Founding Committee
Founding Committee
Shelly Xue – Chair
Shelly is a visionary leader who seamlessly transitioned from a career as an environmental and sustainable investment consultant to becoming an educator and entrepreneur in the education sector. She is the founder and managing director of J&S International Education Group Pty Ltd, a VCE examination assessor, and the chair of the founding committee of the Melbourne Star International Music Competition.
Shelly has a bachelor’s degree from Fu Dan University and a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Melbourne. She also completed her postgraduate studies in education at La Trobe University.
Shelly’s academic background, extensive work experience and her passion for education has built up a solid foundation for her career in planning and organising music events and educational programs. Her portfolio includes collaborations with local talents, music educators, and industry stakeholders across Australia and China. Shelly has also dedicated her professional life to making a positive impact on the planet by promoting sustainable practices within the business community.
薛 莲 （Shelly Xue）- 主席
薛莲女士是一位富有远见的领导者，她在环境与企业可持续发展领域有着丰富的经验。自2014年至今，她从可持续发展投资顾问的职业生涯成功过渡到一名教育者及教育领域的企业家。她是澳大利亚J&S国际教育集团的创始人和执行董事、维多利亚州高考考官、墨尔本之星国际音乐大赛创立委员会主席及大赛理事长。
薛莲毕业于上海复旦大学，并在墨尔本大学获得环境科学硕士学位，在拉筹伯大学获得教育学研究生文凭。薛女士的学术背景、丰富的工作经验和对音乐的热爱为她策划和组织各类音乐活动及教育项目奠定了坚实的基础。她在促进中澳两地的音乐人才、音乐教育家、表演艺术家和行业利益相关者的合作方面取得了很大的成就。 她相信这种多方合作可以促进艺术和音乐领域的发展，为人们提供更丰富的文化体验。不忘初心，薛女士还致力于通过商业活动实现可持续发展，为改善地球环境带来积极影响。
Jessica Yu – Vice Chair / Artistic Director
Jessica Yu is an experienced music educator. She has more than 20 years of teaching experience and has students all over the world, mainly from China, Australia, the USA, and Canada. She is the founder, managing director and artistic director of J&S International Education Group, the artistic director of Tianjin Angel Culture and Art Training School, and the vice-chair of the founding committee of the Melbourne Star International Music Competition. She has served as a senior examiner of the Tianjin Conservatory of Music Examination Committee and has been appointed as the artistic director of many art festivals in China. She has recently been invited to be a jury member of 2024 China’s Second Northern Piano Performance.
Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Tianjin Conservatory of Music, majoring in piano and minoring in composition. Her music education began at the age of six. In her youth, she demonstrated outstanding musical talent and teaching skills. In addition to piano performance, Jessica has also completed in-depth research towards composition, acoustics, music theory and other areas.
As a music educator, Jessica focuses on cultivating students' performance skills. She encourages students to actively participate in various music activities to build self-confidence and showcase their talents.
As a jury member, she respects contestants and makes a fair judgement. Jessica always pays attention to small details, which allows her to discover student’s potential and provide constructive feedback. Jessica’s knowledge and professionalism makes her a crucial member of the jury panel and a source of inspiration for all contestants.
于佳 – 副主席 / 艺术总监
于佳是一位经验丰富的音乐教育者，她拥有20多年的教学经验，培养的学生遍及中国、澳大利亚、美国和加拿大。她是澳大利亚J&S国际教育集团的创始人、执行董事兼艺术总监，天津天使文化艺术培训学校艺术指导，也是墨尔本之星国际音乐大赛的创立委员会副主席。于老师是2024年中国第二届北方钢琴文艺汇演评委，也曾任天津音乐学院考级委员会评委， 并且被中国多个艺术节组委会聘任为艺术总监。
于老师毕业于天津音乐学院音乐教育系，主修钢琴，辅修作曲。她6岁开始接受系统的音乐教育，青年时代就展现出卓越的音乐才华和教学能力，在大学期间一直是教授们的得力助手。除了钢琴演奏以外，于老师对作曲、声学、音乐理论等方面也有深入的研究。
作为一名资深的音乐教育者，于老师注重培养学生的音乐表达能力和舞台表演技巧。她鼓励学生积极参与各类音乐活动，帮助他们树立自信，展现才华。作为评委，她能够客观公正地评判参赛选手的表演水平和音乐素养。她注重细节，善于发现学生的潜力，并给予积极的鼓励和有建设性的意见。她的专业素养和教学成果使她成为评委团中不可或缺的一员，为参赛选手提供灵感的源泉。
Nancy Tsou – Co Founder
Nancy Tsou is an Australian pianist and dedicated music educator whose passion for the piano has left an indelible mark on both the performance and the education sector in Australia. She is the Co-Founder and Chief Adjudicator of the Melbourne Star International Music Competition. Nancy is currently a senior piano examiner with the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB). With a career spanning several decades, Ms Tsou has worked extensively throughout Australia, the USA, and China presenting recitals, workshops, and masterclasses.
Born in South Africa, Ms. Tsou began her music education in Argentina at the age of five. In her youth, she received a scholarship from the University of Melbourne and studied piano with Ronald Farren-Price before undertaking post-graduate studies. After receiving a master’s degree in music performance, she has served as a lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Monash University, and Wollongong University. Ms Tsou has toured extensively in Australia, USA, and China, and has given master classes at five of the most prestigious conservatories, including the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. As one of the most sought-after piano pedagogues, many of Ms Tsou’s piano students have won competitions across Australia and received full music scholarship from prestigious universities, private schools, and state-owned elite schools across the world.
