Dr Robb Dennis

Dr Robb Dennis has more than 20 years of experience as a tenor soloist and a band, choir and orchestra conductor. He also has more than 10 years of experience teaching voice, musicology and conducting.

Robb is a former conductor of the Cantobello and the Moreno Valley Master Chorales (both in California, USA). He has performed tenor solos with the Repertory Opera Company of Los Angeles in Giuseppe Verde’s La traviata at the Nixon Presidential Library and with the Utah Symphony and The Oratorio Society of Utah at the Mormon Tabernacle.

Locally, he is a performance recitalist for the Hunter Professional and Singleton Arts Societies, a tenor soloist for Newcastle Festival’s Opera in the Park and appears regularly at the Newcastle Conservatorium.
Robb studied vocal students to determine learning modalities based on Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory for his PhD. He has twice presented papers at the California Association of Private Schools Organisation and is published three times in the International Adventist Musicians Association Journal.

He has a keen interest in the music and operas of Verde.

Robb is also an accomplished cyclist, winning the Century Challenge Cycle Tour near Gosford in 2007. He is a senior music lecturer and director of the Avondale Orchestra, Avondale Singers and vocal ensemble The Promise at Avondale College.

Questions

What interests you about the history of music at Avondale?
I’m fascinated by the interaction of Australian and American conductors. Many of the Americans trained the Australians and many of the Australians trained in America. However, not all of the Americans were received favourably in Australia. It seems nationality is not an issue, but personality is.

Why is studying vocal physiology important for a singer?
Singing is often taught in a mentor protégé relationship, so singers can perform for their whole career without knowing how the voice works.

Why is the study of Verde pertinent to musicians?
Verde lost his whole family in one year and fell into a depression from which he rebounded to become perhaps the most recognised composer in the world today.

Qualifications

BMusEd (PUC), MA (Loma Linda), DMA (Claremont)

Contact

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Avondale College
Phone: (02) 4980 2251 or 0404 032 746