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Articles by Sydney Conservatorium
The joy of song: where songbirds came from and why we should listen to them
In 2001, I had an epiphany while making my first trip to Australia. Walking across a remote sheep station in the dusty west, my ears were suddenly filled with the rich, spirited song of three pied butcherbirds. Together, their voices wafted through the air like a hauntingly beautiful flute. That was the first time I encountered a trio of singing birds. I was instantly captivated. Almost three decades later, I’ve built a career as a musician, composer and Read complete article © The Conversation -
The joy of song: where songbirds came from and why we should listen to them
Banu R/Getty In 2001, I had an epiphany while making my first trip to Australia. Walking across a remote sheep station in the dusty west, my ears were suddenly filled with the rich, spirited song of three pied butcherbirds. Together, their voices wafted through the air like a hauntingly beautiful flute. That was the first time I encountered a trio of singing birds. I was instantly captivated.
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Sydney Conservatorium of Music Verbrugghen Hall - Sydney Conservatorium of Music The Verbrugghen Hall at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music is a classic concert hall featuring a permanent stage. The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is a global centre of excellence in music, providing leading edge education, research and performance. Official Tickets ticketmaster.com.au Accessible Seating For wheelchair bookings, in the Stalls, please contact Ticketmaster Customer Service on 13 6100.
Brahms Before and After
This piano solo recital program by Daniel Herscovitch revolves around the music of Johannes Brahms, beginning with the delightful Sonata in B major D.575 by Franz Schubert, who had a big influence on Brahms.
Solitary silence and social sounds: music can influence mental imagery, inducing thoughts of social interactions - Scientific Reports
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by a marked increase in the use of music listening for self-regulation. During these challenging times, listeners reported they used music ‘to keep them company’; indicating that they may have turned to music for social solace. However, whether this is simply a figure of speech or an empirically observable effect on social thought that extends into mental imagery was previously unclear, despite its great potential for applications.
Myth meets modernity in Aphrodite, a striking opera that dissects the links between beauty, power and desire
Myth meets modernity in Aphrodite, a striking opera that dissects the links between beauty, power and desire By Laura Case, Lecturer in Musicology, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney Nico Muhly’s Aphrodite reimagines the mythological goddess for the modern age, in a production that is both visually stunning and musically engaging. Read complete article © The Conversation - Sunday, June 22, 2025
Myth meets modernity in Aphrodite, a striking opera that dissects the links between beauty, power and desire
Daniel Boud A new opera by American composer Nico Muhly is reimagining the myth of Aphrodite through a contemporary lens, exploring beauty, desire and identity in a strikingly relevant way. Aphrodite had its world premiere on Friday at Sydney’s Carriageworks arts precinct. The opera is directed by Alexander Berlage, performed by the Sydney Chamber Opera (in collaboration with Omega Ensemble), and features a sharp libretto by Melbourne playwright Laura Lethlean.
Jaws at 50: how two musical notes terrified an entire generation
Universal Pictures Our experience of the world often involves hearing our environment before seeing it. Whether it’s the sound of something moving through nearby water, or the rustling of vegetation, our fear of the unseen is rooted in our survival instincts as a species. Cinematic sound and music taps into these somewhat unsettling instincts – and this is exactly what director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams achieved in the iconic 1975 thriller Jaws.
How visionary Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson changed music – and my life
The Beach Boys in 1962 in Los Angeles, California. Brian Wilson is on the left. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Brian Wilson, leader, songwriter and producer of the Beach Boys, has passed away at age 82. He leaves behind a legacy of beautiful, joyous, bittersweet and enduring music, crafted over a career spanning six decades.
Parrwang Lifts The Sky
Did you know that the Magpies created the first dawn?* A long time ago…. The sky was a blanket on the land. The earth was in darkness and the people were afraid. It was a very sad state of affairs and would have stayed that way except for the courage of Parrwang the Magpie. Tjatja and Koki are young, adventurous and tired of living in the dark.
Flora, The Red Menace
« All Events - 9:00 pm AEST Do you believe that theatre and the arts are fundamental to society when times are tough? Do you believe our political ideologies mean nothing without creativity, community and love? Then come experience The Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s third year Musical Theatre cohort as they present Flora, The Red Menace, the very first musical from revered writing duo Kander & Ebb.
Big Girls Don’t Cry is a powerful, heart-wrenching, and comical celebration of Indigenous resilience and survival
Big Girls Don’t Cry is a powerful, heart-wrenching, and comical celebration of Indigenous resilience and survival By Laura Case, Lecturer in Musicology, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney This new play at Belvoir follows three best friends who share a house together in 1960s Redfern, the heart of ‘Blak Sydney’. Read complete article © The Conversation - Monday, April 14, 2025
String Theory: Why Are the Violins the Biggest Section in the Orchestra?
Sitting prominently at the forefront, violinists often command attention in orchestras due to their strategic placement and the melodic prominence of their parts. The prominence of violinists in orchestras is linked to their role in carrying melodies and balancing the ensemble’s sound as it expanded over centuries. The evolution from classical to modern orchestras has influenced both the number of violinists and the overall layout of the orchestra.
