Melanie Duncan is a graduate of Monash University and the Queensland Conservatorium of  Music.  She was a finalist in the Australian Youth Aria competition in 1998.  While at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, her operatic roles included the Fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, Une Pastourelle in L'Enfant et Les Sortilèges and Monica in Menotti's The Medium, a role she has also sung for Opera North in Mackay.

In 1996 she joined the Victoria State Opera's schools production of The Bitter Curse Of Baggle Crunch, appearing as Molly and in 1997 she was engaged as the female swing, appearing as Sneer, Terradile and Little Dream in Opera Australia's schools production of Little Dream.  She was a chorus member of Opera Australia for its Melbourne season during 1998. 

Her concert work includes performances of Mozart's Coronation Mass for Monash University.