Music ensembles

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Ensembles you can join

The UNSW music program offers one of the most wide-ranging ensemble programs in tertiary education in Australia. All ensembles are directed by highly regarded professional musicians and educators, active in the musical styles of the ensemble that they direct. Ensembles include small and large ensembles from classical, jazz, electro-acoustic, and world music. You may seek approval to form your own ensemble under the supervision of a member of the music staff; approval is strictly based on merit and staff availability.

Music Ensemble participation advances your performance skills, and the study of various ensemble styles and practices. More broadly, participation in ensembles will develop your experience of music making as: a musical act, to extend your musical knowledge and understanding; a social act, to develop your capacity to negotiate and contribute to a group outcome; and as a personal act, to develop a sense of agency, self-achievement and self-confidence in group music making.

Performance lab and Music Craft students

Performance students enrolled in a performance lab or music craft course must participate in an ensemble as a course requirement. All students in these courses are required to attend 80% of the scheduled ensemble times and participate in the end of term concert during weeks 10-11. Not all ensembles give public concerts. In week 10 or 11 depending on the ensemble, directors and music staff will complete part checking as part of the ensemble assessment.

Students must register/audition for an ensemble during O-Week as all ensembles start in Week 1. If students find themselves not signed up to an ensemble by Week 1, they must contact their course convenor immediately.

Below are descriptions of each ensemble and further information on audition requirements for those ensembles which require audition. Consult the term timetable schedule for details on how to audition/register during Orientation Week.

Most ensembles will have a public performance that will take place at a time that may differ from the usual rehearsal time. All participants in the ensemble are expected to attend this performance. Your ensemble director should be able to inform you of the date and time of this performance at the first rehearsal.

Some ensembles only run in specific terms. Please refer to the yearly schedule under the useful links.

Non music students can join Collegium Musicum Choir, Corde, UNSW Orchestra and Wind Symphony. They can also join other ensembles via the Music Ensemble course MUSC2706 which can be taken as a general elective and requires participation in two ensembles.

Director (T2): Tessie Overmyer –T.overmyer@unsw.edu.au

Audition Requirements: please email t.overmyer@unsw.edu.au for further information

Vocalists and instrumentalists on any instrument are welcome in this ensemble.

Ensemble members will gain insight and experience both as a soloist and as a member of a contemporary jazz ensemble.

Please refer to “Useful Links” Tab, located on the right side of the screen to access when these classes are scheduled to run in Term 2.
Runs only when a minimum of 4 students are enrolled

Director: Mano Mora / Eitan Muir

Signup: no audition is required.

The Balinese gamelan at UNSW is a variation of the semar pegulingan type, a gong-chime ensemble consisting of up to thirty players. The UNSW ensemble consists of metallophones, gongs and other instruments, such as flutes, fiddles, drums and cymbals. This type of gamelan music is based on a seven-tone scale and can be used to perform a diverse repertoire including contemporary gong kebyar compositions, which are characterised by brilliant sounds, syncopations, sudden and gradual changes in sound colour, dynamics, tempo and articulation, and complex, complementary interlocking melodic-rhythmic patterns (kotekan).
Ensemble Directors: Mara Kiek and Llew Kiek

Sign up: no audition is required.

Please note, all participants will be required to sing as part of the training.

In the Balkan Ensemble, for both singers and instrumentalists, students will learn about characteristic elements of Balkan folk music, particularly the complex rhythms and harmonies that uniquely identify the music of this region. There will be a focus on the vocal technique required for authentic performance of Bulgarian traditional singing and plenty of opportunities for rhythm comping and traditional modal and contemporary improvisation for instrumentalists and vocalists.

The course is run by two of Australia’s most influential world music pioneers.
Director: Dr Kim Burwell

Signup: by email audition, as outlined below.

Classical chamber music is for pre-formed small ensembles.

Entry is by email audition. Please send to Dr Kim Burwell:

A list of ensemble members, student IDs, course codes and instruments;

A recording of repertoire that you have begun to rehearse already, even if it is still a work in progress;

Details about the repertoire you propose to address during the term.

The repertoire should be challenging and should offer participants shared responsibilities across a range of ensemble skills. It’s fine for the recording to be ‘a work in progress’, but it should show that you are going to be able to manage the repertoire within a term. An holistic approach will be taken to assessment: it will include the work you do during the term, and a performance near the end of term.

Feel free to contact Dr Kim Burwell at any time for more information, or feedback on ideas.

Please refer to “Useful Links” Tab, located on the right side of the screen to access when these classes are scheduled to run in Term 2.
Director (non-academic): Sonia Maddock

Signup: new members must organise a short voice placement prior to registration. Please email cmc@unsw.edu.au during O week to request a time to complete your voice placement.

