After growing up in
Gippsland, Victoria, Scammell graduated in 1992 from the
Melbourne Conservatorium with
Bachelor of Music degree (
Honours in Piano Performance) and a Bachelor of Music Education. She then continued her studies at the
Sydney Conservatorium gaining a
Graduate Diploma of Music – Opera
Répétiteur, and worked as rehearsal pianist for the
Victoria State Opera,
Opera Australia, and other companies. Scammell gained a
master's degree in conducting studying under Vladimir Vais and
Imre Palló. She was the musical director for the Australian 2007 tour of
The Phantom of the Opera with
Anthony Warlow. She has been the recipient of the Robert and Elizabeth Albert Conducting Fellowship for the
Australian Ballet Scammell was the music director the ABC's TV opera
The Divorce, of the
Helpmann Awards for 12 years, for the production of
From Broadway to La Scala which toured Australia and New Zealand in 2017 and 2019 with
David Hobson,
Teddy Tahu Rhodes,
Greta Bradman,
Emma Matthews,
Caroline O'Connor and others; and for the show
Peter & Jack with Greta Bradman, Teddy Tahu Rhodes and
The Idea of North at the 2015
Adelaide Festival, presented by
Barry Humphries. In 2018 she was appointed guest conductor of the
Hubei Symphony Orchestra with whom she conducted the 1958 opera
Lake Honghu at the
Sydney Opera House and in the
Melbourne Recital Centre. Scammell has regularly conducted the
Melbourne,
Sydney,
Queensland,
Adelaide,
West Australian, and
Christchurch symphony orchestras. For Opera Australia,
Opera Queensland and the
West Australian Opera, Scammell conducted
Graeme Murphy's production of
The Merry Widow in 2017/2018. ==Personal life==