Why are the violins the biggest section in the orchestra?
© 2024 Tolerance.ca ® Inc. All reproduction rights reserved. All information reproduced on the Web pages of www.tolerance.ca (including articles, images, photographs, and logos) is protected by intellectual property rights owned by Tolerance.ca ® Inc. or, in certain cases, by its author. Any reproduction of the information for use other than personal use is prohibited.
Why are the violins the biggest section in the orchestra?
As the largest section of the orchestra, sitting front and centre of the stage performing memorable melodies, it’s easy for violinists to steal the limelight. Ask any violinist why there are so many in an orchestra, and we’ll often reply, tongue-in-cheek: “obviously it’s because we’re the best”. The real answer is a bit more complex, and combines reasons both logistical and historical.
Aboriginal performers have been singing up the streets of Sydney for NAIDOC week since 1959
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. Following on from the failed referendum, this year’s NAIDOC theme, “Keep the fire burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”, continues NAIDOC’s long-standing practice of responding to current events and looking to the future of the ongoing survival of Indigenous people. NAIDOC events have always combined advocacy, protest and celebrations of culture through music, dance and art.
how Vangelis used electronic music to explore what it means to be human
In June 1994 the late composer Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou[1] – better known as Vangelis – released his soundtrack for the 1982 film Blade Runner. It would go on to become emblematic of his skills, with only a handful of soundtracks reaching a similar level of cult status. Prior to this, sci-fi film scores tended to be characterised by orchestral sound palettes.
New Disney documentary The Beach Boys tells the iconic band’s story - but not the whole story
In 2012, I watched as the remaining members of the Beach Boys played together for their 50th anniversary. As they launched into When I Grow Up (to be a Man)[1], I reflected on the experience of listening to elderly men sing about what they’ll be when they “grow up”, in a band whose name never allows them to grow old. This contrast captured the essence of the Beach Boys’ story – one of both joy and sadness, of hits and misses, and of friendship and family.
From Mary Poppins to Winnie the Pooh, Richard Sherman wrote the soundtrack of life for generations of children
Walt Disney songwriter Richard M. Sherman, who has died aged 95, wrote some of Hollywood’s greatest film musical songs and brightened the days of children, parents and school teachers around the world. Working with his brother Robert, who died in 2012 aged 86, Richard created chirpy, toe-tapping and often poignant songs in Hollywood films such as Mary Poppins (1964), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), The Jungle Book (1967) and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).
Is Now and Then really a Beatles song? The fab four always used technology to create new music
Over the past few weeks, Paul McCartney has been touring Australia to play through three hours of his musical legacy – from Beatles and Wings favourites to solo material, and some unexpected deep cuts. A particularly moving pair of songs was the bookending of McCartney’s performance of In Spite of All the Danger (the first song the band recorded as The Quarrymen) and the performance of The End – one of the last songs the Beatles recorded together.
Sydney Conservatorium Brass Ensemble
Sydney Conservatorium of Music Brass Ensemble presents an eclectic program of Australian and traditional brass repertoire.
Oppenheimer has an epic, layered soundtrack - but its real power is in the silence
Christopher Nolan’s biopic on the theoretical scientist Robert Oppenheimer, who became known as the “father of the atomic bomb”, has an epic soundtrack. We follow Oppenheimer’s early work in Europe, establishing the Los Alamos lab, the creation of the atomic bombs released on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, his later activism against nuclear development and its repercussions in his later life. The music and sound design are integral to telling this dark story.
Oppenheimer has an epic, layered soundtrack - but its real power is in the silence
© Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Christopher Nolan’s biopic on the theoretical scientist Robert Oppenheimer, who became known as the “father of the atomic bomb”, has an epic soundtrack. We follow Oppenheimer’s early work in Europe, establishing the Los Alamos lab, the creation of the atomic bombs released on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, his later activism against nuclear development and its repercussions in his later life. The music and sound design are integral to telling this dark story.
In 1951, corroboree dancers in Darwin went on strike: their actions would reverberate as far as Melbourne
Performers in Aboriginal Moomba: Out of the Dark, in 1951. Produced by Bill Onus and Doug Nicholls of the Australian Aborigines' League. State Library of Victoria Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. “No Fred – No Lawrence – No Corroboree” ran the February 16 1951 headline in the Darwin newspaper The Northern Standard.
how Aboriginal musicians enhanced and maintained community in 20th century Australia
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. The European violin was initially an imposition on Indigenous culture. But Aboriginal engagement with the violin cannot be exclusively seen as a means of cultural loss. To only report the brutality and destruction of the British empire in Australia is to miss seeing how Indigenous people engaged, influenced, rejected and survived the forces of empire.
Fusing traditional culture and the violin: how Aboriginal musicians enhanced and maintained community in 20th century Australia
© 2023 Tolerance.ca ® Inc. All reproduction rights reserved. All information reproduced on the Web pages of www.tolerance.ca (including articles, images, photographs, and logos) is protected by intellectual property rights owned by Tolerance.ca ® Inc. or, in certain cases, by its author. Any reproduction of the information for use other than personal use is prohibited.
