Senior Performing Arts

Orange Eisteddfod

Last week, our Junior School and Senior School Concert Bands, Orchestra, Stage Band, Wind Quintet, Chamber Strings, iStrings and Junior School String Quartet performed at the Orange Eisteddfod with outstanding success.

A special congratulations goes to our Wind Quintet, who competed in an Open Section against many of their own teachers and tutors and achieved a commendable third place. All other ensembles placed first in their respective sections, reflecting the tremendous dedication, practice and rehearsal time invested by our students throughout the year. Well done to all performers and their exceptional ensemble directors on these fantastic results.

Congratulations also to the many individual students who competed across a range of solo sections, achieving excellent results and representing the School with skill and confidence.

The Gig

This weekend, Hamish Slack-Smith, Bede Hammond and Daniel Lord will be performing in their band JUPAN at The Gig. As part of the event, CCT Productions is hosting an Emerging Talent Stage, providing young musicians with the opportunity to perform on a professionally produced stage and showcase their talents to a wider audience.

We are incredibly proud of these students and excited to see them share their musical talents with the community. We wish them all the very best for a fantastic performance and look forward to supporting their continued musical journey.

Event information is available at: The Gig – Official Site

Music 2 Showcase

Last Friday, our Music 2 and Music Extension students presented their HSC performance repertoire at the Orange Conservatorium. These performances were the culmination of many months and years of dedicated practice, preparation and perseverance, and we are incredibly proud of what they achieved. We were truly in awe of the professionalism and confidence they displayed on stage.

A sincere thank you goes to their accompanists, whose expertise, encouragement and support have played an invaluable role in helping these students.

Regional Youth Orchestra

Last week, I had the opportunity to take part in regional youth orchestra camp in Sydney, bringing together musicians from 17 different Conservatoriums across regional NSW. It was a great experience to meet people from different parts of the state and come together through our shared passion for music.

Most days, we rehearsed from 9am to 5pm, working on Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite and Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony. One of the highlights was seeing an incredible performance by the Australian World Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House, before getting the opportunity to work alongside some of the musicians from the orchestra.

Overall, it was an amazing opportunity to develop my playing, make lots of new friends and build connections with other young musicians.

By Lotte McLeod, Year 11

HSC Music 1 Showcase

Join us on Monday 7 September at 6.00pm in the School's Performance Theatre for our Music 1 Showcase.

This evening will feature our Music 1 students presenting works from their HSC performance programs across a diverse range of musical styles and instruments. The showcase provides a valuable opportunity to perform before an audience in the lead up to their HSC Performance examinations.

We are all very proud of their hard work and commitment and look forward to sharing an evening of outstanding music with our school community.

State Band Championship

From Charlotte Hoskins and Lucas Yabsley-Bell

From Charlotte: State Band Championships with the Orange Conservatorium Symphonic Wind Ensemble, competing in the C grade was a great experience, finishing in third place. Despite the challenges of our conductor pulling out sick the morning of the performance, we still came out with a good result. For my own performance experience, it was a great opportunity and very fulfilling to perform a solo in one of our pieces. 

From Lucas: I had a fantastic time competing at the State Band Championship with the City of Orange Brass Band. We competed in C Grade Brass and were very excited to come third place. It was a great experience performing with such a talented group and seeing so many other bands compete. One of the highlights was getting to see some amazing instruments, including a contrabass trombone and a small French horn that was almost the size of my hand. Overall, it was a really enjoyable and memorable experience, and I’m proud of what we achieved.

Chamber Choir 

On Monday, 24 August, Chamber Choir presented a reflective and uplifting concert that celebrated resilience, hope, love and friendship while honouring its graduating Year 12 members. The program featured a diverse repertoire of traditional and classical works. The evening concluded with heartfelt thanks to the students, accompanist Mr Luke Moxey, and the families who have supported the choir throughout the year.

Mrs Katie Sinclair, Chamber Choir Director

HSC Drama Showcase

On Thursday, 20 August, our Year 12 Drama students presented their HSC Drama Showcase, sharing the culmination of months of creativity, dedication and performance preparation. The evening featured nine individual monologues and three group performances, each exploring a diverse range of stories, themes and perspectives.

From moments of comedy and joy to powerful scenes of tension, reflection and emotion, students demonstrated both their performance skills and their ability to engage an audience. The enthusiastic and appreciative audience responded warmly throughout the evening, creating a supportive atmosphere that allowed each performer to showcase their work with confidence. We congratulate all students involved on their outstanding efforts – Bravo!

Ms Alex Dunkley

Academic Staff - Performing Arts Faculty

AMusA Recital