Central Coast Conservatorium of Music

Adult Soiree Evening
2025-04-05 19:00 - 20:30 (Australia/Sydney) | Central Coast Conservatorium of Music
Adult students of the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music will take to the stage at Robert Knox Hall for an intimate concert for family and friends.
From vocalist to instrumental musicians, we are proud to have a growing cohort of adult one-to-one music students at Central Coast Conservatorium of Music. Our Adult Soiree Concerts, held once a term, give our student who are aged 18 and over an opportunity to hone their performance skills and feel the enjoyment of playing or singing in front of a live audience with accompaniment.
Hear a range of musical styles and genres, from musical showstoppers and contemporary jazz numbers to classical pieces and pop hits.
From 7pm at Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford.
The concert is free for audience members.
Participants can register to take part in the concert HERE
REGISTRATIONS CLOSE SUNDAY, MARCH 30TH

Student Concert Series
2025-04-05 14:00 - 17:00 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
Our Student Concert Series is an opportunity for Central Coast Conservatorium one-to-one students to perform with an accompanists for an appreciative audience in front of family and friends and a great opportunity to practise for upcoming AMEB exams!
This performance opportunity is open to all our one-to-one students who either learn at the Con or in our Schools Program, giving students of all ages and ability the experience of playing their instrument or singing with an accompanist in front of an audience while learning tips on performance technique and stagecraft.
Tertiary students can choose to perform in these daytime concerts or the adult soiree.
There will be two student concerts offered (depending on numbers) – at 2pm and 4pm
We encourage all our students to take up this excellent extension opportunity, to help hone their craft and discover the joy of performing for others.
Past Student Concerts have included violinists as young as five up to high-school aged brass and wind students, contemporary guitar students and adult bassoon and vocal students.
The concerts are held in Robert Knox Hall. They are free for audience members – students must register to perform.
CONCERT IS FREE TO WATCH but STUDENT REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL.
Registrations for our Term 1 Student Concert series have now closed.
If you have missed out, don’t worry, there will be another student concert in Term 2!
Click HERE for REGISTRATION FORM – please note registrations have now closed.

Premier Ensembles Concert
2025-04-04 19:30 - 21:00 | Central Coast Leagues Club, Dane Drive, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
Get ready for a spellbinding musical journey as our Premier Ensembles prepare to soar in their first concert of 2025! This Friday, April 4th, at 7.30 PM, the Central Coast Leagues Club will transform into a magical realm of enchanting melodies and captivating performances.
Our talented wind ensembles, youth orchestra, and choirs will transport you to mysterious worlds and Forbidden Forests with an electrifying repertoire featuring:

A selection of bewitching tunes of Wicked!
Adventurous music from How to Train Your Dragon
The monstrous melodies of Godzilla
And many more surprises

Don’t miss this chance to witness our young musicians defy gravity and showcase their extraordinary talents. Join us for an unforgettable evening of music that will leave you spellbound.
This celebration of music is a highlight of the Central Coast Conservatorium’s events calendar, and includes performances from the Central Coast Youth Orchestra, our three wind ensembles – the Primary Wind Ensemble, Junior Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Wind Ensemble – as well as Mini Voices, the Children’s/Youth Choir and guests. Come and see our wonderful young musicians from our flagship ensembles perform a selection of pieces with our conductors Patrick Brennan, E-Yang Liu and Kevin Smith.
Tickets are $25 (under-16s free) via Humanatix

Opera in the Arboretum 2025
2025-03-29 15:00 - 17:00 | Crommelin Native Arboretum, 69 Crystal Avenue, Pearl Beach, NSW, 2256, Australia
Central Coast Conservatorium Artistic Director and Opera in the Arboretum Musical Director Patrick Brennan is joined by a world-class line-up of opera stars and musicians for a Saturday afternoon of opera classics – with the Central Coast Chamber Orchestra and guests – in the stunning native bushland setting of Crommelin Arboretum in Pearl Beach.

Bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes, mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell, tenor Andrew Goodwin and soprano Clarissa Spata will also be joined by violinist Madeleine Easton.
This event is self-catering (BYO) – bring your picnic lunch, wine and chairs and sit back for a lovely afternoon.
Opera in the Arboretum is an annual charity event organised by the Rotary Club of Woy Woy in association with the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music and other social and community groups on the Central Coast.

Saturday 29 March 2025, 3pm-5pm.
Crommelin Native Arboretum
Opal Close, Pearl Beach NSW 2256

Phoenix Collective | American Dreams
2025-03-23 14:00 - 15:30 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
We are delighted to welcome the Phoenix Collective quartet (Artistic Director Dan Russell, violin; Pip Thompson, violin; Ella Brinch, viola, and Andrew Wilson, cello) to Central Coast Conservatorium’s Robert Knox Hall for the first of four intimate 2025 concerts, with their American Dreams concert on Sunday 23 March at 2pm.
Fresh from their Sydney Opera House debut, PCQ present a program of music inspired by American folk music. Dvořák’s well-loved ‘American Quartet’, written in Iowa on the basis of his experiences in the New World, is complemented by some updated takes on American traditional music. Bluegrass fiddler Mark O’Connor’s crossover ‘Old Time’ string quartet showcases elements of Appalachian folk music, with driving rhythms and Copland-esque stylings, while the quirky works of John Adams comprise imaginary dances with yet-to-be invented steps.
Program
John Adams – excerpts from John’s Alleged Book of Dances
Mark O’Connor – String Quartet no 3 ‘Old Time’
Antonin Dvořák – String Quartet no 12 ‘American’
Other 2025 Recital Concert dates are:

French Connection – 15 June, 2pm
Bella Italia – 17 August, 2pm
At the Grave of Beethoven – 30 November, 2pm

Tickets for each concert are $55 or you can BUY A 2025 RECITAL SERIES SUBSCRIPTION TICKET for $196 for all four.
Click HERE for subscription details
About Phoenix Collective
One of the most versatile and dynamic ensembles working in Australia today, Phoenix Collective are known for their eclectic and adventurous programming, effortlessly interweaving string quartet classics with contemporary and popular genres.
Their diverse collaborations with luminaries such as Katie Noonan, William Barton and Tenzin Choegyal have introduced chamber music to new audiences around the country.
Formed in 2018 by violinist Dan Russell, Phoenix rapidly became a fixture of the musical landscape with their own series of concerts, touring Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle and the Central Coast. Their schedule includes Candlelight concerts for international events company Fever, for whom they have performed many diverse programs from Beethoven and Mozart string quartets to Daft Punk, Taylor Swift and sold-out Studio Ghibli programs.
Phoenix’s innovative approach has seen them collaborate with artists in a variety of genres, including cabaret and opera superstar the late Jacqui Dark, singer/songwriter Martha Marlow, Katie Noonan, the late Archie Roach and Tibetan traditional musician Tenzin Choegyal. They performed in the opening and closing concerts at the 2022 National Folk Festival and presented their own program of Nordic folk music. In 2023 they performed at the National Multicultural Festival, debuted at the Melbourne Recital Centre and Art Gallery of NSW, later that year Phoenix performed for the Australia Awards with superstar didjeridu player William Barton at Old Parliament House and opera singer Shauntai Sherree Abdul Rahman at the Sydney Opera House and gave a presentation for TedX at Canberra Theatre, “A Language Without Words – How Music Conveys Contrasting Emotions”.
Phoenix Collective also champions new music, bringing it to audiences through their touring concert series. 2022 saw them perform world premieres by Australian composers Sally Whitwell and Mace Francis, and in 2023 they featured the music of Ella Macens and rising star Emma Greenhill. They have broadcast through the Australian Digital Concert Hall, and have produced their own digital content with the help of grants provided by the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australian Culture Fund. Their sixth and seventh CDs will be released this year.
Phoenix also presents an ongoing series of concerts for the homeless and vulnerable at Wayside Chapel under the auspices of Judith Neilson AM.
With an ever-increasing recording and external workload, Phoenix Collective is one of Australia’s busiest string quartets. 2024 will see them tour nationally for the Musica Viva Australia in schools program, return to the Art Gallery of New South Wales and begin a series of themed concerts for the Australian War Memorial.

