Elder Conservatorium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Elder School of Music is part of the University of Adelaide, it incorporates the Elder Conservatorium of Music and the former Flinders Street School of Music and is part of the Helpmann Academy. It is the oldest of Australia’s specialist music institutions, situated in Adelaide, South Australia and is named in honour of Sir Thomas Elder.
The Director and Dean is the Elder Professor of Music (Australia’s senior professorship of music, established in 1884.) In 1886, the Conservatorium established the Australian public music examinations system, and in 1918 it was the first Australian Conservatorium to award a Doctorate of Music to a woman. The Australian String Quartet is ensemble-in-residence at the Conservatorium.
The Elder Music Library is the largest music library in the Southern Hemisphere, containing just under 30 000 books, over 5400 journal volumes, over 120,000 music scores and around 22,000 sound recordings. The Electronic Music Unit contains a main studio and several small studios which are used for digital editing and other desktop operations. It is also used as a public venue for concerts of contemporary and experimental music.
As a Conservatorium, the School maintains a large number of ensembles including a Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Chorale, and the jazz choir ‘Adelaide Connection’. There are also more choirs, jazz orchestras, big bands, numerous small jazz ensembles, and chamber music groups. The School presents at least one major opera production each year.
Principal areas of study include Classical performance, Jazz performance, Composition, Musicology and Ethnomusicology, Music Education, and Music Technology. Many instrumental teachers are drawn from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Pre-degree programs comprise a range of Certificates in Classical performance, Jazz performance, Music Technology, and Composition. The School offers the academic degrees Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Studies, and Bachelor of Music Education. Postgraduate programs include graduate diplomas, Master's degrees, and the awards of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the higher Doctorate of Music (DMus).
