The State’s only specialist music school was founded in 1918 as the secondary arm of the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney. In addition to the Board of Studies curriculum it offers a rich Board-endorsed music program in collaboration with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (University of Sydney). The entry process, conducted twice a year in May and September, entails auditions, workshops and testing.
Facilities: The Conservatorium of Music provides state-of-the-art facilities for the study of all aspects of music; the school also integrates “connected classroom” technology. The Conservatorium Library is run jointly by the Department of Education & Training and The University of Sydney; it serves the needs of secondary and tertiary students and is open to the general public.
Electives Years 7 to 10: Mandarin, French, German, Latin, Visual Arts.
Electives Years 11 and 12: Physics, Chemistry, French, German, Mandarin, Visual Arts, Modern and Ancient History, Music, Music Extension, Maths Extension 1 and 2, Biology.
Sport: Swimming, aerobics, cycle, circuit and pump classes (by arrangement with Fitness First), rock-climbing, ice-skating, pilates, soccer.
Extracurricular activities: The school’s specialist music program entails chamber music (Years 8–12), composition, performance workshops, jazz ensemble, plus Conservatorium masterclasses.
Welfare and personal development: The school views the development of students’ musical abilities in the context of the development of the whole person. Its students’ commitment to excellence, academic and musical, is taken as given. In preparing students for the demanding profession of music and the vicissitudes of the artistic life, it aims to foster confidence in their abilities, tolerance and collegiality, a lively social conscience, and an uninhibited delight in the joy of music.
Famous ex-students: Barry Tuckwell, Roger Woodward, Lois Simpson, Jane Rutter, John Foreman, Richard Tognetti.