Piano Stories | An original concert by Ash Morse
2025-03-09 16:00 - 17:30 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
Join us for an intimate afternoon of original music and storytelling by Ash Morse, all performed live on the grand piano in Robert Knox Hall.
Ash Morse is a singer/songwriter/arranger from Sydney who loves deep stories and telling them through music. He writes in a variety of genres, from piano ballads to full orchestral, cinematic scores and doesn’t shy away from intense emotions, whether they are joyful, painful or deeply nostalgic.
Robert Knox Hall
Sunday 9 March, 4pm
Central Coast Conservatorium students and families can get discounted $15 ticket HERE

Symphony Central Coast | Classical Elegance
2025-02-16 14:30 | Brentwood Village, 1 Scaysbrook Drive, Kincumber, NSW, Australia
The first concert of the year from Symphony Central Coast. Memorable melodies, balanced form, charming character. Classical music has been loved for nearly 300 years for its clarity, harmony and structural integrity. For timeless masterpieces that remain cherished treasures in the world of music.
Our foray into the treasure chest begins with Handel’s sinfonia from the oratorio Solomon, The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Grand, dramatic and energetic, it’s the perfect opener, followed by excerpts from his Water Music suite, written for King George I’s concert on the River Thames. Immediately following the Dance of the Furies in Gluck’s opera Orpheus and Euridice, Dance of the Blessed Spirits conjures up pastoral tranquility as Orpheus seeks to find his stolen wife and in Glinka’s opera A Life for the Tsar, political victory is celebrated with a Waltzduring a sumptuous celebration.
Exemplifying the classical spirit, Mozart’s Symphony no. 41 is often regarded as the greatest symphony in classical music. Nicknamed the Jupiter, it has been described as “overpoweringly great, fiery, artistic, sublime.”
And to wrap up the concert, two stories: Prokofiev’s beloved Peter and the Wolf and the world premiere of a charming and sincere series of poems by Sydney author Lester Morris If People Had Tails. Read by Lester himself, and with music by Symphony Central Coast’s Artistic Director and Conductor Steven Stanke, these poems will delight!
2:30pm | 16 February 2025 | Brentwood Village, 1 Scaysbrook Drive, Kincumber

Buy tickets now

Premier Ensembles Christmas Concert
2024-12-20 19:30 - 21:00 | Central Coast Leagues Club, Dane Drive, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
Join Central Coast Conservatorium of Music for our end-of-year Premier Ensembles Concert at Central Coast Leagues Club, Gosford on 20 December for our end-of-term Christmas Concert.
This celebration of music is a highlight of the Central Coast Conservatorium’s events calendar, and includes performances from the Central Coast Youth Orchestra, Primary Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Wind Orchestra, as well as the Children’s/Youth Choir and guests. Plus expect plenty of festive celebrations, seasonal songs and more.
Come and see our wonderful young musicians from our flagship ensembles perform a selection of pieces with our conductors Patrick Brennan, E-Yang Liu and Kevin Smith.
Tickets $25, Under-16s free.
BUY TICKETS HERE

Guitar Department Concert
2024-12-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
One-to-one guitar students of all ages come together for this concert in Robert Knox Hall featuring a mix of genres and styles.
Students of Guy Strazz, Steve Smillie and Gerard Masters will take to the stage in this intimate showcase of fabulous guitar music.
This concert is aimed at all guitar students including those who have wanted to perform but not yet felt brave enough to try.
Tickets for audience members are free, however, please make sure to answer the ‘How many tickets do you require?’ question in the form to secure your spot.
Registrations close on the 10th of December so be sure to secure your spot by filling out the online registration form HERE.

