Brass Boys photo at Carols by Candlelight 2013

Post by Mitchell Conservatorium.

Carols by Candlelight 2013

The Creation is coming.....

Post by Mitchell Conservatorium.

News from Lithgow

Congratulations to Lithgow Scholarship holder Adrian Ma – 1^st place piano championship 14 years & under at Bathurst Eisteddfod. Adrian holds 2013 Maureen Newell Memorial Scholarship. Well done Adrian and congratulations to his teacher, Annie Burbank.

Annette Milroy 

Rock School rocked

 

CONversations - Forbes Advocate ~ July 2013

Mitchell Conservatorium Students Shine at Forbes Eisteddfod

I would like to commend the vast array of talent on show over the last week at the Forbes Eisteddfod. The town was treated to a great depth of skill through instrumental and vocal music, bands and orchestras and other ensembles. I would also like to congratulate the following Mitchell Con students and groups who received first prizes in their sections:

            Thomas Haynes – Saxophone

            Nicholas Toole – Saxophone

Holly MacGregor & Hannah Blunt – Piano duet
Alleyne Gaut – Piano

Elizabeth Hoyle – Most Promising talent trophy 10 years and under

Parkes Public School Band – primary band

Lachlan Region Community Orchestra – Senior Concert Band

Upcoming concerts

We are pleased to present some exciting concerts in terms 3 and 4 this year. Note these dates in your diaries; publicity will be released closer to the time:

·        Friday 26^th July: Alturas Tango Ensemble, Parkes Services Club, 7:30pm

·        Monday 12^th August: Seven Harp Ensemble, Forbes Town Hall, 7:30pm

·        Friday 6^th September: Showcase Concert, Forbes Public School Hall, 7pm

·        Saturday 30^th November: Solo Violin Recital, St Georges Church, Parkes, 7:30pm

·        Saturday 7^th December: Staff Concert series, venue TBA, 7:30pm

If you would like to volunteer your time at any of these concerts selling tickets at the door we would be most happy to offer yourself and two family members / friends few entry to the concert! Please call Andrew or Jane on 6852 3766 for more information.

I look forward to engaging in community music making with you!

Andrew Baker

Director, Lachlan Division

Conservatorium and Dance Studio partner to offer complete artistic experience to students

Mitchell Conservatorium Lachlan Division and Twinkle Toes Dance Studio are partnering to offer music lessons to local dance students. Twinkle Toe dance students can now access instrumental and vocal lessons and coaching, as well as music appreciation classes at the dance school alongside their dance lessons. This will offer dance students the opportunity to broaden their skills and education to other forms of artistic training, vital to students who wish to perform in a variety of contexts.

At the beginning of Term 3, Mitchell Conservatorium will launch Music and Movement classes for Tiny Tots (3 - 5 years) 4.00pm Thursdays; Juniors (6 – 8 years) 4.00pm Tuesdays and intermediate (9 – 13 years) 4.30pm Tuesdays. Individual lessons on piano, singing and guitar are also available at the school. For more information, please contact Mindy at Twinkle Toes Dance studio on 0421 442 677 or Mitchell Conservatorium on 6852 3766.

Northparkes Mine supports Lachlan Region Community Orchestra

The Mitchell Conservatorium is proud to announce that North Parkes Mine have donated $1100 to the Lachlan Region Community Orchestra. Along with the recent donation from Parkes Shire Council, we are now in a position to run sustainably into the future. 

Andrew Baker with the Lachlan Community Orchestra


The orchestra will be giving its first performance on Monday 17th June at 10am at the Forbes Eisteddfod. This is a very exciting opportunity us and we look forward to sharing our music with the community for the first time!

Celebrating Musical Partnerships

The Mitchell Conservatorium is currently celebrating 35 years of music education, live music events and community partnerships in the region. The Mitchell Conservatorium started as the Central Western Music Centre in the Bathurst, Lithgow and Lachlan Shire (as well as Orange) in May 1978 and is now one of the largest regional Conservatoriums in NSW.



Mr Terry Walker, President Friends Committee Mitchell Conservatorium
Bathurst and Fiona Thompson Executive Director celebrate
Mitchell Conservatorium’s 35 year birthday
with Bathurst Campus Scholarship students.

