Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (formerly the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) is a selective, audition based

music school A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

located in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia, and is part of

Griffith University Griffith University is a public research university in South East Queensland on the east coast of Australia. Formally founded in 1971, Griffith opened its doors in 1975, introducing Australia's first degrees in environmental science and Asian ...

History

The Conservatorium was established by the state government and opened on 18 February 1957, with English composer William Lovelock as director. The school was originally located in South Brisbane Town Hall. In 1971 the Conservatorium became autonomous from the state government as a

College of Advanced Education The College of Advanced Education (CAE) was a class of Australian tertiary education institution that existed from 1967 until the early 1990s. They ranked below universities, but above Colleges of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) which offer t ...

, and in 1975 relocated to a new complex at Gardens Point. The school opened a second campus in Mackay in 1989, which became part of

Central Queensland University Central Queensland University (alternatively known as CQUniversity) is an Australian public university based in central Queensland. CQUniversity is the only Australian university with a campus presence in every mainland state. Its main campus ...

in 1995. The

Dawkins Revolution The Dawkins Revolution was a series of Australian higher education reforms instituted by the then Labor Education Minister (1987–91) John Dawkins. The reforms merged higher education providers, granted university status to a variety of institution ...

led to the Conservatorium becoming an institution of

in 1991. As part of this amalgamation, the school moved into its current facility in the

South Bank Parklands The South Bank Parklands are located at South Bank within the suburb of South Brisbane in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The parkland, on the transformed site of Brisbane's World Expo 88, was officially opened to the public on 20 June 1992. ...

in 1996, and was renamed Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.

Queensland University of Technology Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public research university located in the urban coastal city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. QUT is located on two campuses in the Brisbane area viz. Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove. The univ ...

took over the Conservatorium's Garden Point facilities, including the QUT Gardens Theatre as it became known. The institution is affectionately known as "the Con" to students. In 1999, the Conservatorium launched its Bachelor of Popular Music program and its new Gold Coast campus, both of which were established under the direction of Associate Professor Garry Tamlyn. From 2000 this course has been taught from an information technology facility in the Gold Coast Campus of Griffith University. In 2003 the Conservatorium Research Centre was opened as part of the 30 innovative research centres in the University. The Research Centre aims to investigate the dynamics of contemporary musical environments.

Facilities

Facilities include the Conservatorium Theatre—also used for smaller productions by

Opera Queensland Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981 under the name ''Lyric Opera of Queensland'' after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in ...

— which seats a maximum of 727 and has one of the highest fly towers in Australia, the Ian Hanger Recital Hall which seats 200 and the Basil Jones Orchestra Hall. There are also music production, post production, multimedia lab and recording facilities both in the South Bank and Gold Coast Campuses. The Queensland Conservatorium also includes the Young Conservatorium, an external, classical based music program for pre-schoolers to year 12 students. In the past 12 months the "Young Con" has engaged more than 1500 students in performances. In 2007 the Conservatorium celebrated its 50th anniversary with alumni reunions and visiting artists from around the world.

Staff

Former directors

Former director include: * William Lovelock (1957–1959) *Basil Jones (1960–1980) *Roy Wales (1981–1987) *

Anthony Camden Anthony Camden (26 April 1938 – 7 March 2006) was the Principal Oboe and Chairman of the Board at the London Symphony Orchestra. He was also a founding member of the ensemble London Virtuosi and went on to become the Provost and Director of th ...

(1988–1993) *Simone De Haan (1996–2002) *Peter Roennfeldt (2002–2009) *Huib Schippers (2009–2012) *Don Lebler (2012–2013; acting) *Scott Harrison (2013–2020)

Notable staff

Notable staff include: * Julian Byzantine *

John Curro John Ronald Curro (6 December 1932 – 6 November 2019) was an Australian violinist, violist, conductor and music director. Curro was the founder (1966) and Director of Music of the Queensland Youth Orchestras, with which he established the Nati ...

* Janet Delpratt *

Margreta Elkins Margreta Elkins (born Margaret Ann Enid Geater; 16 October 19301 April 2009) was an Australian mezzo-soprano. She sang at The Royal Opera and with Opera Australia and other companies, but turned down offers to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, B ...

* Ralph Hultgren * Carmel Kaine * Stephen Leek *

Peter Musson International bassoonist and bassoon teacherPeter Musson Born Auckland 21st May 1940 Died Brisbane 8th April 2022 was a principal Bassoonist in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Senior Lecturer in Bassoon at the Queensland Conservatorium and ...

