Director of Music P-12

Welcome to Term 3

Second semester begins! It’s been lovely to see all the new faces joining ensembles after the success of our Gala Concert at the end of last term! Enjoy this video of our concert finale – where you’ll hear 600 Voices of Hope ringing out together!

Welcome back also to Ms Froukje Werlemann-Godfrey who returns from parental leave to her post as Head of Curriculum P-12, supported by Ms Veronica Tsang who remains acting as a co-Head. Ms Alana Thorne officially joins us from this term onwards, and we are delighted to have this dedicated educator as a part of our music team.

As we line up all the wonderful events and performances across the rest of the year, Holyrood and large rehearsal spaces across both campuses are a daily hive of industry! Preparations are well underway for our upcoming Italy Music Tour departing in less than eight weeks, with 34 students and supporting staff rehearsing passionately, refining their repertoire ahead of this incredible international experience.

Last week, we celebrated the Feast of St Dominic, affectionately known as Dom’s Day, with a tremendous array of musical offerings from our students during both the Mass and in the concert afterwards. The whole celebration truly captured the vibrant essence of the Dominican Charism. On Wednesday, we were delighted to have Dr Paul Taylor (composer of the Mass of St Benedict and Mass of St Francis) with us from Melbourne to workshop his setting of the mass with us.

Friday Afternoon Open Recitals

Our Open Recital Series continues in Term 3 with another instalment this Friday at 3:45pm in the Adams Room, Holyrood. These informal performances are a wonderful opportunity for students to share their music in a supportive environment. Interested in performing? Speak to your private music teacher about how you can sign up for our next one!

Chamber Music Recital

On Tuesday 26 August from 5:00pm, join us for an evening of intimate small ensemble performances at our Chamber Music Recital. Held in the Chapel, this beautiful soirée features our highly accomplished Chamber musicians in a range of duets, trios, quartets and other groups to present an exciting selection of chamber works. All are welcome!

New music learning opportunities – pipa lessons!

As our Guzheng Ensemble expands to incorporate other aspects of chinese traditional music, we are delighted to officially re-name this group our Chinese Music Ensemble. As part of this growth, we’re thrilled to introduce Ms Iris (Xinyang) Li, to the team – our new tutor offering pipa lessons! The pipa is a traditional Chinese string instrument known for its expressive sound and rich history. Students interested in exploring this unique musical opportunity are encouraged to register via this link.

About Ms Iris (Xinyang) Li

Iris is a visionary pipa soloist, composer and educator, known for bridging Eastern tradition and Western creativity through music in Sydney. She was the first student in history to graduate from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music majoring in a Chinese traditional instrument—the pipa.

With over a decade of teaching experience, Iris is passionate about nurturing young musicians and sharing the beauty of Chinese music with students of all backgrounds. Her method book My First Pipa Book is the first English-language Pipa guide written for students outside China, making the instrument more accessible and engaging for young learners.

Iris is also the founder and director of Amazonite Ensemble, a youth fusion music group made up of talented primary and high school students. The ensemble brings together Chinese and Western instruments to create vibrant cross-cultural performances. They regularly appear at community festivals and events across Sydney, sharing music that celebrates diversity and creativity.

Iris brings this ensemble experience into her work at Santa Sabina. She hopes to inspire students to engage with music not only as a skill, but also as a way of connecting cultures and expressing identity. All levels are welcome – no prior experience is required. Students who already have experience learning the Pipa are especially encouraged to join and take their skills further in a supportive environment.

You might like to read more about Ms Li on Little Red Book (小红书) where she shares teaching and performance videos with her 8k followers! (悉尼琵琶老师 Iris)

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Join an ensemble, class or learn an instrument!

We believe that music makes life and the human experience so much richer – and therefore it should be accessible to all. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced musician, there’s a place for you in our music programs at Santa! From choirs and orchestras to bands and contemporary ensembles, studio engineering classes and private lessons – we offer a wide range of opportunities for all abilities.

It’s never too late to start learning an instrument or join an ensemble, and the start of semester is the perfect time to slot in. Come and be part of something special! Register via this link.

Please reach out to music@ssc.nsw.edu.au if we can support your music journey in any way!

Wishing all our students a wonderful semester to come.