Sam Phillips Principal of the Mitchell College of Advanced Education (now Charles Sturt University) appointed music education lecturer Laurie Orchard as convenor of the Educational and Cultural Committee reporting directly to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music who were looking to establish a central west regional conservatorium of music like those that had been established in Newcastle in 1952 and Wollongong in 1972. After much consultation with local music teachers, enormous support from local business and the Council their vision was to become a reality. Premises were made available at the west wing of the Bathurst Courthouse through the NSW State Government and Laurie Orchard went on to become the Conservatorium’s inaugural Director from 1978 to 1987. Growth and development continued with successive Director Max Reeder 1987 to 2005 and the Conservatorium continues to flourish under the current Directorship of Fiona Thompson. All three Directors are professional musicians in their own right and this link with performance and musical education has ensured quality teaching throughout the three campuses. Successful past students include Grahame Thompson, Dale Truscott - Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Chris Hillier - Australian Opera, Jacquie Smith- Gondwana Children’s Choir and Susan Scott as well as international successes Peter Constant, Michael Clarke, Helen Sherman and Carla Blackwood.



Fiona Thompson Executive Director celebrates
Mitchell Conservatorium’s 35 year birthday
with Bathurst Campus Scholarship students

The Mitchell Conservatorium continues to bring musical participation, achievement and enjoyment into the lives of children and adults of all ages by delivering a suite of core programs; individual tuition, groups & ensembles, instrumental & band tuition in schools, Early Childhood Music classes, theory, HSC support, scholarships and bursaries, extension activities such as workshops, master classes, chamber music, jazz bands and choirs. Every one of us is musical and even if you don’t play an instrument or read music you can hum, sing or beat box along with the TV or radio to classical, jazz, country, folk, rock rhythm & blues heavy metal or rap!

A Civic Reception

The Mitchell Young Voices performed our national anthem with conductor and teacher Michelle Griffin and teacher Nicholas Newell led a Mitchell Conservatorium student string ensemble as part of the civic reception hosted by the Bathurst  Regional Council last Tuesday, for Australia's Governor-General Her Excellency Quentin Bryce.

The Governor-General arrived and was greeted by Mayor Monica Morse who introduced Her Excellency to as many community members as possible. The Governor-General seemed relaxed and at home shaking hands and chatting with the crowd.

Well done to all the Mitchell Conservatorium performers who represented us so well!

Mitchell Conservatorium Alumni blitz The Voice auditions

Two former students of the Mitchell Conservatorium have made an early impression on judges and audiences alike in the blind audition round of of the televsion sensation The Voice.

Celia Pavey from Forbes and Ryan Sanders from Bathurst both enjoyed learning music at The Con, Celia studying guitar (with Doug Richards) and violin and Ryan studying singing with Jon Lewis successfully completing his HSC music subjects with Jon in 2011.



Celia Pavey with Delta Goodrum of The Voice

Ryan Sanders

We wish them both much success in the next round of The Voice!

photos couretesy of the Parkes Champion Post and Western Advocate.

CONversation

CONversations - Forbes Advocate Column

~

April 2013

2013 marks the 35^th anniversary of the Mitchell Conservatorium – here’s a note on how it all began:

“Let’s grasp the baton” was the community call for the establishment of the State’s first regional, community-based, pre-tertiary and non-profit Music Centre in Bathurst and Orange, which became a reality in May 1978. The move to the West Wing of Bathurst Court House in 1980 was far-sighted and positive. Lithgow and Forbes Divisions (and for nine and a half-years, Wentworth Falls) subsequently joined under our umbrella. In 1995, Mitchell Conservatorium became incorporated and one year later, the Orange Regional Conservatorium became independent. We celebrated our Silver Anniversary in 2003 and our 30th Anniversary in 2008, to great acclaim in the community.

 A full house in Canowindra

Prize-winning concert pianist Daniel De Borah performed on the newly restored Collard and Collard Piano at All Saints Church, Canowindra. With thanks to Arts NSW, Daniel performed a program of Romantic period piano repertoire including Schumann and Brahms. We also thank the 90-odd audience members who turned up to support the concert.

Bass Clef Goes West – a Grand Finale

Thank you to our two tremendous tutors Justin Screen and Craig Alloway who led the final concert for these workshops at St John’s Anglican Church in Forbes. This community concert presented an eclectic program on instruments such as Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Baritone Saxophone, Tuba, Trombone and Euphonium. A hearty congratulations to all the participants.

I look forward to engaging in community music making with you!

Andrew Baker

Director, Lachlan Division