Conservatorium High School

The School accepts students from Year 7 to Year 12, providing opportunities for musically gifted young people to combine music and academic studies.{{cite web|url=http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=8147|title=Conservatorium High School|access-date=6 March 2008|work=School Locator|publisher=New South Wales Public Schools|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728082541/http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=8147|archive-date=28 July 2008|url-status=dead}} The school ranks highly in the state for academic achievement; in 2014 it was placed 9th, in 2016 10th, and in 2019 2nd in the state for Higher School Certificate results.{{cite news|last1=Ting|first1=Inga|title=HSC results 2016: James Ruse Agricultural High School tops the HSC for the 21st year running|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/hsc-results-2016-james-ruse-agricultural-high-school-tops-the-hsc-for-the-21st-year-running-20161215-gtbnwa.html|access-date=15 December 2016|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=15 December 2016}}{{cite web|title=2014 High School Rankings|url=https://www.matrix.edu.au/2014-high-school-rankings/|website=Matrix education|access-date=16 December 2016}}

The school counts among its alumni some of Australia's most acclaimed performers, teachers, composers, and musicians, who have made their mark in all facets of the music profession.

The school was established at the behest of Henri Verbrugghen, foundation director of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, and enrolled its first students in 1918. The inaugural principal, Peter Steele, was seconded from Sydney Boys High School and taught in both the secondary and tertiary programs of the Conservatorium.{{cite book|last1=Collins|first1=Dianne|title=Sounds from the Stables: The Story of Sydney's Conservatorium|date=2001|publisher=Allen & Unwin}}

File:Macquarie Night Lights 006.jpg

{{Main|Sydney Conservatorium of Music#Building description}}

Adjoining the Botanic Gardens and overlooking Farm Cove, the Conservatorium of Music is one of Sydney's best-known heritage sites. The heart of the Conservatorium is the turreted sandstone structure that was designed by the convict architect Francis Greenway to serve as vice-regal stables for Government House, which is across the gardens to the north. Extensive redevelopment in the late 1990s transformed the Con into a teaching, research, and music performance complex with expanded accommodation for around 160 Conservatorium High School students.{{cite news|last1=Cummins|first1=Jamie|title=A century of sweet Sydney music as iconic Conservatorium turns 100|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-06/a-century-of-sweet-music-as-the-'con'-turns-100/6448852|access-date=15 December 2016|publisher=ABC 702|date=6 May 2015}}

In addition to standard school classrooms, school offices, and staff room, the School has access to 53 teaching studios, 63 practice rooms, 140 pianos, 15 seminar and ensemble rooms, choral and instrumental rehearsal rooms, three recital/lecture halls, and two major concert halls.{{cite web|title=Facilities|url=https://conhigh.nsw.edu.au/about-2/facilities/|website=Conservatorium High School|access-date=16 December 2016}}

Specialist facilities of the school include:

• Joseph Post Auditorium with recording facilities
• Music computer laboratory
• Keyboard laboratory
• Recording studio and electronic music production suite
• General computer laboratory
• Science laboratory
• Visual arts and design and technology studio
• Student Independent Learning Centre

The school has access to other Conservatorium of Music venues such as:

• Recital halls
• Practice and ensemble rooms
• The Music Workshop
• Verbrugghen Hall

Students have access to the Conservatorium Library, one of Australia's finest academic music libraries, run by the University of Sydney. The Conservatorium Library functions as both a secondary school library and a university research library. Its collection dates from the establishment of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music. The Library holds some 100,000 scores, 32,000 books, 20,000 CDs/DVDs, 12,000 vinyl recordings, print and electronic journals, and databases of streamed recordings and digitised scores. In addition to music, the collection covers school subjects such as creative arts, English, human society and its environment, languages, mathematics, science, and technology.

The School is staffed and administered by the New South Wales Department of Education. Instrumental tuition, chamber music programs, and individual composition lessons are provided by Sydney University staff and other highly qualified and highly regarded musicians, composers, conductors, and musicologists. Students regularly participate in Conservatorium concerts and masterclasses.

Admission is through a competitive process of auditions and workshops that assess each applicant's potential and level of achievement. Auditions are held each year around August. Prospective students must also sit the NSW Selective High School Placement Test or other psychometric assessment.{{cite web|title=Academic Tests|url=https://conhigh.nsw.edu.au/entry-criteria/academic-tests/|website=Conservatorium High School|access-date=15 December 2016}}

The Conservatorium High School Parents and Citizens Association encourages parental representation on curriculum, finance, welfare and school management committees, and in a variety of fundraising activities.{{cite web|title=Us|url=http://conhighpandc.org.au|website=Conservatorium High School P&C|access-date=15 December 2016}}

Subjects offered for students in Years 7–10 include: music, science, English, history, mathematics, geography, Mandarin, visual arts, design and technology, drama, personal development and health, performance workshop program, physical education, sports.

Subjects offered to students in Years 11–12 may include: music 2, music extension, music performance board-endorsed course (performance workshop program, ensembles, chamber music and choir, house concerts), ancient history, modern history, history extension, biology, chemistry, physics, English advanced, English extension 1, English extension 2, French, German, mathematics general, mathematics, mathematics extension 1, mathematics extension 2, visual arts, and Mandarin.

Conservatorium High School students take part in a full program of individual, small ensemble, orchestral and choral music training and performance, as well as tuition in composition, music history, and music theory.

