
National Council
The Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing Ltd National Council meets approximately ten times each year to discuss what's happening in each chapter, plan future initiatives & events, develop national strategies and administer the association.
2021/22 ANATS National Council
National President: Linda Barcan (VIC)
National Vice President: Shelli Hulcombe (QLD)
National Treasurer: Christina Wilson (NSW)
National Secretary: Debbie Grace (NSW)
National Membership Secretary: Emma Wilson (QLD)
Chapter Representatives:
ACT: Angela Giblin
NSW: Debbie Grace, Christina Wilson, Jo Fabro
QLD: Shelli Hulcombe, Emma Wilson
SA: Kim Spargo
TAS: Hannah May
VIC: Linda Barcan, Julia Nafisi, Wendy Todd
WA: Rebecca Watson

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.
VICE 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.


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.
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 Jo Fabro
NSW Chapter
Jo Fabro is a Singing-Voice specialist with 20 years of teaching experience. Having taught voice at many of Sydney’s most prestigious schools including ASCHAM, Sydney Grammar & Newington College, Jo went on to lecture at The Australian Institute of Music and now operates a thriving private studio in Waterloo, specialising in CCM voice, specifically Jazz, Soul & Blues singing & voice rehabilitation. Jo currently teaches the ‘Contemporary Singer’ and ‘Contemporary Vocal Studio’ courses at the Sydney Conservatorium Open Academy and is the current Vice-president of the NSW chapter of ANATS. Jo has performed as a vocalist across Australia and internationally and holds a Bachelor of Music from UNSW and a Master of Music (Vocal Pedagogy), from Brisbane Conservatorium of Music (Griffith University). She is also trained in Myofascial Release for head and Neck disorders and Accent method breathing. In 2018, Jo’s research on the use of Registration Terminology in CCM singing teaching was published in the journal Australian Voice.

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.
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 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.
COUNCIL Hannah May
TAS Chapter
Hannah May is a singer and teacher of singing, songwriting and piano in contemporary commercial styles. Hannah May holds a Bachelor of Music (major in Contemporary Voice) and Diploma in Music Performance through the University of Tasmania.
She is the singing teacher at Mount Carmel College a private school in Hobart and also runs her own studio HM Studio: Sing Play Write. She specialises in working with singers who may be suffering from anxiety around singing or performing.
She has completed several courses through Estill Voice and The Vocal Process. Hannah May is a committee member on the Tasmanian Committee Chapter for ANATS and represents Tasmania on the National Board.

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
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!
