Allen Family Senior Scholarships

The Allen Family Senior Scholarships are open to students (vocal and instrumental) aged between 14 and 22 years of age who are Grade 7 AMEB minimum standard or equivalent. Please indicate on your application form that you wish to apply for this scholarship.

An adjudication panel will assess applicant auditions for the Allen Family Senior Scholarships and determine the successful candidates who will proceed to the Scholarship Finals to be held in Robert Knox Hall. 

To audition for the Allen Family Finals, you must present two contrasting solo pieces of 12 to 15 minutes duration in total (minimum of one accompanied work with piano). Piano students do not require an accompaniment. Please discuss this requirement with your teacher if you are unsure if you comply with the minimum standard.

Successful applicants will be required to perform in the Allen Family Scholarship Finals and Supporters Concert. Applicants are required to perform the repertoire that is presented in their initial online audition. Changes to repertoire may be approved in consultation with their teacher and the Artistic Director.

The date of this performance is Saturday, 21 February 2026.

Allen Family Junior Scholarships

The Allen Family Junior Scholarships are open to students aged 13 and under. The Competitive Scholarships adjudication panel will assess applicants for the Allen Family Junior Encouragement Scholarships on Friday 12 December, and determine the successful candidate/s at this audition.

You must be under 14 years of age on 31 December 2025 to be eligible for this scholarship. You should have been studying your instrument/voice for at least 2 years and be of Grade 3 AMEB minimum standard or equivalent. Please discuss these requirements with your teacher if you are unsure if you comply with the minimum standard.

Richard Newton | Central Coast Philharmonia Choir Vocal Scholarship 

The Richard Newton Central Coast Philharmonia Choir Scholarship is open to vocal students aged between 14 and 22 years of age (on 31 December 2025). Please indicate on the application form that you wish to apply for this scholarship. Applicants for this scholarship must prepare and present the Senior Vocal Audition requirements outlined below.

Applicants should have been studying voice for at least 3 years and be of Grade 7 AMEB minimum standard or equivalent. Please discuss this requirement with your teacher if you are unsure if you comply with the minimum standard.

Pearl Beach Association Senior Scholarships

The Pearl Beach Association Senior Scholarships are open to students aged between 14 and 22 (as of 31 December 2025). The Competitive Scholarships adjudication panel will assess applicants for the Pearl Beach Association Senior Scholarships on Saturday, 13 December and determine the successful candidate/s at this audition, who will go through to the final public competition with adjudication on Saturday 23 May 2026 at the Pearl Beach Progress Memorial Hall, 9 Diamond Avenue, Pearl Beach.

Irvine Family Piano Scholarship

The Irvine Family Piano Scholarship is open to any piano student (aged between 10 and 22, Grade 5 or above as at 31 December 2025). The Competitive Scholarships adjudication panel will assess applicants for the Irvine Family Piano Scholarship/s on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 December, 2025 and determine the successful candidate/s at this audition.

Recipients of the Irvine Family Piano Scholarship/s will be required to perform at the Pearl Beach Scholarship Concert on Saturday 23 May 2026 at the Pearl Beach Progress Memorial Hall, 9 Diamond Avenue, Pearl Beach.

The Music Centre Gosford | Guitar Scholarships

The Music Centre Gosford Guitar Junior Scholarship is open to any guitar student aged between 13 years and under. The Music Centre Gosford Senior Scholarship is open to guitar students aged between 14-22 years of age as at 31 December 2025.

Scholarship Expectations

Scholarship recipients are expected to participate in a 60 minute one-to-one weekly lesson for Senior students or a 30 minute one-to-one weekly lesson plus weekly ensemble for Junior students, for the full year of the Scholarship (four terms). Piano and vocal students may take the option of an additional related weekly activity with approval from the Artistic Director (for example, Vocal students may take piano lessons or join the Central Coast Children’s/Youth Choir, Piano students may join the Central Coast Children’s or Youth Choirs or enrol in Musicianship class)

