Performance and Pedagogy

Music education is a rewarding and invigorating area to work in.

Career opportunities  How to apply

Piano teacher instructing a student

Join us

This intensive post-graduate degree combines performance studies in your specialisation with coursework that explores best practice in instrumental pedagogy.

Its curriculum is tailored to the 21st century music career path, which requires flexibility and versatility.

You will develop the skills of a first-class teaching artist, benefitting from both one-to-one performance-based lessons and significant research into learning and teaching.

What you'll study

Master of Music (Performance and Pedagogy)

Master of Music (Performance and Pedagogy)

"I enjoy all my one-to-one lessons, and we have the freedom to choose what repertoire we are going to do the next year." - Yueqi Li

Learn from the best

Learn from industry-leading musicians and artists.

  • Emily Dollman

    Emily Dollman

    Emily Dollman is the Head of Music Education and Pedagogy at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide, a TEQSA Expert Adviser in Music, a Council Member for ASME SA, a Board Member for AMEB SA and a member of the Music Education Roundtable.

    Emily’s background combines experience as a professional violinist working at the international level with a long standing commitment to music education and instrumental pedagogy. Emily has worked with leading orchestras and chamber ensembles in Australia, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, including Adelaide Baroque, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, The Hanover Band, and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.  

    Emily has focused her research on models of partnership between professional music organisations and music education providers. 

    Emily’s book ‘Opening Doors: Orchestras, Opera Companies and Community Engagement’ is being published by Routledge in 2023.

  • Oliver Fartach-Naini

    Oliver Fartach-Naini

    Oliver Fartach-Naini has toured across Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA. His most recent accolade was published in US magazine CLASSICAL GUITAR, which included his solo album SUITE LATINA in its list of ‘Top Ten Classical Guitar Albums of 2019’. Oliver Fartach-Naini has recorded 11 CDs for Deutsche Grammophon, Kreuzberg Records, Acoustic Music Records, Credia Classics and Ethnoclassics. 

    Oliver is the repertoire consultant for the AMEB classical guitar syllabus and published 7 graded repertoire books with instructional commentary and a 1000 work repertoire list. 

    Oliver holds degrees from the University of the Arts Berlin, the Academy of Music and Theatre ‘Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’ in Leipzig and a PhD from the University of Adelaide. 

    His teaching includes classical guitar, postgraduate supervision, chamber music and music education. 

    Find out more by visiting Oliver Fartach-Naini's website.


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.

Pay audition/interview registration fee

Apply to SATAC or International Admissions

Domestic students

You will need to lodge an application through the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC).

Visit the SATAC website

International students

You will need to lodge an application through our International Admissions Service. You do not need to register for an audition.

International applications

Current UofA students

You will need to lodge an internal transfer application.

Apply for an internal transfer

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!