Students receive tuition on their chosen instruments, mostly from teachers from the Sydney Conservatorium, a faculty of the University of Sydney. The standard semester requirement for all students is 16 one-to-one weekly lessons of one hour's duration on their major instrument, and 16 one-to-one weekly lessons of half-an-hour's duration on their minor instrument.{{cite web|title=Music Program|url=https://conhigh.nsw.edu.au/academic/music-department/|website=Conservatorium High School|access-date=16 December 2016}}

Students in Years 8–12 take part in either Junior or Senior Small Ensembles each week. Students in years 11 and 12 participate performance workshop classes for one hour per week. Included are classes on all aspects of performance, including such related topics as meditation, remedial posture work, and performance anxiety.

Every year the school holds a regular program of public concerts, often attracting world-renowned musicians to perform with the students. The school presents three major choral/orchestral concerts each year. Term 2 showcases the annual concert and term 3 is the valedictory concert and farewell to Year 12. The winner of the School's annual concerto competition also performs with the orchestra on this occasion. At annual house concerts, held at the very end of Term 4, the houses compete for a trophy in one of the school's most esteemed musical events. Students are responsible for sourcing the music and obtaining permission to perform it. The criteria against which the performances are judged by professional guest adjudicators.{{cite web|title=Music Program|url=https://conhigh.nsw.edu.au/academic/music-department/|website=Conservatorium High School|access-date=16 December 2016}}

The School appointed Carolyn Watson as conductor-in-residence in 2011. Recent repertoire performed under Watson includes Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition in a performance involving every student at the school, the first all-Australian program featuring works by composers Vine, Sculthorpe, Stanhope, Hindson and John Peterson; and Mozart's Requiem performed to capacity audiences. In addition to orchestral concerts, there are chamber music concerts, soloist concerts, large- and small-ensemble concerts, and assembly performances.{{cite web|title=Annual School Reports|url=https://conhigh.nsw.edu.au/about-2/annual-school-reports/|website=Conservatorium High School|access-date=15 December 2016}}

The Conservatorium High School is a public school and academic tuition fees are set by the government. The cost of compulsory individual music program tuition with teachers of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music is subsidised for students enrolling at the Conservatorium High School. Scholarships are available for special programs and purposes.{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://conhigh.nsw.edu.au/entry-criteria/frequently-asked-questions/|website=Conservatorium High School|access-date=15 December 2016}}

The school's alumni association, the Conservatorium High Association of Old Students, aims to keep alumni connected through events and a regular newsletter, "This week at Con High". The Association also puts on concerts that raise funds for student grants and scholarships.{{cite web |title = CHAOS |url = http://chaosinternet.com/index.htm |website = Conservatorium High Association of Old Students |access-date = 15 December 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110912052451/http://www.chaosinternet.com/index.htm |archive-date = 12 September 2011 |url-status = dead }}

Notable alumni of the Conservatorium High School include:

{{alumni|date=May 2019}}

• Jack Colwell{{spaced endash}}singer-songwriter{{Cite Instagram |last=Colwell |first=Jack |author-link=Jack Colwell |user=jvckcolwell |postid=C_mSTc6SWfS |date=7 September 2024 |title=big emotional day for me conducting back at my high school! 💕 x |script-title= |location= |access-date=7 October 2024 |link= |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |ref=}}
• Iva Davies{{spaced endash}}songwriter, composer, lead singer of Icehouse
• Sam Fischer{{spaced endash}}pop-rock singer-songwriter
• John Foreman{{spaced endash}}musician and television personality
• Martin Lass{{spaced endash}}classical crossover violinist and recording artist
• Jade MacRae{{spaced endash}}soul singer and recording artist
• Kim Moyes{{spaced endash}}producer, DJ & half of The Presets
• Jane Rutter{{spaced endash}}flautist and recording artist
• Toby Thatcher{{spaced endash}}oboist and assistant conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO)
• Richard Tognetti{{spaced endash}}violinist, composer, and conductor, artistic director and leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO)
• Barry Tuckwell{{spaced endash}}Grammy-nominated horn player and conductor
• Roger Woodward{{spaced endash}}classical concert pianist

{{Portal|New South Wales|Schools|Music}}

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{{Reflist}}

• [https://conservat-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/ Conservatorium High School website]
• [http://www.conhighpandc.org.au/ Conservatorium High School Parents and Citizens Association]
• {{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sacking-escalates-tensions-at-music-school/2007/12/27/1198345162040.html |title=Sacking escalates tensions at music school |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |author=Patty, Anna |date=27 December 2007 }}
• {{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/the-con-calls-in-a-peace-broker/2007/04/03/1175366235507.html |title=The Con calls in a peace broker |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |author=Patty, Anna |date=3 April 2007 }}
• {{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/high-school-accused-of-elitism/2007/11/19/1195321697163.htmL |title=High school accused of elitism |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |author=Patty, Anna |date=19 November 2007 }}
• {{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/timeline-sydney-conservatorium-of-music-controversies-20150702-gi3elw.html |title=Timeline: Sydney Conservatorium of Music controversies |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |author=Yatman, Brian |date=2 July 2015 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20091222070459/http://chaosinternet.com/Score15.pdf]

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Category:Creative and performing arts high schools in New South Wales

Category:Educational institutions established in 1918

Category:Public high schools in Sydney

Category:1918 establishments in Australia

Category:Macquarie Street, Sydney