* Max Olding *

Jan Sedivka Jan Boleslav Sedivka (in Czech: Šedivka) (Slaný, 8 September 1917 Hobart, 23 August 2009), Czech-born, was one of Australia's foremost violinists and teachers. Biography Educated in Czechoslovakia (Otakar Ševčík and Jaroslav Kocián), Fra ...

Larry Sitsky Lazar "Larry" Sitsky (born 10 September 1934) is an Australian composer, pianist, and music educator and scholar. His long term legacy is still to be assessed, but through his work to date he has made a significant contribution to the Austra ...

* Donald Smith, father of alumnus

Robin Donald Donald Robin Smith (born 26 March 1942) is an Australian operatic tenor who is known professionally as Robin Donald. He is the son of the Australian operatic tenor Donald Smith. Robin performed leading operatic tenor roles, including Rudolfo i ...

Paul Terracini Paul Terracini (born 1957) is an Australian composer, conductor, and educator. Life and career Dr Paul Terracini started out his musical career holding a permanent position of Principal Trumpet from 1975 till 1979 within the Australian Opera ...

1982–88 *

Vanessa Tomlinson Vanessa Tomlinson (born 1971) is an Australian percussionist, composer, artistic director and educator. She is Director of Creative Arts Research Institute and Head of Percussion at Griffith University and has produced 150 publications. She is ...

Carl Vine Carl Edward Vine, (born 8 October 1954) is an Australian composer of contemporary classical music. From 1975 he has worked as a freelance pianist and composer with a variety of theatre and dance companies, and ensembles. Vine's catalogue inclu ...

Lev Vlassenko Lev Nikolaevich Vlassenko ( Russian: Лев Никола́евич Вла́сенко; 24 December 1928 – 24 August 1996), was a Soviet pianist and teacher. Biography Lev Vlassenko was born on 24 December 1928 in Tiflis, Georgian SSR, Soviet Un ...

* Natasha Vlassenko * Nancy Weir * Christopher Wrench

Alumni

Notable students who attended the Queensland Conservatorium of Music include:Alumni – Queensland Conservatorium
Accessed: 14 June 2007. *

Daniel Amalm Daniel Amalm (born 16 February 1979) is an Australian actor and musician. Early life Amalm's mother is Maltese and his father is Swedish. Amalm's father introduced him to guitar from an early age. Amalm's first performances were as a busker ...

* Jason Barry-Smith *

Jeffrey Black Jeffrey Black (born September 6, 1962) is an Australian baritone who has had an active international performance career since the early 1980s. A frequent performer with Opera Australia and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, he has performed lead ...

Ray Chen Ray Chen (born 6 March 1989) is a Taiwanese-Australian violinist. He was the first prize winner of the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Competition and the 2008 International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition. Career Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Chen began ...

Gerry Connolly Gerald Edward Connolly (born March 30, 1950) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 11th congressional district, first elected in 2008. The district is anchored in Fairfax County, an affluent suburban coun ...

Sarah Crane Sarah Crane (born 9 September 1972 in Brisbane) is an Australian operatic soprano. Education After attending All Hallows' School in Brisbane, Crane graduated in 1997 from the Queensland Conservatorioum of Music and received the Brisbane Lord M ...

*Tyson Illingworth (known as

TyDi TyDi (; born Tyson Illingworth, 31 May 1987) is an Australian songwriter, record producer and DJ specializing in electronic dance music. Originally from Queensland, TyDi was signed by Armin van Buuren's Armada label at 17 and was ranked at N ...

) *

Brett Dean Brett Dean (born 23 October 1961) is an Australian composer, violist and conductor. Biography Brett Dean was born, raised and educated in Brisbane. He started learning violin at the age of eight, and later studied viola with Elizabeth Morgan ...

Candy Devine Candy Devine, Order of the British Empire, MBE (born ca. 1939) is the stage name of Faye Ann McLeod (born Faye Ann Guivarra), an Australian-born broadcaster, singer, and actress. She was a radio broadcaster and singer in Northern Ireland for o ...

, son of Conservatorium teacher Donald Smith * Helen Donaldson * Lisa Gasteen * Clare Gormley and Miriam Gormley"Vice Chancellor's Report to Council"
, 2 December 2013, p. 22 *

Dami Im Dami Im ( , , ; born October 17, 1988) is a South Korean-born Australian singer and songwriter. She represented Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 held in Stockholm, Sweden with the song " Sound of Silence", placing second and ach ...