Criteria for 2026 Scholarships

1. Scholarships will be applied to the students’ Fees Account as follows:
   1. The Allen Family Scholarships will be applied in the Term that the Scholarship Finals Concert happens, and recipients are considered the 2026 scholarship holders. The prize will be paid by bank transfer after the finals. It is expected that the prize money be put towards their music education.
2. Scholarship applicants must be:
   1. currently enrolled at Central Coast Conservatorium as one-to-one students or in an ensemble wanting to take up one-to-one lessons; and
   2. attending a minimum half hour weekly lessons; and
   3. Juniors should be aged 13 or under as at 31/12/25
   4. Seniors should be aged 14 to 22 as at 31/12/25
3. Professional musicians are not eligible.
4. Applicants must be Central Coast Conservatorium students. This includes students participating in the Ensembles and Musicianship classes.
5. Scholarships will not be awarded if the adjudicator or adjudication panel deems that there are no candidates of a sufficient standard.
6. Students with outstanding or overdue fees are ineligible to apply for the scholarship program.
7. Scholarships will not be awarded to students with outstanding fees.
8. Central Coast Conservatorium reserves the right to withdraw a scholarship at any time should a student fail to demonstrate commitment or if any of the scholarship conditions are not met.
9. Scholarship 1st place winners from the previous year are ineligible to apply for the same scholarship.
10. The Conservatorium will notify you of your accompanist for the audition day. Central Coast Conservatorium will cover the cost of the accompanist for the live audition. However, the student must pay the accompanist’s costs for rehearsals and video audition. All accompanist fees must be paid for through the Administration office.
11. The decision of the adjudicator(s) will be final and no dialogue or correspondence will be entered into.
12. Requirements for scholarship auditions are listed above, are obtainable from instrumental teachers, and will also be displayed on the Conservatorium website.
13. Finalists for the Allen Family Scholarship will perform at the Allen Family Scholarship Finals and Supporters Concert at Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford. The winners will be announced at the adjudication prior to the conclusion of the event.

Finally, all scholarship recipients are required to submit a letter of appreciation within 2 weeks after the Scholarship Finals, thanking the sponsor and explaining how they will use the money to support their musical education. This can be sent directly to [email protected] if it is an email or bring in a hard copy to Administration and it will be forwarded to the donor.

How to apply

Applications (including video audition submission) close Saturday, 29 November 2025 at 11.59pm. 

Shortlisted applicants who have been selected for Live Auditions will be announced on Week Commencing Monday, 1 December 2025.

Live auditions will be held on the following dates:

Juniors: Friday, 12 December 2025
Seniors: Saturday, 13 December 2025

Location: Robert Knox Hall, Central Coast Conservatorium of Music, 45 Mann Street, Gosford.

To apply, fill in the online application form.
Submit video audition here.

Audition Requirements

These are general audition requirements for all students.

General presentation and performance etiquette will be taken into consideration. Proper concert dress or smart casual attire is expected for audition videos and at live auditions.

You may be asked general knowledge questions on repertoire and/or general commitment.

Applicants who are permitted to use backing tracks (e.g. contemporary vocalists and percussion applicants) must provide their own backing track to the audition and indicate on the application form the type of sound equipment required for the audition.

Please make sure the audition video is recorded in a quiet environment with adequate natural lighting. If any student requires access to a suitable space for recording, our Administration Team will be happy to arrange this.

INSTRUMENTAL (STRINGS, WIND, BRASS & GUITAR)

• Two contrasting works. (Minimum of one accompanied work with piano)
• Guitar students may be accompanied by another guitarist
• Total audition time should not exceed 10 minutes (Junior students) or 15 minutes (Senior students)

PIANO

• Piano students do not require accompaniment, and may present more than 2 contrasting works up to the time limit.
• For Irvine Family Piano Scholarship, students must audition with at least two contrasting pieces of music.

PERCUSSION

• Two contrasting works:
• Drum kit – two different styles of music (e.g. rock, jazz, Latin, etc.). One piece should be accompanied by a backing track.
• Orchestral percussion – to include one piece on mallet percussion, the other may be on snare drum, timpani, mallet percussion or multiple percussion instruments. One piece should be accompanied on piano or marimba.

VOCAL

• Two contrasting songs:
  Classical: piano accompaniment and sung with natural voice
  Contemporary: piano accompaniment (backing track if necessary, but piano preferred)