Rising Stars
Rising Stars at the Con
The Rising Stars at the Con is a dynamic performance-based music education program. The program provides gifted school-age students with specialist tuition in a supportive environment that helps develop their musical and artistic skills.
At Rising Stars, we identify talent at an early age, laying a constructive foundation for a lifetime of musical achievement. Supported by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music faculty, the program is based on proven values of quality instrumental teaching, structured academic development, regular performance and the benefits of a strong and supportive musical peer group.
The Rising Stars program operates on 3 levels: Foundation Stars, Emerging Stars and Premier Stars to provide a development pathway for musical talent.
The Rising Stars program runs for on Saturdays 14 weeks per semester, with 2 semesters each year and entry is by audition only. For more information, please refer to the 'How to Apply' page.
Rising Stars Program Structure
The Rising Stars program has 3 levels which all focus on three essential elements:
1. Instrumental lessons
Each student receives 60 minute weekly individual lessons from a Sydney Conservatorium of Music teacher, at the Conservatorium. Lesson times are agreed between teacher and student so are not necessarily restricted to Saturdays.
Tuition is available on the following instruments:Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp, Classical Guitar
Woodwind: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone
Brass: French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Euphonium
Keyboard: Piano, Organ, Harpsichord
Composition: Composition students are accepted by application, not audition. Submit a contact form for more information
Students are also permitted to use the Conservatorium’s many practice rooms for their private practice time.
2. Performances
Premier and Emerging Rising Stars students present weekly Performance Platform concerts on Saturdays during the semester. Students are encouraged to perform regularly in these concerts supported and accompanied by professional associate artists. The concerts, which are free and open to the public, are held on Saturdays at 11am, 2pm and 3pm in the Conservatorium’s state of the art venues. The concerts provide students with invaluable experience in rehearsal techniques, pre-performance procedure, concert etiquette, stage presentation and also become familiar with the concert 'backstage experience'
Foundation Rising Stars have the opportunity to perform in a Gala concert, accompanied by professional associate artists, at the end of each semester.
3. Music skills
In small weekly group lessons, Rising Stars students acquire a knowledge of music theory and history, aural, sight singing and analysis – all essential for academic and musical development. Advanced players progress to seminars presented by professional musicians and musicologists. Music Skills lessons all occur on Saturdays between 9am and 2pm. Exact class times depend upon the level that each student is placed into, which is determined by a diagnostic test taken when first joining the program. Movement across classes during semesters is only at the approval of the teacher and after satisfactorily completing an appropriate assessment.
Rising Star Levels
Premier Stars
Premier Stars receive weekly individual lessons, attend the Music Skills classes and are expected to perform in at least 1 concert per semester. Premier Stars will also be occasionally invited to participate in additional concerts both at the Conservatorium and at external venues as ambassadors of the program.
Emerging Stars
Emerging Stars receive weekly individual lessons, attend the Music Skills classes and are expected to perform in at least 1 concert per semester.
Foundation Stars
Foundation Stars receive weekly individual lessons, attend the Music Skills classes and are expected to perform in the Gala concert each semester.
All students wishing to join the program are auditioned the same way and will be placed in an appropriate level by the audition panel who will also allocate students to their instrumental teachers.
At the end of each year all students will sit a performance examination. Foundation and Emerging Stars can progress to the higher levels on the decision of the examination panel.