Principal's Report

Past Student Achievement

The Eltham High School Music Alumni remains a strong foundation of the Eltham High School community.  We have had many students progress on to professional careers that started here.  In this article I would like to shine the spotlight on one of our past students whose passion, hard work and commitment to music have led him down ta wonderful career path that has allowed him to become the consummate musician he is today.

Jes Broeren (Class of 2017, Rutter (Toner) House), first picked up a clarinet at our Year 7 “Try an Instrument” Music Night in 2012.  He has since gone on to study at the University of Melbourne (Honours), held a fellowship with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2023 and has now been accepted into the prestigious Royal School of Music in Stockholm, Sweden to undertake his Masters studies. The following artistic biography, outlines Jes’ endeavours and achievements since graduating from Eltham High School:

“Jes Broeren is one of Australia’s finest young clarinet players, accomplished in orchestral, chamber and solo playing. Having studied music performance at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music under David Griffiths, David Thomas, and Paul Champion, Jes graduated with first-class honours. Throughout his time at the Melbourne Conservatorium he was the recipient of multiple scholarships including the Barbara Bishop Hewitt Scholarship, Lady Turner Exhibitions in Music, Bebbington Prize, Wright Prize in Instrumental Music, Ormond Exhibition in Music, and the Mary Thurman Scholarship.

An avid orchestral player, Jes was most recently one of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellows in 2023, playing with the orchestra throughout the year on principal, second, and auxiliary positions under conductors such as Simone Young and Sir Donald Runnicles in the Opera House. He has also had the privilege to play with some of Australia’s finest orchestras including the West Australian Symphony Orchestra where he completed a trial for the associate principal position, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Victorian Opera, and is also on the casual list for Orchestra Victoria, the Opera Australia Orchestra, and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra. He has regularly enjoyed playing with the Australian Youth Orchestra throughout his career, and the Melbourne University Symphony Orchestra whilst completing his degree.

Jes also has a passion for chamber music and solo performance. He thoroughly enjoyed performing Bruckner’s Mass in E Minor with Momentum Ensemble last year alongside the St. James Choir. He has performed with musicians from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in multiple chamber concerts, including repertoire such as Stravinsky’s ‘Soldiers Tale’, and has also participated in esteemed courses such as the Australian Youth Orchestra’s Chamber Players program. Jes also joined the Scotia Festival of Music in Halifax, Canada where he played in multiple chamber concerts throughout the festival. In terms of solo playing, Jes has had masterclasses with multiple experts in the field including Francesco Celata, Dominic Desautels, Jose Franch-Ballester, Andrew Simon, Lorenzo Antonio-Iosco and more. He received first prize in the MCM Clarinet Day Young Artist Competition, and also received first-class honours for every recital throughout his degree.

Not just a performer, Jes also loves to teach music and strongly believes it is extremely important to pass on his knowledge and skills to the younger generation. He has experience teaching clarinet and piano across a wide range of people all ages and skill levels, as well as participating as a tutor in regional youth orchestra programs and band camps.

Looking to the future, Jes is extremely excited to be moving to Stockholm to complete a Masters degree in clarinet performance. He will be studying under Andreas Sundén, former principal of the Royal Concertgebouw and current principal of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Jes can’t wait to study abroad and gain valuable industry experience, learn from the best teachers Europe has to offer, compete in competitions, participate in festivals and masterclasses, and more.”

What a wonderful and extensive collection of accolades for such a young musician. Well done Jes. We wish you well and we are very proud of what you have achieved so far and look forward to the many more to come. 

In the short window he is back home in Eltham, he will be teaching at the upcoming Eltham High School Music Camps in July and also performing a concert with a string quartet at Eltham's Montsalvat on 21 July 2024 in the evening.  This has been motivated by his deep appreciation of the opportunity Eltham High School has given him, a thanks to the broader community (including his sister Emily who painted the artwork) and the opportunity to celebrate, through music, being at home with his family and friends.

If you would like to attend Jes' concert, you can find tickets through the QR code or at the following: https://events.humanitix.com/jes-broeren-recital"

Student Achievement: State Volleyball Competitions

Congratulations to James Beddoe (Year 8, Everard House) and Jack Beddoe (Year 8, Everard House) for having been selected into the School Sport Victoria – 15 and Under Boys State Volleyball team to compete at the School Sport Australia 2024 Volleyball Championships next week at Olympic Park – Sydney. The competition will run between Sunday 2 June to Friday 7 June. 

We also congratulate Mayra Pacioni (Year 9, Skipper House), Alisa Kayukov (Year 10, Skipper House) who have also been selected to represent Victoria in the School Sport Australia 2024 Volleyball Championships.

We wish Mayra, Alisa, James and Jack all the very best with the competition and we are very proud of their achievements.

IDAHOBIT – Friday 17 May

The following is a student’s narrative about IDAHOBIT Day, I could not have expressed it better myself. Well done Charmaine!

“Last Friday 17 May, the Harmony team organised a crafting table event to celebrate IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia. This special day aims to spread awareness about discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals and to promote pride in self-identity. The event featured fun activities like jewellery making, bead packs for shoelaces, and coloured hair spray, celebrating the vibrant spectrum of self-identity. Many students and staff joined in by wearing rainbow colours on the day. We hope this day left a positive impact on our students, reminding everyone that they deserve to feel confident and proud of who they are.”

Charmaine Lau (Year 11, Everard House)

Winter Lurgies

We know that there are lots of families who have been unwell over the past four weeks with various winter lurgies.

Here is a message from two of our Year 7 students on behalf of not only Junior School but the entire school. They are sending you all their best wishes for a speedy recovery. Keep well and take care.

Year 11 Exams

Year 11 exams are currently in full swing and students. Teachers will have the opportunity to mark the exams and to provide feedback to students prior to the end of Term. Student will shortly begin their Unit 2 studies and teachers are preparing for this. 

I congratulate the students on their approach to the exams and wish them well as they complete Unit 1 and embark on Unit 2.

VINCENT SICARI, Principal