Please note in 2024 new student entry will be at the start of T1, and T3, but not T2 due to concert programming.

UNSW's 100-voice choir known as the Collegium Musicum Choir was founded in 1975 by Professor Roger Covell and Dr Patricia Brown, and has a long tradition of performing choral-orchestral works and Christmas programs at UNSW to a semi-professional standard. The choir's membership includes undergraduate students from across the university, as well as postgraduates, staff and members of the community - all are welcome.

The Collegium Musicum performs familiar repertoire including oratorios, masses, requiems and other sacred works, and secular works appropriate to a large choir. Repertoire has included Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Nelson Mass, Mozart's Requiem, and Orff's Carmina Burana. The choir also presents less familiar works but by important composers, to introduce both the singers and the audience to another side of choral music, including Tippett's Crown of the Year, Part's Berliner messe and Respighi's Lauda per la Nativita del Signore.

The choir has a wonderful social aspect as well as focusing strongly on musical performance. It is a significant part of the cultural fabric of UNSW, bringing local and international students from across the UNSW School of the Arts and Media and the entire university together with staff and members of the local community to collaborate in public performance.

Members of Collegium Musicum Choir are eligible for the Willgoss Choral Prize each year.
Director (non-academic): Sonia Maddock

Signup: entry is by audition which will take place in O week. Please visit https://www.music.unsw.edu.au/choral for information regarding auditions and membership

Corde, UNSW's chamber choir has existed as an advanced choir in UNSW's choral program since around 1985. It includes only a small number of singers (12-18), including undergraduate and postgraduate students, alumni and staff, and sings challenging, unaccompanied repertoire.

Corde presents a small annual recital each year as well as being part of some concerts of the Collegium Musicum. In recent years, the chamber choir's repertoire has included Copland's In the Beginning, Britten’s Sacred and Profane, Palestrina’s Missa Aeterna Christi Munera, Wesley-Smith's Who Killed Cock Robin? and Debussy's Trois Chansons de Charles d'Orleans.

The evening program also includes the premiere performance of the winning work of the Willgoss Choral Composition Prize.

Membership of Corde is by audition, and is based almost entirely on sight-singing, experience and vocal quality. Singers tend to be experienced choristers with high-level music literacy.

For your audition please be prepared to sing and complete:

One piece to sing unaccompanied.

Part singing.

Sight reading.

Aural assessment.
Director: Eamon Dilworth-Penner (T1, T3) (Matt Keegan T2)

Signup: no audition necessary. Pianist places are limited to a maximum of 3. There is no limit on other instrumentalists and vocalists.

No prior knowledge of improvisation is necessary; however, participants in this ensemble are expected to be able to play their instruments with some proficiency and to be able to read music.

This performance class explores the 'how to' of improvisation in a practical setting.

The ensemble will perform together in an extended rhythm section and melody instruments workshop setting, with the repertoire being chosen primarily from the jazz tradition though not limited to that. The harmonic and melodic structure of the pieces will be analysed and scalic/ modal possibilities suggested. Each student will be given an opportunity to explore these ideas in the performance of the piece(s). Pointers will also be given on group performance, 'groove', dynamics and so on.
Director: Jonathan Ong

Signup: no audition is required.

Up to 14 students will be accepted into the ensemble. No prior experience is required; however, apply promptly as places are limited and fill up fast.

The Handbells ensemble features the university's own set of Malmark Bells, a professional instrument that offers students a fun and unique way to make music together.

The ensemble plays a diverse range of repertoire, ranging from folk tunes and classical music to contemporary, film scores, original compositions; we are only limited by the input in the ensemble. Students have the opportunity to write or arrange their own works for the ensemble, and accepted compositions will give students the opportunity to conduct their own work. The Handbells ensemble plays (at least one) concert at the end of term; this may require participation outside of the normal rehearsal hours of the ensemble.
Director: Adrian Lim-Klumpes - a.klumpes@unsw.edu.au

Director: Casey Golden

Signup: no audition is required but some piano performance ability is expected.

Up to 14 students will be accepted in the class. Please email Casey Golden before the end of O week to register. Please provide your student Id, and Music Craft/Performance Lab course code.

This ensemble is for students who have little or no jazz performance experience, but are keen to learn how to voice chords, accompany effectively and improvise on the piano in a variety of jazz-related styles.

By listening to audio examples and studying well-known jazz repertoire, the ensemble will gain experience in applying stylistically appropriate chord voicings, bass lines, accompaniment rhythms, modes and scales for improvisation and improvisational approaches, and effective ways to interact as an ensemble. Each member will take turns performing within the ensemble as bass line players, chordal accompanists, melody players and soloists. Time will be given for individual investigation and skill development as well as ensemble performance.