Vocal Department End of Year Contemporary Concert
2024-12-11 18:30 - 20:30 | NSW
Join Central Coast Conservatorium of Music for our Vocal Department End of Year Contemporary Concert.
Featuring our talented students singing a range of songs from pop to jazz the concert will take place on Wednesday Dec 11 in Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford.
Tickets $20, https://events.humanitix.com/vocal-department-end-of-year-contemporary-concert

Matthew Ardern Piano Recital
2024-12-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
Central Coast Conservatorium keyboard teacher and Symphony Central Coast Prodigies Competition finalist Matthew Ardern in concert in Robert Knox Hal with Rachmaninov’s Concerto No 3 arranged for two pianos and more.

Program
Viennese waltz No.2 Vivo e Sciolto from 6 Wiener Tänze nach Motiven von Eduard Gärtner, IIF 38 by Ignaz Friedman (1882-1948)
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659, J.S. Bach (1685-1750), Arranged by Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924)
Liebestraum no.3, S.541, Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Concerto No.3 in d minor, Op.30, Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), Arranged for two pianos.

I. Allegro ma non tanto
II. Intermezzo
III. Finale

Supporters' Concert featuring Allen Family Scholarship Finals
2024-11-24 14:30 - 17:00 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
Join Central Coast Conservatorium of Music for our Supporters’ Concert, featuring the Allen Family Scholarship Finals.
Our annual scholarship showcase will be held in Robert Knox Hall and will include performances from previous scholarship recipients, as well as selected students competing in the finals of the 2025 Allen Family Scholarship competition. Afternoon tea will be held in the courtyard.
Tickets $10, https://events.humanitix.com/supporters-concert-featuring-allen-family-scholarship-finals

Great Guitars - Allegria Ole!
2024-11-22 18:00 - 21:00 | Pearl Beach Memorial Hall, 9 Diamond Road, Pearl Beach, NSW, Australia
Central Coast Conservatorium of Music Head of Guitar Guy Strazz and his Great Guitars partner Mark Johns will be joined by Central Coast Cons rising star – Pearl Beach Community Scholarship winner Jerome Drobot – for this concert featuring music from Spain and Latin America.
Enjoy paella, sangria and more at this evening concert at 6pm, Friday 22 November at Pearl Beach Memorial Community Hall and organised by Pearl Beach Progress Association.
Tickets $57, Under 15s $25 from https://great-guitars-allegria.eventbrite.com.au

Central Coast Band Festival
2024-11-02 10:30 - 16:30 | Narara Valley Baptist Church, 149 Narara Valley Drive, Narara, NSW, 2250, Australia
Central Coast Band Festival 2024 will see around 30 bands from across 18 schools come together for the Central Coast Conservatorium Schools Program’s annual band showcase.
Held at Narara Valley Baptist Church, the day is a celebration of music and an opportunity for our School Band students to represent their school in a friendly competition-style event. There will be three concerts held throughout the day (10.30am, 12.45pm and 3.15pm) with performances from training bands and concert bands.
The day will also feature special performances from Central Coast Conservatorium’s Primary Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Wind Orchestra.
All school bands will receive a gold, silver or bronze rating as well as constructive feedback on their band’s performance from an external adjudicator.
Central Coast Band Fest is a ticketed event. Entry is $15 or $30 for a family.
Note: Concert times subject to change
Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/central-coast-band-festival-2024

Instrufest Grand Final Showcase Concert
2024-10-12 14:30 - 16:00 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
The Grand Final Showcase Concert on Saturday 12 October, 2.30pm in Robert Knox Hall is the final concert of Central Coast Instrufest – a five-day competitive vocal and instrumental music festival.
In this concert the winners of all the age categories across Piano, Strings, Guitar, Brass, Woodwind, Vocal and Open categories will be invited to perform for cash prizes in this special finale concert.
Saturday 12 October, 2.30pm at Robert Knox Hall.
Audience tickets are $10.
https://events.humanitix.com/central-coast-instrufest-grand-final-showcase-concert

Central Coast Instrufest
2024-10-08 - 2024-10-12 | Central Coast Conservatorium of Music
Central Coast Instrufest is a five-day competitive music festival being held at Robert Knox Hall, Gosford, from Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 October.
The school holiday competition is being sponsored by Central Coast Council and will be held across five days with age-based categories in vocal, piano, strings, guitar, brass, percussion and woodwind.

