QVCF 2024 Adjudicators

Milijana Nikolic's illustrious career spans continents and stages, enchanting audiences with her mesmerizing performances. Her recent roles include spellbinding portrayals such as Jane Seymour at The Metropolitan Opera New York, Eboli in "Don Carlo," and the commanding Amneris in "Aida" and the poignant title role in "Carmen" for Opera Australia.

With a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Belgrade and a two-year scholarship at the renowned Academy for Soloists at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Milijana's journey in the world of opera began with unforgettable debuts at the Belgrade National Theatre and has since taken her to leading roles across Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Milijana's repertoire is as vast as it is impressive, with engagements ranging from Verdi's "Oberto" at La Scala to captivating performances of "Carmen" at the Savolinna Festival in Finland, Opera Australia, and beyond. Her artistry has graced renowned stages, from the Teatro Real Madrid to the Sydney Opera House, leaving an indelible mark on audiences worldwide.

Noteworthy collaborations include performances with esteemed orchestras such as the Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras and the Auckland Philharmonia, showcasing her versatility and mastery in works by Verdi, Mozart, de Falla, Mendelssohn, and more.

Milijana Nikolic (Opera)

Susie French (Music Theatre)

Susie was one of the first singers accepted into the Associate Diploma in Jazz at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (1985). She went on to study classical singing with teachers such as Raymond Connell and Margreta Elkins, finally settling into a career in Musical Theatre which spanned forty years.

She worked extensively with Queensland Theatre in productions including The Sentimental Bloke, Baby, Animal Farm, Spring Song, Seven Little Australians, Snoopy the Musical and Threepenny Opera. For Opera Queensland, she performed in La Forza Del Destino and The Flying Dutchman. For QPAC, she appeared in Dancing on the Walls of Paris. She has toured extensively in productions for Kite and the Queensland Arts Council.

Susie has worked for many of the major producers in Australia, touring in productions of Pirates of Penzance, Secret Garden, The Sound of Music, Mame, Menopause the Musical and Mamma Mia.

Her performance as Dr Lillian Cooper in A Girl’s Guide to World War won her a Matilda Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2019.

Susie is devoted to sharing her musical theatre experience with the next generation of Australian performers. She is currently Musical Director at Little Seed Theatre Company in Noosa and teaches acting and singing for musical theatre privately under her Maleny business, Singing in the Range.

D’Arne Sleeman (NOVICE AND EMERGING)

D’Arne Sleeman is a professional artist, curator and adjudicator, who combines professional singing with entrepreneurship.

A graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and based in Brisbane, D’Arne has a pedigree of performances, ranging in genre from opera, recital repertoire and live theatre, to the role of cantor in the Brisbane Catholic dioceses. She is a recognised artist with Opera Queensland and has appeared in over fifty mainstage productions.

Since 2012, D’Arne has added adjudication to her list of credentials, as an invited guest to regions up and down the East Coast of Australia, working with Eisteddfods, both regional and National, as well as the International Music Examination Board. Her work continues to be in demand throughout 2024, with engagements in Townsville, Toowoomba and the Burdekin.

As a voice teacher and coach, D’Arne teaches secondary students and adults about vocal production and performance, within secondary schools and private studios.

Within her freelance career, D’Arne is a regular entertainer at corporate events and includes performing the Australian National Anthem at the Bledisloe Cup within her performance reel. She has toured Queensland as part of the renowned Morning Melodies shows and produced workshops and education shows for Queensland Festival of Bands touring central Queensland.

In 2017, D’Arne enjoyed her first taste of feature films, onscreen in Thor: Ragnarok, recordings have included Opera’s Greatest Choruses with Opera Queensland and Brisbane Chamber Choir Mass of the Dreaming.  In 2020, D’Arne turned her hand to working as a simulated patient / actor for RACGP exams.

In 2018, she was invited by Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in conjunction with La Scala Theatre Ballet (Milan, Italy) to curate an Italian music installation for this prestigious international company. Other performances include international engagements in Cortona, Italy, Wales and London, and within Australia, performances with Opera Queensland, Operatif, Underground Opera and the Army Band

D’Arne looks forward to a full and varied schedule throughout 2024, presenting innovative and engaging performances for audiences in 2024.

BRETT HOLLAND (emerging and Open)

Brett Holland holds a Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium, Graduate Diploma Education at QUT and Master of Philosophy (Music) from the University of Queensland.

Brett’s conducting vocation started with conducting large choral and orchestral works as a young graduate when he was music director for the Queensland University Musical Society; and, as a Masters Candidate he continued that path despite a focus on singing studying conducting with John Dingle and Dr John Nickson.  Brett has conducted Carmina Burrana, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Vivaldi Gloria, Cherubini Requiem, Rutter’s When Icicles Hang, Zadok the Priest among many other grand choral pieces.

He has sung professionally with Opera Queensland, Opera Australia and as the Bass Soloist for many works, concerts and numerous ensembles over the last 20 years. Some of Brett’s recent engagements for Opera Quennsland were the roles of Caiaphas (St Matthew Passion), King Ivan (Candide) and Il Commissario (Madame Butterfly). Other recent engagements include solo Baritone for Belshazzar’s Feast, solo Bass for Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ, solo Bass for Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Adjudicator for the Townsville Eisteddfod (2013, 2018, 2022), Adjudicator Queensland Catholic Schools Music Festival, Choral workshop clinician for the Bramble Bay Cluster Workshop, Townsville Sings Festival, SingFest (St Peter’s), SingFest (Sunshine Coast), Macgregor Cluster Choral Workshop, Paul Moreton Workshop among many others. Brett has presented teacher workshops for Opera Queensland, Queensland Orchestra Teacher Professional Development Day as well as for PMSA and in combination with festivals and adjudication.

In 2019 Brett was assistant director (Children’s Chorus) for Opera Queensland’s Tosca at QPC and over the years a large number of Brett’s students have sung professionally as well as studying singing locally and internationally. Brett is in great demand as a vocal teacher, adjudicator, conductor, guest choral clinician and has been the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at the Brisbane Boys’ College for the past nineteen years.