Director of Music P-12
Welcome to Term 2!
We hope our community had a refreshing break, and that you share our building anticipation for all the wonderful things that Term 2 has in store.
Major Announcement – 2026 Gala Concert
Sydney Town Hall | Tuesday 23 June | 6:00 pm
We are delighted to officially announce the theme for our 2026 Gala Concert: Instruments of Peace.
In 2026, we mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi, to whom the beautiful prayer ‘Make me an instrument of your peace‘ is attributed. This year was declared the Jubilee Year of St Francis by Pope Leo, and there has never been a more poignant or necessary time for this message to find a platform through music.
Following on from our 2025 Gala Concert ‘Voices of Hope’, this year’s concert will again see over 600 performers take to the stage of the Sydney Town Hall, bringing together all P-12 music ensembles, alongside every student in Years 4-7, united in glorious massed performances. Together, our students will offer an evening of music making that seeks to bring joy, catharsis and hope to our community.
Tickets will be released via TryBooking
Given the scale of the event and the venue, tickets are expected to sell quickly. We strongly encourage families and friends to secure tickets as soon as sales open.
Australian Composers Day 2026
Looking ahead to an exhilarating Term 2, on Monday 4 May Australian Composers Day 2026 is set to welcome 300 students from across NSW. As you can see by the event flyer, such a great momentum is growing as we champion the artistic voices of our coming generations – this day is set to be a summit of young creatives like no other. Santa students in Elective Music (Years 9-12) and advanced musicians in Year 7 and above are included in this day. Attendees are kindly reminded to complete their Attendee Form as soon as possible to help the allocation of workshop groups for the afternoon session.
Open Recital Series
Across our school year, we strive to provide formal and informal performance experiences for our learners. Indeed learning an instrument is one thing, but learning how to confidently share your music is another skillset altogether – representing transferable skills that can yield great benefits in so many aspects of life. Our next Open Recital will take place in Holyrood on Friday 22 May 2026, and we are thrilled by the engagement of friends, family and tutors who all gather at these soirees to cheer for our emerging musicians. (Enjoy these photos from Week 8 of Term 1).
Hitting the airwaves
During the holidays, we were thrilled to hear one of our Chamber groups featured on air on 2MBS with a quartet by Australian Composer Stephen Lalor. Celine Choi, Felicia Zhang, Caitlin Kang and Estelle Gilmovich presented a recorded performance of Bukovina Odyssey (2011) that the composer praised as ‘absolutely superb…. Excellent ensemble playing with real verve.‘ ‘The ‘Class Act’ segment also premiered the new composition ‘Waltz des petites Etoiles’ by Estelle Gilmovich.
This week we were also thrilled to launch ‘The Santa Sabina Sound’ platform on Spotify, launching with the ‘drop’ of Year 11 Rock Band Boulevarde 27’s original piece Fly – written and performed by its Year 11 members, mentored by Veronica Tsang and produced on site by our resident sound engineer Jason de Wilde.
Songfest 2026 – inaugural choral festival
Chamber Choir is looking forward to an exciting collaboration with Gondwana Choirs at the inaugural SONGFEST 2026, with the concert to be held at Verbrugghen Hall and rehearsals in the Walsh Bay precinct between 14-16 May 2026.
Every ensemble is already hard at work, with deeply significant repertoire being curated and commissioned for this extraordinary event.
We thank our students, staff and families for their continued passion and support of Music at the College!
Term 2 promises to be inspiring, ambitious and deeply meaningful – we can’t wait to share it with you.
Amy Richardson
Director of Music (P-12)
Join a Music Program or Activity
Music ensembles and activities are open for enrolments all year round. It’s a joy to see more students discovering the confidence and connection that music brings! If any of our programs are of interest to you, you can register at any time via the College App or via this shortcut link.
Reach out to music@ssc.nsw.edu.au if we can assist you further.
Amy Richardson
Director of Music P-12