NOTE: REGISTRATION FOR PARTICIPANTS IS NOW CLOSED but tickets are still available for audience members.
To purchase audience tickets for the competition sections CLICK HERE.
Grand Final Showcase Concert, Saturday 12 October, 2.3opm
The winner of each section will be invited to take part in the Grand Final Showcase Concert, Saturday 12 October, 2.30pm at Robert Knox Hall.
To purchase audience tickets for the Grand Final Showcase Concert CLICK HERE

For Instrufest details visit INSTRUFEST PAGE HERE

Symphony Central Coast | Beethoven & Tchaikovsky
2024-09-22 14:30 - 16:30 | Central Coast Grammar School, Erina Heights, NSW, Australia
Beethoven and Tchaikovsky – Masterful!
Rising star and Central Coast Conservatorium student, violinist Kaito Deed, joins Symphony Central Coast as soloist for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concert, in a concert that also includes Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony at Central Coast Grammar School on 22 September.
Soloist Kaito was the winner of the Adjudicator’s and People’s Choice Awards at the 2023 Symphony Central Coast Prodigies competition. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto – a work for solo performer and orchestra, demands a mastery of technical, analytical, aural and inter-personal skills. It was initially met with mixed reviews but has since become a favourite among soloists and audiences. With lyric, folk-like melodies, a heroic cadenza, and a lively dance to conclude, this work is spirited and joyous, with bags of character.
Tickets from $20
CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

Vocal Department Classical Concert
2024-09-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
Enjoy an intimate evening of classical arias, duets and more performed by Central Coast Conservatorium students of all ages in Robert Knox Hall, performed with an accompanist.
Tickets, $20.
BUY TICKETS HERE

Adult Soiree Evening
2024-09-14 19:00 - 20:30 | NSW
Adult students of the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music will take to the stage at Robert Knox Hall for an intimate concert for family and friends.
From vocalist to instrumental musicians, we are proud to have a growing cohort of adult one-to-one music students at Central Coast Conservatorium of Music. Our Adult Soiree Concerts, held once a term, give our student who are aged 18 and over an opportunity to hone their performance skills and feel the enjoyment of playing or singing in front of a live audience with accompaniment.
Hear a range of musical styles and genres, from musical showstoppers and contemporary jazz numbers to classical pieces and pop hits.
From 7pm at Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford.
The concert is free for audience members. Participants can register to take part in the concert HERE

Daniel Herscovitch | Beethoven piano concert
2024-09-08 14:30 - 16:30 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
Having performed Bach’s monumental Art of Fugue on tour, Daniel Herscovitch now turns his attention to Beethoven’s almost equally monumental Hammerklavier Sonata, in this intimate concert in Gosford’s Robert Knox Hall.
The program features some of Beethoven’s most unusual works: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E flat major, Op. 81a – known as Les Adieux or ‘The Farewell’ – was written between 1809 and 1810 and is one of the composer’s most challenging sonatas due to the mature emotions that must be conveyed as well as the technical difficulties involved.
This will be followed by his jeu d’esprit, the 5 Variations on Rule Britannia, and finally that collection of exquisite miniatures, the 11 Bagatelles, Op.119.
The Everest in Beethoven’s sonata output, the Hammerklavier Sonata includes his most expansive and profound slow movement, which is followed by a blistering fugal finale. Regarded in Beethoven’s day as unplayable, this sonata still posits unique challenges to all who attempt a performance of this masterpiece.
PROGRAM
Sonata in E flat major Op.81a (“Les adieux”)

