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.
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
Career opportunities
The evolving field of Sonic Arts means that new opportunities are constantly being created as technology advances.
You might invent new musical instruments, make video game soundtracks, develop music software, or collaborate with an artificial intelligence program to create music.
You might tour the world as a live electronic musician. Or you could be a producer, creatively advising, coaching and recording other artists in the studio.
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
Picture yourself here
Learn from the best
Our staff are experts in the field and accomplished musicians in their own right.
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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.
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!