The History of the School
1965 - to the present
The history of the Department of Music (1965-1999), subsequently known as the School of Music - Conservatorium (from 2000), divides into three phases.
In the first phase (1965 to 1989) under its head Professor Trevor Jones, it concentrated on teaching and researching musicology and ethnomusicology (especially Indigenous Australian, Southeast Asian and South Asian music), with such scholars as Professor Jones, Dr Stephen Wild, Dr Alice Moyle, Dr Margaret Kartomi and Dr Reis Flora on staff, through whom the Department became nationally and internationally well-known. Michael Brimer, Laughton Harris and others taught the history and analysis of Western music, but performance and composition were not taught, except for Indonesian gamelan performance (by Poedijono), and as opportunities arose, North Indian (Hindustani), Noh drama and Ewe Ghanaian music performance. The Department also enrolled an increasing number of students at post-graduate level.
In the second phase (1989 to 2001) under its new head Professor Margaret Kartomi, the Department expanded its operations to teach and research music performance and composition as well as musicology and ethnomusicology, aiming to promote the educational unity of and interaction between the four areas in setting up the new Bachelor of Music (from1993) and double degree programs (Music-Law, Music-Arts, Music-Commerce, and Music-Education). New staff appointed included Dr Craig De Wilde (musicology, head from 1998-1999), Andre de Quadros (conductor), Dr Thomas Reiner (composer), Peter Mcilwain (composer), Tamara Smolyar (piano), Fintan Murphy (strings), Peter Handsworth (winds), Robert Burke (jazz and popular music), and c.45 professional performers of instruments and voice as studio teachers, supported by Georgina Binns and Rosa Dudek in the Music and Multi-media Library. In 1991 the Department started the New Monash Orchestra; and in 1993 the Sinfonia string orchestra, two choirs (Viva Voce and Monash Womens Choir), and a contemporary music ensemble (re-sound); and its students were joined by students from other Faculties to play in the ensembles for credit toward most degrees Adjunct Professors included Professors Max Cooke (with his Team of Pianists in residence), Andrew McCredie (also ARC Researcher), Yuri Rozum (pianist) and Graham Hair (composer), with research staff Dr Kay Dreyfus and Bronia Kornhauser. The School maintained a strong post-graduate community of c. 60 students, and its staff's continuing international reputation in Asian (especially Southeast and South Asian) music research was complemented by emerging research strengths in historical musicology, popular music studies and composition.
From 1995 the university established the Monash Arts Precinct on the Clayton campus with an expanded suite of fine concert and theatre venues in which to promote its musical and other performing arts activities. As the Precinct developed, funding was found to create the Department's new home in the Performing Arts Centre (1995), with its 250-seat Music Auditorium, Drama Theatre, practice rooms, and teaching rooms, including the Asian Orchestras Room for the Department's various Indonesian and Thai orchestras as well as collections of Indian and Chinese instruments. The School also continued to present many concerts and concert-productions of Western and Asian music in the nearby Robert Blackwood Concert Hall, Alexander Theatre and Religious Centre.
In the third phase (mid-2001 to the present) under heads Peter Handsworth and then Associate Professor Craig De Wilde, the Bachelor of Music and double degree courses introduced instrumental and vocal pedagogy and professional practice, and the Bachelor of Music Composition stream together with the PhD in Composition, admitted its first candidates. The performance and academic staff expanded to include Dr Joel Crotty (musicology), Dr Graeme Smith (music sociology), Elizabeth Sellars (strings), Anne Gilby (oboe), Kenji Fujimura (piano), Linda Thompson (voice), David Griffiths (clarinet), Rob Burke (jazz/popular/world music) and many studio performance staff, complemented by Paul Watt (Research Officer), Adjunct Professor Larry Sitsky and Honorary Research Associates including Dr Aline Scott Maxwell, Dr John Whiteoak, Dr Mauly Purba, Dr Nino Tsitsishvili, Dr Richard Parncutt and others. The research-active staff and students continue to publish in Asian, Jewish and Australian music; and the School's Archive of Asian and Australian Music (run by Professor Kartomi and archivist/researcher Bronia Kornhauser) continues to attract international attention. In 2006, the Vice-Chancellor set up the Monash University Academy of Performing Arts with Artist Director - Music being MSO oboist and conductor Mr Jeffrey Crellin. The inaugural Music in the the Round festival in September 2007 was directed by him. He also conducts the Monash Academy Orchestra including professional mentors. The School boasts a vibrant, creative community of staff and students among whom, as its motto puts it, "performance, composition, musicology and ethnomusicology come together".