Eighty-nine recorder players from five Southern Highlands public schools are preparing to take their place on the Sydney Opera House stage at this week’s Festival of Instrumental Music.
Students from across the Southern Highlands will perform in three concerts from Wednesday 23 to Friday 25 September, joining thousands of young musicians from across NSW in combined recorder and string ensembles.
An initiative of the Department of Education’s The Arts Unit, the long-running festival will bring together more than 2,800 students from 191 NSW public schools in the Concert Hall from 22 to 25 September.
Across the four-night program, students will perform in combined recorder and string ensembles alongside 18 featured performances by student soloists and ensembles.
Mittagong Public School will open the Southern Highlands’ involvement on Wednesday, with 27 recorder players performing in the Banksia Concert.
On Thursday, 23 recorder players from Colo Vale and Moss Vale public schools will perform in the Jacaranda Concert.
Thirty-nine recorder players from Burrawang and Robertson public schools will close the region’s involvement in Friday’s Mimosa Concert.
This year’s combined recorder repertoire includes Henry Purcell’s Rondo, Adam Young’s Fireflies and Elvenwood by Australian composer Tracy Burjan, which will be performed with the combined strings ensemble.
The Arts Unit Student Music Programs K-8 Officer Luke Wallace said the festival gave students access to a musical experience that could not be recreated within an individual school.
“The scale of these concerts is extraordinary, but what makes them special is that every student has an important part to play,” Mr Wallace said.
“Students spend months learning the repertoire in their school ensembles before coming together at the Sydney Opera House, where they must listen, respond and perform as one group.
“For students travelling from regional and remote communities, the festival is also an opportunity to connect with other young musicians and perform on one of the world’s most recognisable stages.”
Participating schools receive curated repertoire, teaching resources and professional learning to help teachers establish and strengthen recorder and string programs in their communities.
The festival also supports the department’s Inspire High Potential and Gifted Education approach by providing students with creative arts enrichment, extension and talent development opportunities.