Students are allowed to take this course as their ensemble a maximum of 2 times
Not running in T3, 2024
Director: Matthew Keegan / Paul Cutlan (p.cutlan@unsw.edu.au)

Signup: no audition or prior experience required. Please email Director before the end of O-Week to register. State your instrument and a brief description of any experience you have performing and/or composing jazz. Please provide your student Id, and Music Craft/Performance Lab course code (if known).

This ensemble is for students who are interested to gain an understanding and experience in jazz composition and have a reasonably sound knowledge of music theory, but not necessarily any jazz composition experience. As this is a performance ensemble it is important that students are reasonably proficient on their instruments, however jazz performance experience is not necessarily required.

The course will be both theoretical and practical. Examples will be listened to and analysed and also performed in class time. The relationship between the compositions and the improvisational opportunities that they offer will be explored. There will be two short composition assignments set during the semester and a more substantial composition to be presented at the end of the semester, rehearsed and performed in class time by members of the ensemble. The jazz composition ensemble offers a wonderful opportunity to hear your compositional ideas performed
Director: Casey Golden - Ccasey@caseygolden.com.au

Signup: no audition necessary.
Please email Casey Golden (Ccasey@caseygolden.com.au) before the end of O week to register. Please provide your student Id, and Music Craft/Performance Lab course code (if known).

This ensemble is for students who have little or no jazz performance experience, but are keen to learn how to voice chords, accompany effectively and improvise on the piano in a variety of jazz-related styles. Some piano performance ability is required.

By listening to audio examples and studying well-known jazz repertoire, the ensemble will gain experience in applying stylistically appropriate chord voicings, bass lines, accompaniment rhythms, modes and scales for improvisation and improvisational approaches, and effective ways to interact as an ensemble. Each member will take turns performing within the ensemble as bass line players, chordal accompanists, melody players and soloists. Time will be given for individual investigation and skill development as well as ensemble performance.

Please refer to “Useful Links” Tab, located on the right side of the screen to access when these classes are scheduled to run in Term 2.
Director: Ellen Kirkwood - ellen.kirkwood@unsw.edu.au

Signup: Please email Ellen Kirkwood (ellen.kirkwood@unsw.edu.au) for more information on how to audition

UNSW Jazz Orchestra is a dynamic ensemble that plays jazz big band repertoire in a range of styles. Some Australian compositions are included in the repertoire. An exciting aspect of the group’s activities is premiering UNSW student compositions. The orchestra performs a concert at the end of each term.

Previous experience playing jazz and/or improvising is helpful but is not a prerequisite. Sight-reading ability is required on all instruments.

Brass players from any background are particularly encouraged to apply.

Please refer to “Useful Links” Tab, located on the right side of the screen to access when these classes are scheduled to run in Term 2.
Director (T2): Mano Mora – m.mora@unsw.edu.au

Audition Requirements: No Audition Required. Please email Mano (m.mora@unsw.edu.au) to confirm entry requirements.

Signup: no audition is required, however a good level of musical performance proficiency is necessary, as well as sight-reading ability. Places for pianists are limited. Please attend a meeting with the Ensemble Director during the advertised rehearsal time on O-Week for placement.

The Latin Conjunto is dedicated to the performance of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian genres, such as son, pachanga, mambo, salsa, samba and choro. All students will learn the fundamental rhythms for these various genres and some may elect to learn the percussion instruments.
Not running in T3, 2024
Ensemble Director: Dr Adam Hulbert - a.hulbert@unsw.edu.au

Signup: auditions will take the form of an interview. Please contact Adam Hulbert via email to organise a time to meet and please bring along any written pieces or musical influences. Maximum 15 places.

Sound Lab (Live) ensemble is offered to musicians who would like to produce and perform new electroacoustic works. Performers are encouraged to use their existing techniques with DAW environments and traditional instrumentation and/or expand these to incorporate UNSW’s collection of fixed-architecture and modular synthesisers. Primary tools for the performance will be Ableton Live and hardware synths, and performers will be given support for learning these where needed.

The ensemble will perform live (including new works) at the end of term in a multimedia environment, and video artists/VJs are welcome to apply.
Director: Maggie Ferguson

Signup: no audition is necessary however a good level of musical performance proficiency and sight-reading ability are required. Please note places in this group are limited, particularly for pianists (maximum 2).

Please email the Director to express your interest by the end of O-Week. Please provide your student Id, and Music Craft/Performance Lab course code (if known).