Ms Tsou has recorded two CDs between 2016 and 2023, ‘Nocturnes by Chopin’ and ‘Latin Muse’, both of which have been broadcast by the Australian ABC-FM and the 3MBS radio station. They are also available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and iTunes.As commented by Kenneth Hince (The Age), ‘her work truly embodies the romantic spirit of music - what many call its inner poetry'. She is currently working on her new album 'The Complete Preludes Op.28 by Chopin', which is expected to release in 2024.
邹南茜 (Nancy Tsou) – 联合创始人
邹南茜是澳大利亚著名的钢琴教育家和演奏家。她是澳大利亚音乐考试委员会（AMEB）的资深钢琴考官，也是墨尔本之星国际音乐比赛的联合创始人兼首席评委，以及澳大利亚J&S国际教育集团的名誉顾问。邹老师的艺术生涯跨越了数十年，她在澳大利亚、美国、中国曾多次举办独奏会、研讨会、大师班，并参与各类国际钢琴大赛的评审工作。
邹南茜出生与南非，五岁在阿根廷开始她的音乐教育。青年时代，她获得了墨尔本大学的奖学金并师从罗纳德·法伦-普莱斯学习钢琴，并获得了音乐表演硕士学位。毕业后，她一直任教于澳大利亚各大著名高校，包括墨尔本大学、莫纳什大学和卧龙岗大学。作为钢琴独奏家和教育家，邹老师在澳大利亚、美国、中国进行了广泛的巡演，并在最负盛名的五所音乐学院举办大师班，其中包括上海音乐学院和北京中央音乐学院。她还担任过许多钢琴比赛和各类艺术节的评委，其中有中国艺术节和澳大利亚的本迪戈艺术节。作为一名出色的钢琴教育家，邹老师的许多学生在澳大利亚及世界各地的钢琴比赛中屡屡获奖，有的也获得了许多著名大学、私立学校和公立精英学校的全额音乐奖学金。
在钢琴演奏方面，邹老师也颇有建树。澳大利亚Move唱片公司在2016-2023年期间相继发行了邹老师录制的《肖邦夜曲》和《拉丁冥想》，澳大利亚ABC-FM频道和3MBS广播电台也在同期推出了这两张专辑，它们还在苹果公司的音乐软件 (Apple Music、iTunes)、声田（Spotify） 和 优兔（YouTube） 上播放。邹老师对乐曲的优美诠释感动了无数听众。澳大利亚的《世纪报》评论她的作品“真实地体现了音乐的浪漫精神——许多人称之为‘内在的诗意’”。她目前正在录制新专辑《肖邦的完整的前奏曲 Op.28》，预计将于 2024 年发行。
Prof. Jingbai Zhu – Co Founder
Professor Jingbai Zhu is the 24th generation descendant of Zhu Xi, world-renown Chinese philosopher and educator in the Song dynasty. He currently teaches at Tianjin Conservatory of Music as a professor. He also serves as the president of the National Electronic Accordion Research Society, a jury member of the IBLA International Music Competition in Italy, the president of Tianjin Angel Culture and Art Training School, and the director of Zhu Jingbai International Education Centre for Music and Technology. In 2023, Professor Zhu was appointed as the Honorary Advisor of J&S International Education Group. He is also the co-founder of the Melbourne Star International Music Competition.
Professor Zhu once studied conducting with Xiaoying Zhen, China’s first female symphony conductor. Now he performs extensively both in China and internationally as an accordionist, a composer, and a conductor.
His performances have taken him to the USA, Italy, Japan, and Australia. In 2008, he won the grand prize in the second International Accordion Competition in Rome, Italy. In 2009, he won the first prize of the International Accordion Championship in Australia and was awarded as the best composer, performer, and music educator. In 2012, he was the first-prize winner of the electronic accordion division at the 71st ATG International Accordion Competition in USA. In 2018, the original IBLA ‘Terracotta Warriors’ composed by Professor Zhu won the Outstanding Composer Award at the 27th Italian International Music Competition, as well as the Outstanding Conductor Award and the Outstanding Performer Award by conducting the Tianjin Star Sky Electronic Symphony Orchestra.
朱经白（Jingbai Zhu）- 联合创始人
朱经白教授是中国宋代著名哲学家、教育家朱熹第二十四代后裔。他现任全国电子手风琴研究会会长、意大利IBLA国际音乐大赛评审委员会委员、天津音乐学院教授、硕士生导师、天津天使文化艺术培训学校校长、朱经白国际音乐与科技教育中心主任。2023年朱教授被聘任为澳大利亚J&S国际教育集团的名誉顾问，他是墨尔本之星国际音乐大赛联合创始人。
朱教授曾经跟随中国第一位交响乐女指挥家郑小瑛学习指挥。作为手风琴家、作曲家和指挥家，他在中国以及世界各地的舞台上不但展示了他个人的音乐才华，而且还为全球观众带来了美妙的音乐体验。2008年，朱教授获得了意大利罗马第二届国际电子手风琴比赛创作大奖。2009年，他又获得了澳大利亚国际手风琴锦标赛电子手风琴组第一名；同时，组委会授予他最佳作曲家、演奏家、教育家的荣誉称号。2012年，朱教授再次荣获美国第七十一届ATG国际手风琴大赛电子手风琴组第一名。2018年他创作的《秦俑魂》一举荣获了意大利第二十七届IBLA国际音乐大赛原创作品杰出作曲家奖；同时，作为天津星空电子交响乐团的指挥，他获得了杰出指挥家奖和杰出演奏家奖。