Das Lebewohl: Adagio – Allegro
Abwesenheit: Andante espressivo
Das Wiedersehen: Vivacissimamente

Five Variations on “Rule Britannia” WoO 79
Eleven Bagatelles Op.119
Interval
Sonata in B flat major Op.106 (“Hammerklavier”)

Allegro
Scherzo: Assai vivace
Adagio sostenuto
Largo – Allegro risoluto

Tickets: $35
For tickets click HERE
About Daniel Herscovitch
Daniel Herscovitch studied with Alexander Sverjensky at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Rosl Schmid in Munich. While based in Germany he performed extensively on the continent and in England and toured Australia three times. He also appeared at several international festivals including the Berlin Festival, the Zagreb Biennale and the Saarbrücken Tage der Neuen Musik.
Since returning to Australia he has been active in solo and chamber music, and has appeared at the Adelaide Festival of the Arts, the Mostly Mozart Festival, the New Directions Festival and the Festivals of Melbourne and Sydney. He was a regular guest artist at Roger Woodward’s Sydney Spring Festival and toured for Musica Viva and in New Zealand. He has appeared with Synergy, Flederman, the Song Company and the Australia Ensemble and has toured with The Seymour Group. He was a soloist in the first Australian performance of the Bartók Concerto for Two Pianos. He has appeared in concert with Jane Manning, Wanda Wilkomirska, Clemens Leske, Geoffrey Gartner, Vivian Choi, Carl Vine and Ole Böhn.
He has toured the USA four times, most recently performing Bach’s Art of Fugue. He visits Indonesia annually and his fifth European tour in 2019 took him to Singapore, the UK, Norway and Germany where he performed Hindemith’s Ludus Tonalis and included a residency at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
His solo repertoire ranges from Purcell to Carter and beyond, and includes contemporary Australian, Asian, European and American works, several of which he commissioned and premiered, including works by Peter Dart and Brad Gill.
His recordings of repertoire from the 17th to the 21st centuries have been released on Tall Poppies, Toccata Classics, CSM, Continuum, Biodiversity, Heritage Records and ABC Classics labels. His recent CD on the Toccata Classics label of music by Roger Smalley was Editor’s Choice in the 2019 Awards issue of Gramophone. His recent CD of music by Peter Dart was praised in the US journal Fanfare as being “stunning” and “brilliant”. Two further CDs of music by Don Banks and Kate Moore have recently been released in the UK to critical acclaim. He is currently Associate Professor of Piano at The University of Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

The Emerald Ruby | Five Short Thoughts Composer Workshop
2024-09-07 15:00 - 17:00 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
The Emerald Ruby – Five Short Thoughts for Solo Flute Workshop
Central Coast Conservatorium of Music welcomes multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and ABC Classic-commissioned composer The Emerald Ruby (aka Jen Hankin) back to Robert Knox Hall for a composition and performance workshop of her debut solo flute piece Five Short Thoughts for Solo Flute.
Released as an EP/video and sheet music collection, Five Short Thoughts for Solo was composed over a period of six months in 2019. It fuses the whimsy of Irish folk with the elegance of Western classical flute. These minimal arrangements feature an outpouring of emotion through meditative melodies. A salve for the soul and balm for the ears, this collection is a soothing escape to simpler times.
“I have always been one to struggle with my mental health, and in 2019 I was having a particularly bad year,” said Jen. “I had a long string of breakups, was working harder than ever, seeing no career growth or financial return, and was generally feeling pretty lost and sad. I wrote these pieces as a response to these overwhelming feelings I was struggling with.”
The Emerald Ruby will guide five selected students through her work, with each student performing one of the five pieces in front of a live audience in Robert Knox Hall, sharing her insights on the composition and performance techniques. There will also be a Q&A session, with opportunities for audience members to ask questions.
The Five Short Thoughts are:

