Classical Voice
Are you passionate about singing? So are we!
Join us
Elder Conservatorium’s classical voice program welcomes you into a community as dedicated to music and singing as you are.
As part of your degree you will:
- receive specialized individual tuition from highly experienced voice teachers
- receive instruction in the essential singing languages Italian, German French and English
- develop performance skills through singing in a variety of solo and ensemble settings
- develop your aural and music literacy skills
- develop your understanding of music in its historical and theoretical contexts
- work with other music students (singers and instrumentalists)
- work with international performers and teachers
- sing in choirs and develop choral conducting and ensemble development skills
- develop stagecraft and theatre skills
- perform in operatic and other theatrical productions.
What you'll study
Career opportunities
Our graduates may…
- pursue further study leading to an exciting career on the opera or theatre stage as a principal or member of the chorus
- become an exponent of solo song or oratorio
- become a professional ensemble singer or choral conductor
- build a career as an educator in a school or their own private teaching studio
- embrace more that one of these pursuits in a rewarding and diverse ‘portfolio’ career
Ensembles
Making music in ensembles is a vital part of our programs. Find out more about the ensembles you can take part in.
Picture yourself here
Learn from the best
Learn from experienced and well respected performers.
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Dr Carl Crossin OAM
Dr Carl Crossin is an Associate Professor of Music at the Elder Conservatorium of Music and is well known and respected throughout Australia and internationally as a choral conductor, educator, composer and clinician. A graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (Classical Guitar & Music Education) and the University of Adelaide (Musicology), he has also undertaken specialist choral conducting studies at Westminster Choir College, Princeton in the United States. Carl Crossin was awarded a Doctor of Music degree from the University of Adelaide.
Carl has taught music extensively at both secondary and tertiary levels of education and was Director of the Elder Conservatorium of Music from 2010 – 2014. Carl is currently Head of Vocal Studies within the Conservatorium, as well as Head of Undergraduate Programs and Associate Director, Learning & Teaching.
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Cheryl Pickering
Cheryl Pickering is a director, creative producer and singer, with a current focus on cross-art form and socially engaged classical vocal music performance. Cheryl has tertiary qualifications in psychology, English literature and vocal pedagogy, and received an Australia Postgraduate Award for her PhD exploring ethics, authenticity and aesthetics in the creation of socio-political multi-art form work.
Cheryl’s creative and performance work in the UK and Australia ranges from intimate performances to large productions with both professional and community performers, in opera, concert, theatre and multi-art form events.
Cheryl recently acted as Associate Director to Neil Armfield on the highly acclaimed premiere of Watershed (Joe Twist, Alana Valentine, Christos Tsiolkas) in the Adelaide Festival of Arts.
She is a sought after and highly regarded singing teacher, and lectures in classical voice and performance at the Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide.
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Rosalind Martin
Soprano Rosalind Martin began her studies in Adelaide as a clarinettist, but her love of singing persuaded her to complete a first-class Honours degree in voice.
Rosalind has appeared with State Opera and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and has made several broadcasts with the ABC, Radio Adelaide and 5MBS. A specialist in German Lied and French Art Song, she appears regularly in the Elder Hall Lunchtime and Evening Series and has performed in the Barossa and Coriole Music Festivals.
Rosalind has taught Voice at the Elder Conservatorium since 1995.
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Sachiko Hidaka
Sachiko Hidaka is an accompanist who has a passion for working with singers. She has a broad range of experience in accompanying classical singers and enjoys supporting singers at varied stages of their learning and development, as well as collaborating with them in performances and other projects.
Sachiko completed LMusA (Piano) under the guidance of Audrey White OAM. Sachiko has been a repetiteur for several productions by Co-Opera. As a pianist, Sachiko has recently performed in Emma Knights Productions “The Pirates of Penzance” (Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2023) and Various People Inc’s “Household Names” (Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2021 and Port Fairy Spring Music Festival in 2019). Sachiko also regularly accompanies community and school choirs.
Sachiko has been the accompanist for the Classical Voice Performance Class at the Elder Conservatorium of Music since 2020.
How to apply
Audition registrations are now open for Semester 2, 2024 entry.
Register for your audition/interview
Submit your audition/interview application
Pay audition/interview fee
When registering, you must pay a non-refundable audition/interview registration fee via the online shop to be guaranteed an audition (search 'audition').
Bachelor of Music applicants
There is an audition registration fee of $26 for the first audition and $21 per subsequent audition.
Apply to SATAC or International Admissions
Domestic students
You will need to lodge an application through the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC).
International students
You will need to lodge an application through our International Admissions Service. You do not need to register for an audition.
Current UofA students
You will need to lodge an internal transfer application.
Prepare for your audition/interview
Please ensure you have followed the audition requirements for your specialisation:
Audition requirements by program
The Conservatorium does not provide accompanists except for the Bachelor of Music Theatre auditions. All other auditions that require an accompanist should contact the Accompanists' Guild of SA.
Applicants should contact accompanists as early as possible as auditions cannot be rescheduled to accommodate accompanist availability.
On the day of your audition, please ensure you arrive 15 minutes prior to your audition or interview. You will receive notification of your audition outcome following your audition.
We look forward to meeting you!