Australian Music Theatre

Mini Symposium

Our 2022 mini symposium has been completed. Keep an eye on our website for 2024.

The Music Theatre Research Roundtable is an association of academics from around Australia, who are interested in the area of Music Theatre. We explore a range of theoretical perspectives on music theatre in Australia. We define music theatre as ranging from opera and musicals to contemporary theatre with sung music, staged song cycles and performance art with singing. MTRR brings together theatre scholars, historians and musicologists with interdisciplinary researchers.

When: July 2024

Time: TBC

Where: TBC

The Music Theatre Research Roundtable will continue to hold online and in-person Symposiums on Australian Music Theatre. Our Symposiums are a joint initiative of the MTRR with support from the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne.

Section 1 "The Room Where it Happens" - Local & Global Appraoches to Music Theatre

Dr Melissa Fenton. The Globality of Musical Theatre: A Brief History

Dr Ellin Sears 18,000kms from Broadway: what it’s like studying music theatre from one of the most isolated capital cities in the world

Section 2. "Anything You Can Do...." - Australian Pedagogy & Rehearsal processes

Adrian Kelly Achieving praxis between stage and pit: Boleslavsky’s Six Lessons for musicians

Trevor Jones A Lyric Text First Approach to Learning Musical Theatre Song

Nicole Stinton The Slow Singing Approach: Teaching Music Theatre students to holistically and authentically embody a song

Industry Interviews Tyran Parke interviews Fiona Choi

Break A poster presentation by Jassy Husk will be presented on the screen during the break

Section 3 “I don’t need a roof” - Identity Politics in Music Theatre

Jayde Kirchert How do I make new music theatre that is feminist?

Erin McKellar I Feel Pretty: Using Discretization to unpack gender disparity in musical theatre composition

Dr Sarah Courtis Decolonising Musical Theatre on Australian Stages

Dr Narelle Yeo Opening

Dr Narelle Yeo Closing

2022 Program

Dr Stuart Grant What is and is not musical theatre? - A phenomenological reduction

Industry Interviews Tyran Parke interviews Brittanie Shipway

Check out our 2022 program

Meet the Presenters

  • Dr Melissa Fenton

    The Globality of Musical Theatre: A Brief History

  • Dr Ellin Sears

    18,000kms from Broadway: What it’s like studying music theatre from one of the most isolated capital cities in the world

  • Dr Stuart Grant

    What is and is not musical theatre? - A phenomenological reduction

  • Adrian Kelly

    Achieving praxis between stage and pit: Boleslavsky’s Six Lessons for musicians

  • Trevor Jones

    A Lyric Text First Approach to Learning Musical Theatre Song

  • Nicole Stinton

    The Slow Singing Approach: Teaching Music Theatre students to holistically and authentically embody a song

  • Jayde Kirchert

    How do I make new music theatre that is feminist

  • Erin McKellar

    I Feel Pretty: Using Discretization to unpack gender disparity in musical theatre composition

  • Dr Sarah Courtis

    Decolonising Musical Theatre on Australian Stages

Meet the Interview Panel

Poster presentation

Meet the Chair of MTRR

DR NARELLE YEO

Narelle Yeo is the inaugural Program Leader in Music Theatre at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Senior Lecturer in Voice and Stagecraft. She is an opera and music theatre director, and teaches vocal technique to classical, music theatre and contemporary students at the Conservatorium. Narelle has directing and performing credits in the USA, Europe and Australia. She is the founding director of touring company Opera Carnivale.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the Mini Symposium.


Dr Narelle Yeo Convenor, Music Theatre Research Roundtable, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney narelle.yeo@sydney.edu.au 

Erin McKellar Mini Symposium Organiser Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney erin.mckellar@sydney.edu.au 

Jayde Kirchert Mini Symposium Organiser Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne  jkirchert@unimelb.edu.au