ABOUT US

Susie and Ian Moore are Australian-Canadians, born in Albury NSW, and making our way via Sydney, Newcastle, and then London ON to be now living and working in Kingston.

Susie Moore studied clarinet performance from Ann Menzies in Australia and then Primary Education at the University of Technology Sydney (Ku-ring-gai campus), before continuing her training in clarinet performance under Professor Robert Riseling at the University of Western Ontario, and completing her BMus degree with High Distinction with majors in Theory and Composition. Following a move to Kingston, Ontario, in 2001, Susie became actively engaged with the musical community in Eastern Ontario, including the last eight years as Secretary-Treasurer of the Kingston Musicians Union (now the Union of Professional Musicians, Local 518). During the pandemic, Susie started producing streamed musical events, producing over 100 such events during 2020-21, and again in 2021-22 produced over 100 live and streamed events. Susie composes for various solo instruments or small ensembles, and performs with Ian in the trio Two Thirds Down Under and with other musical groups. Susie teaches Clarinet privately, and develops special music education programs for Elementary School students in the Limestone District School Board – collaborating with celebrated artists and composers such as Professor John Burge of Queen’s University, Chris Patterson of the Arrogant Worms, and the Juno-award winning Gryphon Trio.

Ian Moore studied cello with John Kennedy and Marianne Maxwell in Melbourne, Australia, before changing focus to study Civil Engineering (BE, Hons.) and then Geotechnical Engineering (PhD) at the University of Sydney. After appointments at the University of Newcastle in Australia (1983-1990) and the University of Western Ontario (1991-2001), Ian accepted a position as Professor and Canada Research Chair in Infrastructure Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s University. Ian’s more than 300 publications examine conventional and trenchless construction of new and deteriorated water, sewer, and energy pipelines, and have underpinned dozens of contributions to North American and other international codes of buried pipe design practice. Recognition for Ian’s work includes best paper awards from the ASCE, CGS, CSCE, ICE and NASTT, research and professional service medals from various organizations, and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Academy of Sciences), the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and other learned societies. Ian is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, but also works regularly as a Professional Musician, primarily as a member of Two Thirds Down Under.

Susie and Ian established their business River GUM Services Inc. in 2023, to facilitate their activities in music production and performance, educational events, and engineering consulting. The corporation’s name reflects their heritage from Australia (they were born at Albury Base Hospital close to the Murray River and the River Red Gums aka River Gums in Noreuil Park) and the location of their business on the shores of the St Lawrence River. The acronym GUM reflects the business activities Geotechnik Und Musik (using German to make the acronym work, but appropriately, given the origins in Austria and Germany of these two disciplines).

River Gums along the road into Wilpena Pound, South Australia (Photo: Ian)