Early years and studying The future violist came to Australia as a child among his teachers was G. Rivers Allpress (died 1918). In 1903 at a Sydney College of Music examination he received a silver medal as first prize for an original piano composition (
Romance in F). In April 1903 he departed for Europe. The farewell concert was held in Newcastle King's Hall and included some compositions of his own: the above-mentioned piano
Romance and
The Lifeboat (a song). In May Vost Janssen arrived in
London and attended the
Handel Festival. He then studied violin (with
Hans Becker, brother of
Hugo Becker), Among other famous musicians he attended three concerts by 12-years old
Mischa Elman. Though he contracted scarlet fever and was a patient in a hospital for two months, While in Europe he published two articles in his native Newcastle newspaper describing musical life in England and Leipzig. A vast review of his non-musical impressions was published a year later, after his return to the homeland.
After return to Australia From September 1906 Vost Janssen gave invitation concerts. He had a prominent role in Sydney musical life of those years. One of his pupils from this period was
David Burt, who on his insistence went to Germany in spring 1908 to study at the Leipzig Concervatorium. He subsequently (1910) won a three years' scholarship at that institute. In 1907 Vost Janssen was playing viola in
Staell Quartet (also known as ''Lady Northcote's private quartet
Their first performance in Newcastle was on 13 March. By the middle of 1908 Staell left the ensemble and Francis Mowat Carter became the first violin. The second was given to Rudolph Brauer. The quartet was renamed to Sydney String Quartet. Around the same time was established the Sydney Madrigal Society
(Madrigal and Chamber Music Society''). Next summer (1910) Vost Janssen joined
Cyril Monk's
Austral String Quartet. what meant a loss of one of the most active musical life organizers. This was balanced by
Alfred Hill's 1910 arrival to Sydney from
New Zealand. For some time Vost Janssen was conductor of the
Newcastle Operatic Society, but resigned this position during 1912–1913 season.
After NSW Conservatorium establishing After the New South Wales Conservatorium was established in 1915 and
Henri Verbrugghen came to Australia to be a director of it, the Austral String Quartet lost its importance, as Verbrugghen brought with himself a fine
Verbrugghen String Quartet. Vost Janssen appeared in a quartet with James Hickey (violin), Chas. Wentzel (viola) and
Gladstone Bell (cello), in which he played the first violin. Vost Janssen died suddenly at his residence in spring 1945. == Family ==