Sonic Arts

We are in the midst of a technological transformation that will continue to have a profound effect of music for the foreseeable future.

Career opportunities ​​​​​ Learn from the best  How to apply

Music producer working in a recording studio

Join us

Sonic Arts is a rapidly expanding field of music making. New technology, from digital audio workstations to artificial intelligence, has enabled individual artists to experiment and develop ideas and forms of expression that were unthinkable not long ago.  

At the same, the arts, entertainment, creative and media industries have grown into huge global enterprises, powered by technology that has provided new means of production and distribution. 

Join us a we prepare you to play a leading creative role in this exciting and constantly evolving landscape. Our program provides in-depth understanding of technology and practical experience in using it, while emphasising the development of individual creativity and imagination.

The breadth of this degree is designed to equip graduates for a future that is still coming into being, and to give them the practical skills, depth of understanding and creative ability to be agents in shaping that future. 

What you'll study

Bachelor of Music (Creative Practice)

Bachelor of Music (Sonic Arts)

"I chose Sonic Arts because I wanted to do a music degree that strengthens the bond between musicianship and technology, without necessarily being confined to one instrument." - Hamish Bramley
 

Learn from the best

Our staff are experts in the field and accomplished musicians in their own right.

  • Stephen Whittington

    Stephen Whittington

    Stephen Whittington is head of Sonic Arts at the Elder Conservatorium of Music and teaches composition and sonic arts.

    He has performed at many festivals in Australia and Europe and given recitals in the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, North America and China. His interest in the relationship between music and other art forms has led to the creation of a series of multimedia performances, including The Last Meeting of the Satie Society , Mad Dogs and Surrealists, The Music of Light – Films of Stan Brakhage and My Heart Belongs to Dada.

    In 2012 he directed John Cage Day at the University of Adelaide, marking the centenary of the composer’s birth; as part of that event he performed a continuous eight-hour long version of ASLSP (As Slow aS Possible) on the Elder Hall organ. His performance of Morton Feldman’s Triadic Memories was acclaimed by The Wire magazine as one of the “Concerts that Shook the World”, along with Sun Ra, Sonic Youth, Patti Smith, Autechre and other luminaries of contemporary music. 

    Stephen’s string quartet Windmill has been frequently performed and has been described as 'the classic work of Australian musical minimalism'. Music for Airport Furniture and other works for string quartet have been released on albums by the Cold Blue label (Los Angeles). He appears as performer, composer arranger and improviser on the albums Final Fragments (De la Catessen, 2022), Journey from the Centre of the Earth (4 disc box set; Experimental Art Foundation, 2010), and Erik Satie – Art Works 1892 -1924 (4 disc box set; Les Disques du Crépuscule, 2023). 


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!