Marianna Barker

1st Horn

Joined 2008

Marianna comes from a history of brass banding dating back to her father’s homeland of Holland. 

Like many brass players, Marianna played and practiced her way through the rankings of the Victorian Bands League, joining Frankston City Band at the age of 13 and from there played solo cornet with a number of bands in Melbourne’s growing South East area, including Dandenong and Moorabbin.

Along the way Marianna changed to Horn and enjoyed a fruitful musical and brass playing experience under her mentor the late Alex Ferguson.

Always looking for a challenge it was time for Marianna to finally move to Hawthorn, first under Tom Paulin and then under Peter Sykes. She then returned to Darebin on Solo horn and finally to the Kew band.
Her teachers included the “Incomparable” Mervin Simpson while Marianna studied at the Victorian College of the Arts, Brian Shipley and Sigmund Sokolowski.
Marianna’s husband, three children, father and son-in-law all play in brass bands making it a truly family affair.