Sydney Philharmonia Choirs announces new Choral Conducting Fellowships + Emerging Composer Awards
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs is excited to announce a series of new future focused initiatives, to boost the health and success of choral music in Australia, in 2025 and beyond.
Focused on nurturing the next generation of Australian choral music creatives the initiatives include:
- The Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Conducting Fellowships, to be awarded to two aspiring conductors annually.
- The Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Emerging Composer Awards, to be awarded to two emerging
composers annually. - A new collaboration with Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music, providing students with hands-on Chorus Master experience with Australia’s leading choirs.
Matthew Beale, who joined Sydney Philharmonia Choirs as Chief Executive Officer earlier this year:
I am thrilled to share the news of these new initiatives, created to support the young and emerging musical creatives, who will shape the future of choral music in Sydney and nationally.
Having witnessed the amazing impact of similar projects put in place during my career in the UK, I know that these types of initiatives work and are of benefit not only to the individuals involved, but also enrich the broader music ecosystem.
We see these initiatives as a vital investment in the future of Australian choral music and are proud to partner with key sponsors in making them a reality”, he concludes.
Brett Weymark OAM, long-standing Artistic & Music Director Adds:
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs has a long history of commissioning and performing new choral works alongside timeless musical masterpieces. We believe that to keep the great tradition of choral singing alive, fresh, and relevant, we must support living composers as passionately as we do the giants of history.
As Australia’s largest choral organisation, we are committed to nurturing and supporting home-grown talent, across all aspects of choral/ orchestral music making. These new next Fgen focused initiatives are just the beginning of what we hope to achieve, in our mission to ensure Australian voices are heard at the highest level.
Applications for Sydney Philharmonia Choir’s Emerging Composer Awards and Choral Conducting Fellowships are now open. Please see further information and application details below.
In 2025 Sydney Philharmonia Choirs will also partner with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, providing their conducting students essential hands-on experience in working with choirs, allowing them to regularly rehearse the Sydney Philharmonia’s virtuosic singers.
Program information and how to apply –
Conducting Fellowships The Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ Conducting Fellowships provide an invaluable opportunity for two aspiring conductors to immerse themselves in a supportive environment, at the forefront of Australia’s classical music scene, where they will be guided by leading industry figures over a 12-month period.
Each will work on four choral/orchestral productions, spanning Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ own Concert Season, commercial projects and Sydney Symphony Orchestra collaborations.
Applicants must be eligible to work in Australia and must be able to regularly attend rehearsals and performances in Sydney for the calendar year 2025.
For further information including how to apply, visit Sydney Philharmonia Choirs | Conducting Fellows
Applications close Friday 22nd November 2024.
Emerging Composer Awards
The Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ Emerging Composer Awards provides an outstanding opportunity for two young or emerging Australian composers to write a new choral composition, to be premiered by one of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ celebrated ensembles and full orchestra, on one of the world’s most iconic stages, in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.
Each will receive a generous bursary and have access to ongoing mentoring from Sydney Philharmonia’s exceptional music staff and to workshop their ideas in live rehearsals with members of the organisation’s globally acclaimed auditioned choirs.
Applicants must be Australian citizens currently studying music or a musical instrument as an under graduate or Postgraduate student.
For further information including how to apply, visit Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Emerging Composers Submissions close Saturday February 1, 2025.
For more information click HERE
