Shelby was born and raised in Wollongong, NSW. She began her musical journey at an early age, first learning the recorder from her father before beginning clarinet lessons with Nigel Edwards, Head of Woodwind at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music.
At the age of fourteen Shelby was encouraged by Nigel, a former professional bassoonist himself, to try the bassoon. She very quickly fell in love with the instrument’s rich, warm timbre, relishing the challenge of such a rare and difficult instrument.
Shelby is in her second year at ANAM, under Lyndon Watts, having completed her Bachelor of Music (Performance) with First Class Honours at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2021, under Andrew Barnes. Her honours thesis, on the development of the modern bassoon, was supervised by Dr. David Larkin.
In 2023, Shelby commenced a Doctor of Musical Arts, once again at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, with historically-informed-performance expert Professor Neal Peres Da Costa as lead supervisor. Her thesis, focussing on the French-system bassoon and the historically informed performance of turn-of-the-twentieth-century French music, is expected to be submitted in 2027. During this time, Shelby was also learning from Doug Eyre, Principal Bassoon of the Opera Australia Orchestra.
During her undergraduate studies, Shelby was supported by the Paul and Marie Souter Encouragement Award, and during her postgraduate studies, was the recipient of a Research Training Program Stipend Scholarship, awarded to higher degree by research students with outstanding records of academic achievement.
When she isn’t playing the bassoon, Shelby can usually be found either with her head in a book, improving her French, or simply enjoying time with friends and family.
FROM: NSW. Lands of the Dharawal people.
Shelby is supported by ANAM Syndicate donors Joanna Flynn AM and Joan Bruton, Sally and Antony Jeffrey AM.
Photo by Pia Johnson