The Tango Ensemble welcomes pianists, players of orchestral strings, flute, clarinet, saxophone. It plays classic Argentine tangos and milongas, using scores originally mostly written and arranged between 1930 and 1950.
Conductor (non-academic): Dr. Steven Hillinger

Signup: entry is by audition. Information regarding the registration process for new and existing members can be accessed via this link: https://www.music.unsw.edu.au/instrumental/unsw-orchestra, opens in a new window. Auditions will be held each term in O Week. Please note that at various times auditions will only be for particular instruments. Vacant positions will be listed on the UNSW Orchestra webpage above. Please email cmc@unsw.edu.au with any enquiries

Please be prepared to play and complete two contrasting pieces unaccompanied, scales and sightreading.

The minimum standard is AMEB Grade 8 or equivalent.

The UNSW Orchestra was founded in 1989 to bring the live performance of fine music to the University community and to the many people who live in the surrounding suburbs.

The Orchestra was established by three undergraduate students, Jan Howe, Richard Pulley and Emery Schubert, with guidance from Professor Roger Covell of the (then) School of Music and Music Education and was initially funded by a grant from the (then) Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Birt. The vitality of the Orchestra today owes much to all these founders’ vision and caring.

The Orchestra’s repertoire is broadly from the Classical (1750-1810) and Romantic (1810-1910) eras. More recent works, especially works by contemporary Australian composers, are well represented in the Orchestra's programs, as is film music from the past four decades. Concertos for various solo instruments figure prominently. The soloists in these concertos are mostly students from the University’s music department. All musicians are members of UNSW Society of Orchestra and Pipers

The Orchestra's first concert took place on 15 August 1989, and on 14 May 2010 it gave its 100th public performance. There are, at any one time, about 65 players in the Orchestra. Additional guest players are brought in as the need arises, usually for the rarer instruments such as bass clarinet, contrabassoon, harp and celeste, or when a large-scale symphonic work is on the program.

More than 1000 UNSW students both from UNSW School of the Arts and Media and other faculties, staff and alumni have played in the Orchestra over the first 30 years of its existence. This remarkable figure shows what a wealth of amateur musical talent there is on campus. It also reflects the inevitable annual turnover among players, as existing players go off with their degrees and new players join.

Members of the UNSW Orchestra are eligible for the Willgoss Instrumental Prize each year.
Conductor (non-academic): Paul Vickers

Signup: There are no audition requirements for UNSW Wind Symphony. Just register and turn up! If you have any questions, please email cmc@unsw.edu.au or get in touch with the Society of Orchestra and Pipers. Information about registration and membership can be located here: https://www.music.unsw.edu.au/instrumental/unsw-wind-symphony

The UNSW Wind Symphony was founded in 1991 (as the UNSW Wind Band) to perform works specially composed for wind ensembles with or without percussion. The Wind Symphony provides a rich experience for musicians who prefer to play this repertoire, largely dating from after 1900. Also in the repertoire of the Wind Symphony are arrangements of works from all eras and styles, including jazz, popular and art-music forms.

The Wind Symphony offers a congenial home, as well, to many of the woodwind and brass players on campus, and comprises about 50 players at any one time both from UNSW School of the Arts and Media and other departments.

The Wind Band (as it was first called) was established by two undergraduate students, David Gilfillan and Emery Schubert, and gave its first concert on 26 May 1991.

The regular conductors of the UNSW Wind Band in past years were: David Gilfillan (1991-1993), Chris Blenkinsopp (1994-1998 and 2001-2003), Gary McPherson (1999-2000), Mathias Rogala-Koczorowski (2004-2006), Steven Hillinger (2006-2012), and Dr Steven Capaldo (2013-2017). Emery Schubert has been a frequent guest conductor.

Since 2013, the UNSW Wind Band has been known as the UNSW Wind Symphony, reflecting the shift in the ensemble's repertoire over its history and all members are a part of UNSW Society of Orchestra and Pipers.

Members of the UNSW Wind Symphony are eligible for the Willgoss Instrumental Prize each year.
Signup: no audition necessary. Please email Tony Lewis before the end of O-Week to register. Provide your student Id, and Music Craft/Performance Lab course code (if known).

This ensemble features the djembe drums (also ‘jembe’) a ‘goblet’ shaped drum whose origins are associated with the Mandinka peoples of the former Mali Empire. These drums are now part of various musical cultures from West Africa including but not limited to the nations of Senegal, Guinea, and Mali. The djembe is played with the hand while the three accompanying dunun drums (also dundun, djun djun) and bells are played with sticks. Traditional djembe ensemble music is learned aurally and presents rhythmic challenges to the musician. The ensemble instruction will also include some singing and dancing.

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Music ensembles

Ensembles you can join

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