Musical Director and Founder

Dr. Debra Shearer-Dirié

Dr. Debra Shearer-Dirié, originally from Perth Western Australia, is currently established in Brisbane Australia. With a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Western Australia, Dr. Shearer-Dirié began her teaching career in the public and private elementary and high schools of Western Australia. Here she taught both instrumental and choral music. After and exciting encounter with the teachers from the Kodály Intezét in Kecskemét Hungary, Dr. Shearer-Dirié was accepted into the diploma program and spent the academic year of 1990-91 studying in Hungary. The high standard of music education that she observed there made her eager to return to her own country to develop a similar system. She was invited to give several in-service sessions for the music educators in Western Australia and was a clinician for the Australian Kodály Society to assist in spreading the word of Kodály and improving the standard of music education in Australia.

Dr. Shearer-Dirié holds a Master of Music Education and Doctorate of Music degrees from Indiana University in the United States. After the completion of a Master of Music Education she turned her sights to choral conducting in pursuit of a Doctoral Degree (with minors in Music Education, Ethnomusicology, and Music History). While studying conducting with Mr. Robert Porco, Dr. Thomas Dunn, and Dr. Jan Harrington, Dr. Shearer-Dirié became experienced in a broad selection of music. With such a profound composition department at Indiana University, Dr. Shearer-Dirié also premiered several contemporary works such as: Jason Haney’s An Die Musik, Gerardo Dirié’s All is Water and Tonos de Archangel. During her time at Indiana University she was director of the Indiana University Children’s and Youth Choir; assistant director to Paul Hillier with the Pro Arte Singers; and director of the International Vocal Ensemble at Indiana University for two consecutive years. From 2000-2001, she was selected as Artistic Director of the Northwest Girlchoir in Seattle Symphony Orchestra, directed by Gerard Schwarz.

After completing her dissertation, Emerging Voices in Australian Choral Music – Selected Choral Works of Sculthorpe, Boyd, Edwards, Hopkins, Maclean, Leek, Stanhope, Grandage, Orlovich, and Atherton, Dr. Shearer-Dirié was invited to present at the National Conference of the American Choral Director’s Association in New York 2003, and at the Australian National Choral Association (ANCA) National conferences in 2004 and 2006. She was appointed Musical Director of Brisbane Concert Choir, a 60-voice auditioned choir regionally to much acclaim. In 2006 Dr. Shearer-Dirié founded the Vox Pacifica Chamber Choir, a 16 voice auditioned youth chamber choir. She teaches at the Undergraduate and Graduate levels at The University of Queensland as well as mentoring young conductors in the Queensland region. She is in demand as an adjudicator, clinician, educator and conductor. In 2007 Dr. Shearer-Dirié served as guest editor for the ANCA National Journal and currently serves on the Queensland State ANCA committee. Her work in 2008 will take her to Perth, Copenhagen, New Zealand, Canberra and Europe.