05/02/2026
A chat with the wonderful Susan Ellis:
Susan has enjoyed a long and influential career as a pioneering guitarist and teacher in Melbourne. In this interview with Ken Murray from the Melbourne Conservatorium, she reflects on her early memories of the guitar and of growing up in a musical household with her father, Bill May, founder of Maton Guitars. Susan recalls the international and local guitarists who shaped the classical and folk music scenes in post-war Melbourne. Key figures in the history of the classical guitar—including Andrés Segovia, Len Williams and his son John Williams—feature prominently, along with Susan’s mentor, Sadie Bishop.
Susan Ellis has enjoyed a long and influential career as a pioneering guitarist and teacher in Melbourne. In this interview with Ken Murray from the Melbourn...