Treading Water
Floating Through Time, Like a Leaf on the River
Grief for a Lost Future
Thinking at the Speed of Light
Sinking into a Missed Deadline

Tickets: $20, free for CCCM students

BUY TICKETS HERE

About the Emerald Ruby
Imbued with the ethereal textures of folk music, ornate instrumentals, and bardic storytelling, the sonic pallet of multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and ABC Classic commissioned composer The Emerald Ruby share’s musical milieu with Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsom and Missy Higgins. Whimsical in nature, her gentle songs are juxtaposed by dark undertones cultivated in the chaos of late-diagnosed neurodivergence.
A kaleidoscope of influences nourish every performance from this multi-genre powerhouse; The hazy virtuosity of 18th-century French flute music, chaotic abstractions of a moonlit jazz jam, and trading traditional jigs and reels at a folk session are drenched with a mood only decades of musical adventures along Australia’s east coast can inscribe.
After graduating from the University of Newcastle in 2015 under the tutelage of Sally Walker (flute), Phillip Rutherford (composition), and Colin Spiers (composition) with a Bachelor of Music (Honors) and the Maurice and Betsy Sendak award for outstanding performance, The Emerald Ruby has journey down an unconventional path, Touring and recording extensively with the rock band’s Othrship, Cacti Moon, Lachlan X morris; folk bands The Button Collective and Vanishing Shapes and Ekstasis chamber music collective. Her prolific appearances in these acts have seen her grace stages at Falls Festival, Great Southern Nights, The Lismore Lantern Parade and Bulga Beats.
Since the release of Five Short Thoughts for Solo Flute, The Emerald Ruby has toured the collection across NSW and the work has been performed by flautist/composer Keyna Wilkins (Australia) and Sarah Jeffery (Amsterdam).
The Emerald Ruby was named the 2022 Dots and Loops Composer Fellow (mentored by Sally Whitwell, Conner D’Netto, Chris Perren, Vanessa Tomlinson, and Flora Wong), premiering a new work for percussion (toy drums, rainbow glockenspiel) and electronics (double gameboy, octave pedal, and otamatone) titled “H4LT THE HUSTLE/FROLIC 4EVA” alongside internationally acclaimed percussionist Nozomi Omote.
This was followed by a commission from ABC Classic to write and record a collection of Flute duets titled “Finding Fondness” alongside internationally acclaimed flautist Sally Walker which premiered officially at the 2023 Australian Flute Festival.
2023 saw her complete a fellowship in conjunction with Accessible arts NSW and Musica Viva Australia, shaping her beloved instrumental series “Folksy Dreams” into a sculptural installation, live show and workshop series. She is an Australian Music Centre-represented composer and published by Syrinx Music.
In 2023, The Emerald Ruby released the debut track Safety House from her EP Patchwork which was featured on Sydney’s FBI radio. 2024 will feature the conclusion and releases of multiple long term projects as audio, music video and sheet music including “Finding Fondness” (flute duets), “Folksy Dreams volume 3” (instrumental folk music), Patchwork (folk songs) as well as premier new commissions for concert series Backstage Music, Maitland Regional art gallery and Kathryn Bennett.

POWERED BY

Sophie Salvesani Vocal Workshop
2024-09-02 17:30 - 19:30 | Robert Knox Hall, 45 Mann Street, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
Australian soprano star Sophie Salvesani, star of 2024 Opera in the Arboretum at Pearl Beach, joins us for a special vocal workshop and masterclass in Robert Knox Hall.
Sophie will perform two pieces and share her insights on preparing for opera roles. We will then invite selected vocal students from Central Coast Conservatorium to present a piece for Sophie, who will workshop with the students in front of an audience. The workshop will conclude with a Q&A, where the audience will be invited to ask Sophie questions.
Tickets: $20 (free for CCCM students)
CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

