Marian Campbell is the Director of Music at Marsden, a role she has held since 2008. In this capacity, she oversees all music-related activities across the school from Preschool through to Year 13.

Marian writes and delivers most of the teaching programmes for Years 7 to 13, employs independent itinerant music teachers and manages their schedules, and takes great pleasure in conducting Marsden's Orchestra. She is also responsible for organising and rehearsing music for school events, securing adjudicators for House Music and the Swainson Memorial Music Competition, and preparing programmes for all musical events.

Marsden's Elite Choir

Since 2014, Marian has collaborated with acclaimed singer and vocal coach Maaike Christie Beekman to coach Altissime, Marsden’s elite choir. Under their guidance, Altissime has achieved remarkable success, including participation in Cadenza in 2019 and The Big Sing Finale in 2015, 2021, 2022, and 2023, winning Gold for their 2023 performance.

Career to Date

Marian's career began in the United Kingdom, where she held diverse teaching positions. Her first role was in the East End of London teaching students, most of who were recent immigrants from Bangladesh. She then served as Director of Music at a prestigious girls' school in Surrey, teaching at several high-profile boys', girls', and co-educational schools around Greater London. Marian also taught A Level Music and Musicianship at Trinity College of Music's Saturday school, her alma mater.

Education and Experience

Marian holds a degree in music from Trinity College of Music, where her favourite subjects included piano accompaniment, choral and orchestral conducting, harmony, and music history. She sang with professional London church choirs, performed with the London Bach Society, and toured extensively with some of the best Baroque orchestras. Notably, she performed in East Berlin, Bulgaria, and Romania during the Communist era and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1996 for her services to music.

Upon emigrating to New Zealand in 2003, Marian initially took another position while waiting for the Music Director role at Marsden to become available. Since then, her focus has shifted from performing to arranging music for orchestra and choir.

Personal Life

Outside of her professional life, Marian enjoys long walks with her dogs, caring for her sheep and bees, travelling to new places, and exploring new ideas through reading and study. She is passionate about making music and helping others discover their own musical passions.