* Graeme Jennings *

Astrid Jorgensen Astrid Jorgensen is an Australian vocalist, conductor and composer. She is the founder and director of Pub Choir''.'' Early life Jorgensen was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, and emigrated to Brisbane, Australia, in 1998. She attended Lourdes Hi ...

Kanon (singer) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She is signed to Sony Music Japan International. Her latest mini album, ''My Road ~ Songs for Guin Saga'' was released on August 26, 2009. Her fifth album planned to be released on March 31, 2011, as she state ...

* Lynette Lancini *

Piers Lane Piers Lane (born 8 January 1958) is an Australian classical pianist. His performance career has taken him to more than 40 countries. His concerto repertoire exceeds 75 works. Early life Lane's English father and Australian mother met while au ...

Rosario La Spina Rosario La Spina is an Australian operatic tenor who has had an active international career since the early 2000s. He has worked with many leading opera houses and orchestras, singing under such conductors as Renato Palumbo, Bruno Bartoletti, ...

Adam Lopez Adam Lopez Costa (born 26 August 1975) is an Australian pop musician, vocal coach, and session vocalist. He is noted for his ability to produce extremely high notes in his whistle register and for his extensive six-octave vocal range. From 2008 ...

Tahu Matheson Tahu John Parke Matheson (born 1977) is an Australian classical pianist and conductor. He was born in London, grew up in Australia, and currently resides in London. Career Piano Tahu began his piano studies at the age of five with his father, ...

Kate Miller-Heidke Kate Melina Miller-Heidke (; born 16 November 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Although classically trained, she has generally followed a career in alternative pop music. She signed to Sony Australia, Epic in the US and RCA in th ...

Katie Noonan Katie Anne Noonan (born 2 May 1977) is an Australian singer-songwriter. In addition to a successful solo career encompassing opera, jazz, pop, rock and dance, she was the singer in the band George and remains the singer in the band Elixir; perf ...

Barnaby Ralph Barnaby Ralph (born 14 October 1969) is a professional virtuoso recorder player. He studied with a number of teachers, including Rosalind Kelly and John Martin in Australia and Hans Maria Kneihs in Vienna. In 2000, he was awarded the Postgraduat ...

John Rodgers (musician) John Rodgers (born 1962) is a Brisbane-based Australian composer, improviser, violinist, pianist and guitarist. Early life Rodgers was born in North Queensland and spent his early years there. Education Rodgers was awarded the 1983 Vada Jef ...

* Barry Singh *

Megan Washington Megan Alexanda Washington (born 7 January 1986) is an Australian musician and songwriter who has worked mononymously as Washington. Originally performing jazz music, her style shifted to indie pop and alternative rock. She has released three ...

Jonathon Welch Jonathon Charles Welch (born 5 October 1958) is an Australian choral conductor, opera singer and voice teacher. As a singer, Welch has been a tenor for the Victoria State Opera, Lyric Opera of Queensland and Opera Australia. During 2006 Welc ...

* Christopher Wrench * The Kite String Tangle *

TwoSet Violin TwoSet Violin is a musical comedy duo consisting of Australian violinists Brett Yang and Eddy Chen. The pair is best known for their musical comedy on their YouTube channel, which has reached over 3.8 million subscribers and 1.2 billion views a ...

(Brett Yang and Eddy Chen)

Awards

APRA Classical Music Awards

The APRA Classical Music Awards are presented annually by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and

Australian Music Centre The Australian Music Centre (AMC), formerly known briefly as Sounds Australian, is a national organisation promoting and supporting art music in Australia, founded in 1974. It co-hosts the Art Music Awards along with APRA AMCOS, and publishes ...

(AMC). , - , 2006 , , ''Encounters: Meetings in Australian Music'' program – curated by Vincent Plush – Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre,

, , Outstanding Contribution by an Organisation , ,

References

External links

* *
Queensland Conservatorium Events Homepage
{{authority control APRA Award winners Music schools in Australia Education in Brisbane Culture of Brisbane Tourist attractions in Brisbane Buildings and structures in Brisbane Griffith University 1957 establishments in Australia Educational institutions established in 1957 South Brisbane, Queensland Colleges of Advanced Education