUNCIL Marisa Lee Naismith

QLD Chapter

Marisa has been commercially active in the Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) industry for over 45 years as an award-winning vocalist,  singing teacher and a voice researcher. Marisa is presently employed as a Voice Teacher in the Bachelor of Music (Popular Music) at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. She was recently awarded a PhD based on her investigation into the emerging field of Contemporary Commercial Music Vocal Pedagogy.

As a result of her research, Marisa has identified a foundational pedagogical framework for the training of CCM singing voice and the findings of this study have been presented at conferences including ICVT, The Voice Foundation’s Care of Professional Voice Symposium, PEVOC, and ANATS National Conferences.

COUNCIL Helen Thompson

TAS Chapter

Helen Thomson's international performing career encompasses appearances (in Europe) with such outfits as Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir, the Netherlands Bach Society, the Egidius College and the Netherlands Radio Choir, and (in Australia) the Song Company, Festival of Voices, e21, La Compania, Ludovico's Band, TSO and Van Diemen's Band.

She is a founding member of baroque/contemporary ensemble Sequenza, directs Sing Australia Hobart and the UTas Conservatorium Vocal Ensemble, and teaches Classical Voice at the UTas Conservatorium. In 2018, she premiered her own composition A Tasmanian Requiem.

COUNCIL Wendy Todd

VIC Chapter

Wendy holds both Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Music Education from the University of Melbourne and has pursued post graduate studies in conducting at the University of Oregon and UCLA. She was a Director of Music at an Independent School for ten years, currently teaches singing at an Independent School in Melbourne and her own studio, and conducts two secondary choirs and an adult vocal ensemble.

Wendy teaches students of all ages and abilities and is an VCAA assessor for both Performance and Music Investigation subjects. Many of her students have gone on to further study and have careers in music in many different fields including jazz, music theatre, contemporary commercial music and classical. Wendy is a frequent adjudicator of both vocal and choral eisteddfods and has been a National Councillor, Victorian President and committee member for many years, of both ANATS and ANCA.

COUNCIL Kim Spargo

SA Chapter

BMus. (Perf.), Grad.Dip.Ed., Grad.Cert.(Drama), Grad.Cert.(Jazz), A.Dip. (Dramatic Arts) and currently a student of Masters of Applied Theatre Studies

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Kim’s bio reads a bit like a checklist of milestones in performance art. Session vocalist? Check. Touring with Australian and international artists? Check. Kim’s also had many shows in major world festivals, directs a successful & diverse studio, been MD or performer for a bunch of shows, runs award winning vocal groups, has published arrangements, works with numerous industry icons & stars, and tours the world presenting at conferences. Check!

COUNCIL Rebecca Watson

WA Chapter

Rebecca Watson holds an Honours degree in Music, majoring in classical voice, from the University of Melbourne. She is a qualified secondary music teacher who has worked extensively with boys’ voices for over 20 years, across classical, contemporary and music theatre genres. As a teacher, examiner and adjudicator, Rebecca’s primary focus is the developing voice in solo, choral and stage performance. She has been an AMEB(WA) Voice examiner and member of the AMEB(WA) Advisory and Executive Committees for many years. In addition, Rebecca enjoys adjudicating for many community music festivals. She is currently the President of the ANATS WA Chapter.