Suzie Brown OAM (Metz, 1959)
Monday, 30 August 2021

Suzie went to 'Little Lauriston' in Pine Grove Malvern together with her brother.  After two years, she attended “big” Lauriston in Armadale. She has fond memories of the school and the teachers, including Miss Kirkhope and Miss Davies.

Suzie was interested in after-school sports and played tennis, basketball, hockey and baseball with great enjoyment. It did not take her long to discover that her career path was going to be in music. Headmistresses of the day recognized early, her talent for music, and fully encouraged her to play.  Her lunch time was spent practicing in the Junior Hall, as there were not many music rooms at school at that time.

In Senior School, Miss Davies permitted Suzie to attend further music tuition at the University Conservatorium during school hours.

Suzie remembers going into the Melbourne Town Hall for concerts. She was known at Lauriston as the school pianist and played on many occasions in assemblies.  Her musical prowess enabled her to have much contact with many of the students of different ages at Lauriston.

Suzie left Lauriston in 1958 having been awarded an Australian Exhibition Scholarship for pianoforte to go to Melbourne University to do a Performer’s Degree. Her mentor at the Conservatorium was Professor Max Cooke.

Suzie commenced teaching in her first year of studies encouraged by Sir Bernard Heinze who said to her: “You have a gift not only as a performer but also as a teacher”. Her first positions of teaching were at Melbourne Grammar School and Glamorgan (Geelong Grammar School, Toorak campus). When she reached 18, she obtained her drivers license and started to teach at Geelong Grammar in Corio.

One of Suzie’s biggest thrills was to be invited to teach the piano at Lauriston, which she continued to do after marrying Harvey Brown.  She taught for many years, including the time when her daughter Amanda was a student at Lauriston.

Whilst teaching at school, Suzie introduced the Friday afternoon concerts and House Music.

She is still fond of her teaching years at the school. She also taught Lauriston students privately at her home in Hawthorn. She always had afternoon tea ready for them.

From the beginning of Suzie’s married life, she was very active in raising funds within the arts field and working in numerous committees, and she continues to do this today.

She was awarded an OAM in 2018 for her service not only to organizations within Australia, but also internationally and in 2019, Suzie was awarded a Patron of the Arts of Victoria. Her fundraising roles included patronage of many Melbourne hospitals, Opera Scholars Australia, Opera Australia, Musica Viva Victoria and Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust.

After accepting the awards Suzie said: “I have never looked for accolades. My life has been fulfilled by the people I have met, worked with and now many of them are part of my family”. Suzie is emphatic that music is the most important language in the world.

From early childhood Suzie has been a member of St Kilda Hebrew Congregation. For many years she has been a Board of Management member and Executive member of the Congregation, and was President of the Ladies Auxiliary for 26 years. She was awarded the Honor of a Life Membership of the Synagogue and a Life Member of the Ladies Auxiliary. In 2005, Suzie was awarded the Eshet Chayil Award (Woman of True Worth and Valour).  Amazingly, she is the only woman to receive this award in 150 years of the Synagogue’s existence.  

Over the years, Suzie has continued her close relationship with Lauriston supporting the Creative and Performing Arts Scholarships, attending musical lunches and performances, Founders Day Assemblies and many, many reunions.

She is not only thankful and grateful to her parents for nurturing, encouraging and their enthusiasm towards her life of music, but also to her husband.  She says: "When I got married, my wonderful husband Harvey always encouraged me fully and enabled me to work in a voluntary capacity for many organisations of my choice, places which were needy of funds.

I thank Lauriston too, for the enhancement and being a contributing factor in making me the person I am today”.

Her grand piano, a magnificent Bechstein, adorns the living room of her apartment. She continues to consult students before competitions and exams, and still plays mostly her favorite works from Frederick Chopin and Ludwig van Beethoven. Maybe not as often now as she used to, but always with immense love and passion. Her love and passion for music have never waned.

The magic of music continues.