About Sophie
Sophie Salvesani is a young, upcoming Australia soprano who made her operatic and role debut as Violetta in Opera Australia’s production of La Traviata at the Sydney Opera House in 2022. To begin 2024, Sophie returned to Violetta in Sarah Giles’ acclaimed production – a new, co-production between Opera Australia, Opera Queensland, State Opera of South Australia and West Australian Opera.
This followed both her professional and principal debut in 2019 as Maria in Opera Australia, GWB Entertainment and BB Promotion’s touring production of West Side Story, in which Sophie received praise from critics for her ability to “easily navigate the demands of the score” while ensuring “Maria’s journey from…dreamy lover to broken young woman is authentic as it is impactful” (Stage Whispers, Alex Armstrong 2019).
This production saw her tour not only Australia, but New Zealand and Germany too, in which she debuted in some of Europe’s most prestigious opera houses, Semperoper (Dresen) and Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Berlin).
Following this success, Sophie went on to play the role of Rosina in Opera Australia’s 2020 NSW School’s Tour of The Barber of Seville. During this time, Sophie was awarded the prestigious Australian Opera Awards Committee Dame Joan Sutherland Award.
With an invitation to join Opera Australia’s Young Artist Program in 2021, Sophie has since been involved in a number of productions, a highlight being her role debut as Donna Anna in their 2023 production of Don Giovanni. She has also covered the roles of Hanna Glavari in The Merry Widow, Princess Eudoxie in La Juive, Gilda in Rigoletto and most recently, Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann. In 2021, she was also fortunate enough to return as Maria in West Side Story, touring to both Perth and Brisbane.
On the concert stage, Sophie has performed with the Opera Australia orchestra on many occasions, most notably forHSBC Opera in the Gardens and Opera Gala at Uluru. She has also had the privilege of performing with Orchestra Victoria for BMW Opera for All, as well as with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dr Nicholas Milton AM for their A Star-Spangled Gala.
Sophie has recently enjoyed notable success in the finals of two of Australia’s most prestigious competitions, the Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship and the German-Australian Opera Grant. Having received 2nd place in the Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship and an encouragement award in the GAOG, she hopes to use these to undertake overseas study for the operatic stage.

Central Coast Concert Band | Winds of Change
2024-08-31 14:00 - 16:00 | Gosford Anglican Church, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia
The Central Coast Concert Band is thrilled to be joined by the Central Coast Conservatorium’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Primary Wind Ensemble, to celebrate the times of change.

Sometimes we can only find our true direction when we follow the winds of change.

At Gosford Anglican Church, Saturday 31 August, 2-4pm.

TICKETS at https://www.trybooking.com/CTXNR
Tickets will also be available at the door.

Central Coast Philharmonia | Sunrise Mass
2024-08-17 19:30 - 21:30 | St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Blackwall Road, Woy Woy, NSW, 2256, Australia
Hear Central Coast Philharmonia Choir perform Ola Gjeilo’s stunning Sunrise Mass, accompanied by a string ensemble in this concert which will also feature Vaughan William’s Lark Ascending performed by Central Coast Youth Orchestra, plus special guests Central Coast Children’s and Youth Choir and Ebb & Flow.
The Sunrise Mass, composed by Norwegian-American choral composer Ola Gjeilo, is a masterpiece that has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. Commissioned in 2007 and premiered in 2008, this stunning work has been performed by numerous ensembles and choruses to widespread acclaim. Gjeilo’s unique compositional style, influenced by both classical and cinematic traditions, has resulted in a piece that is both accessible and versatile. With nods to the great masters of choral music, such as Brahms, Britten, and Bach, the Sunrise Mass is a true celebration of the human voice.
The Central Coast Philharmonia are thrilled to bring this magnificent work to its upcoming concert series. This concert promises to be an unforgettable experience, with lush harmonies, soaring melodies, and a sense of spirituality that will leave you breathless. Join the choir as they come together to celebrate the beauty of choral music. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear one of the most captivating pieces of modern choral music.
