About Jo

Jo Willans B Mus (musicology) Hons. (ANU), MMusSt (performance) (Griffith), AMusA (piano)

Jo is a professional and highly-qualified music teacher with over twelve years of music-teaching experience in a variety of mediums. Jo has privately tutored singing, piano and theory and currently teaches for the Young Conservatorium program at the Queensland Conservatorium. She has been a guest lecturer for music youth programs at the Australian National University, the International Festival of Sacred Music and the Young Music Society. Jo has taught students aged from 3 to 80 and has taught a number of students with physical and mental impairments. Her students have been accepted into tertiary music studies; they have received numerous awards at eisteddfods and competitions all over Australia; they have won leading roles in music theatre; and they typically receive excellent exam results at school and with examining bodies.

Jo is an experienced performer in opera, oratorio, popera and music theatre and has performed widely throughout Australia. She has performed roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Orpheus in the Underworld, Carmen, The Sorceror, Annie and The Music Man, to name a few. She is a current member of the popular vocal ensemble 10divas.

Jo has extensively studied many aspects of music, including performance, musicology, pedagogy, conducting and European languages at a postgraduate level at Australia’s leading music institutions. She has received a number of awards during her university career, including the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence for two years running.

The photo here was taken before a concert with the Southern Cross Soloists in 2008. Jo is sitting with Georgie, her Golden Retriever, who loves to greet students at the gate and enjoys being a part of singing lessons.