Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University was originally an independent tertiary-level institution, called the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
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The Conservatorium opened its doors on 18 February, 1957 and was initially based at the former South Brisbane Town Hall; its director during the first two years was the English composer William Lovelock. The conservatorium moved into the grounds of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 1975 and subsequently into its present location in 1996.[1]
The Queensland Conservatorium remained an independent tertiary institution until its amalgamation with Griffith University during the late 1980s, when the Dawkins Reforms were introduced. In 1996, as part of the amalgamation, the Conservatorium moved to its present location at the South Bank Parklands, and was then renamed as Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. The institution is affectionately known as "The Con" to students.[2] In 1999, the Conservatorium launched its Bachelor of Popular Music program and from 2000 this course has been taught from an information technology facility in the Gold Coast Campus of Griffith University.[3] In 2003, The Conservatorium Research Centre was opened as part of the 30 innovative research centres in the University. The Research Centre aims to investigate the dynamics of contemporary musical environments and is headed by Professor Huib Schippers as its director.[4]
Facilities include the Conservatorium Theatre—also used for smaller productions by Opera Queensland— which seats a maximum of 727 and has one of the highest fly towers in Australia, the Ian Hangar Recital Hall which seats 200 and the Basil Jones Orchestra Hall.[5] There are also music production, post production, multimedia lab and recording facilities both in the South Bank and Gold Coast Campuses.[6]
The Queensland Conservatorium also includes the Young Conservatorium, an external, classical based music program for pre-schoolers to year 12 students run by Ralph Hultgren, head of pre-tertiary studies. In the past 12 months the "Young Con" has engaged more than 1500 students in performances.[7]
In 2007 the Conservatorium celebrated its 50 year anniversary with alumni reunions and visiting artists from around the world.[8]
The current Director is Professor Huib Schippers who graduated with a PhD from the University of Amsterdam.[9]
Notable students who attended the Queensland Conservatorium of Music are:[1]
The APRA Classical Music Awards are presented annually by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australian Music Centre (AMC).[10]
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Encounters: Meetings in Australian Music program – curated by Vincent Plush – Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University | Outstanding Contribution by an Organisation[11] | Won |