Fusing traditional culture and the violin: how Aboriginal musicians enhanced and maintained community in 20th century Australia
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. The European violin was initially an imposition on Indigenous culture. But Aboriginal engagement with the violin cannot be exclusively seen as a means of cultural loss. To only report the brutality and destruction of the British empire in Australia is to miss seeing how Indigenous people engaged, influenced, rejected and survived the forces of empire.
how Aboriginal musicians enhanced and maintained community in 20th century Australia
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. The European violin was initially an imposition on Indigenous culture. But Aboriginal engagement with the violin cannot be exclusively seen as a means of cultural loss. To only report the brutality and destruction of the British empire in Australia is to miss seeing how Indigenous people engaged, influenced, rejected and survived the forces of empire.
Intimate and immense: remembering Kaija Saariaho, one of the greatest composers of our time
The Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho passed away Friday at the age of 70. There’s been an outpouring of grief, sadness and love on social media and in statements from orchestras, festivals and opera companies as the music community processes the loss of one of the greatest composers of our time. When I was a young composer, the first work by Saariaho I heard live was Jardin Secret I (1985) at the 1988 Hong Kong ISCM Festival.
Intimate and immense: remembering Kaija Saariaho, one of the greatest composers of our time
The Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho passed away Friday at the age of 70. There’s been an outpouring of grief, sadness and love on social media and in statements from orchestras, festivals and opera companies as the music community processes the loss of one of the greatest composers of our time. When I was a young composer, the first work by Saariaho I heard live was Jardin Secret I (1985) at the 1988 Hong Kong ISCM Festival.
why I deeply loved the music of Succession
Iconic television shows share unforgettable title sequences that have lived on as sonic calling cards we can quickly identify. The television show’s opening sequence has artfully evolved from the memorable tunes of bygone radio formats into an expositional bookmark that sets the tone of what’s coming in a series. For the viewer, the opening titles draw us into a narrative world.
Showy, impractical to play, and looks like the 1980s: why we keep falling for the keytar
This year, Perth synth-metal band Voyager finally succeeded in their long-running dream of representing Australia at Eurovision. After multiple attempts, they were directly chosen by the post-Australia Decides “committious mysterious” and hopped on the long haul to Liverpool. They did not disappoint, making it through to the final. Their song, Promise, was voted ninth by an adoring fanbase. Not bad indeed! But what even is synth-metal?
why we keep falling for the keytar
Wed May 17 Written by Paul (Mac) McDermott, Lecturer in Contemporary Music, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, University of Sydney This year, Perth synth-metal band Voyager finally succeeded in their long-running dream of representing Australia at Eurovision. After multiple attempts, they were directly chosen by the post-Australia Decides “committious mysterious”[1] and hopped on the long haul to Liverpool. They did not disappoint, making it through to the final.
Inspiration, influence and theft: what the Ed Sheeran case can tell us about 70 years of pop music
Earlier today, a US court ruled in favour of singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, agreeing his song Thinking Out Loud did not breach musical copyright.
Many define Adele's voice by its power. But the true artistry comes from her fragile, authentic self
Adele writes and sings female rites of passage: 19 was the teen experience; 21 the transition to adulthood; 25 relationships. Now, 30 reveals the pain of letting go. Adele’s singing is imperfect perfection. As described by Amanda Petrusich in the New Yorker, “her voice is not a crystal stream. It is a gust of wind that’s picked up some grit.” Adele’s songs can gut-punch, and this new album intends for the audience to feel.
Decoding the music masterpieces: Liszt's Consolation in D flat - serene sweetness and melancholy
Dreamy, slow-moving and gentle, the D flat Consolation is far from our accepted picture of Liszt, which is often taken from caricatures of his solo recitals: wild hair and eyes, hands flying off the keyboard. It was written at a crucial turning point for the composer.
reasons to get with online choirs
On March 10 2020, Skagit Valley, Washington – a town with no known cases of COVID-19 – held a choir rehearsal. There was hand sanitiser at the door, no direct contact between choristers, no-one coughed or was ill. Out of the 60 choristers in attendance, at least 53 became ill and two have died from COVID-19 complications. On March 8, a 130-person choir performed at the Concertgebouw in the Netherlands. Four people associated with the choir died, and 102 fell sick.
The secret of TikTok's success? Humans are wired to love imitating dance moves
Since its launch in 2016, the online video sharing platform TikTok has grown at an astonishing rate. The app has been downloaded more than a billion times, and more than 700 million people around the world (most of them quite young) use it every day. TikTok’s design brings together music, video, dance and viral challenges to create one of the most energetic nodes in the web of popular culture in 2020.
Black Drop Effect review: infusing the present moment with layers of the past
Review: Black Drop Effect, directed by Felix Cross for Sydney Festival Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names of deceased people. Nardi Simpson’s debut play Black Drop Effect is the “immersive” experience the Sydney Festival program promises. Sitting in the stalls, as the sky darkened behind the outdoor stage, I was immersed in the present moment, in January 2020, and in the past too.
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