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.
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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.
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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!
