Featured items for state music festivals – item nomination

Region: Metro, Metropolitan South
Kindergarten to Year 12
Event Application Festival Music
Tags: High potential and gifted (HPGE)

Dates

Nominations closing: Fri 9 May 2025

Successful applicants will be allocated to one concert and need to be available for a sound check and staging rehearsal on the day of the concert.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome by Friday 23 May 2025.

2025 performance opportunities

These performance opportunities are open to all public school students (Years K to 12) and can include music ensembles of all sizes, large or small (including soloists). Items may be instrumental or vocal, and should avoid pre-recorded musical components such as backing tracks.

Festival of Choral Music 2025 concert dates at the Sydney Opera House

  • Argyle concert: Monday 4 August 2025, 6:30 pm
  • Australis concert: Tuesday 5 August 2025, 6:30 pm 
  • Barangaroo concert: Wednesday 6 August 2025, 6:30 pm
  • Bennelong concert: Thursday 7 August 2025, 6:30 pm
  • Endeavour concert: Friday 8 August 2025, 6:30 pm​​​​​​

Sydney NorthWest Music Festival concert dates at The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith

  • Burrendong concert: Tuesday 19 August 2025
  • Cawndilla concert: Wednesday 20 August 2025

Sydney NorthWest Music Festival concert dates at The Concourse, Chatswood

  • Pinaroo concert: Thursday 21 August 2025
  • Wyangan concert: Friday 22 August 2025

Festival of Instrumental Music 2025 concert dates at the Sydney Opera House 

  • Acacia concert: Monday 25 August 2025, 6:30 pm 
  • Banksia concert: Tuesday 26 August 2025, 6:30 pm 
  • Jacaranda concert: Monday 8 September 2025, 6:30 pm
  • Mimosa concert: Tuesday 9 September 2025, 6:30 pm

Cantabile Music Festival 2025 concert dates at the Sydney Opera House

  • Monday 15 September 2025, 7:00 pm

Primary Proms 2025 concert dates at the Sydney Town Hall

  • Brindabella concert: Monday 22 September 2025, 7:00 pm
  • Coorong concert: Tuesday 23 September 2025, 7:00 pm 
  • Daintree concert: Wednesday 24 September 2025, 7:00 pm 
  • Kakadu concert: Thursday 25 September 2025, 7:00 pm

Additional opportunities for regional ensembles

The Sydney Conservatorium of Music has partnered with the Arts Unit to provide additional opportunities for ensembles from schools outside of metro-Sydney who are successful in auditioning for a featured item at one of our festivals. A member of the Sydney Conservatorium staff will travel to your school to conduct a workshop with your ensemble in the lead up to your performance in Sydney. This opportunity will be offered to successful ensembles of 4 or more students who attend a NSW public school outside of metro-Sydney, and will be subject to staff availability.


Please note that all 2025 events will commence under the guidelines from NSW Health and the Department of Education. 

Nominate your item

Applications will close on Friday 9 May 2025. 

Successful applicants will be allocated to one concert and need to be available for a sound check and staging rehearsal on the day of the concert.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome by Friday 23 May 2025.

2025 performance opportunities

These performance opportunities are open to all public school students (Years K to 12) and can include music ensembles of all sizes, large or small (including soloists). Items may be instrumental or vocal, and should avoid pre-recorded musical components such as backing tracks.

Festival of Choral Music 2025 concert dates at the Sydney Opera House

  • Argyle concert: Monday 4 August 2025, 6:30 pm
  • Australis concert: Tuesday 5 August 2025, 6:30 pm 
  • Barangaroo concert: Wednesday 6 August 2025, 6:30 pm
  • Bennelong concert: Thursday 7 August 2025, 6:30 pm
  • Endeavour concert: Friday 8 August 2025, 6:30 pm​​​​​​

Sydney NorthWest Music Festival concert dates at The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith

  • Burrendong concert: Tuesday 19 August 2025
  • Cawndilla concert: Wednesday 20 August 2025

Sydney NorthWest Music Festival concert dates at The Concourse, Chatswood

  • Pinaroo concert: Thursday 21 August 2025
  • Wyangan concert: Friday 22 August 2025

Festival of Instrumental Music 2025 concert dates at the Sydney Opera House 

  • Acacia concert: Monday 25 August 2025, 6:30 pm 
  • Banksia concert: Tuesday 26 August 2025, 6:30 pm 
  • Jacaranda concert: Monday 8 September 2025, 6:30 pm
  • Mimosa concert: Tuesday 9 September 2025, 6:30 pm

Cantabile Music Festival 2025 concert dates at the Sydney Opera House

  • Monday 15 September 2025, 7:00 pm

Primary Proms 2025 concert dates at the Sydney Town Hall

  • Brindabella concert: Monday 22 September 2025, 7:00 pm
  • Coorong concert: Tuesday 23 September 2025, 7:00 pm 
  • Daintree concert: Wednesday 24 September 2025, 7:00 pm 
  • Kakadu concert: Thursday 25 September 2025, 7:00 pm

Contact details

Should you have any queries, please contact us at concerts.artsunit@det.nsw.edu.au


Please note that all 2025 events will commence under the guidelines from NSW Health and the Department of Education. 


 

Application details

School
Use 'other' option if entry does not represent an individual school.
Name of ensemble or soloist.

Contact teacher details

This contact must be a teacher at one of the schools represented in this application.
Teacher name
Please enter a valid mobile number in the following format: 04xx  xxx  xxx

Email confirmation of this application will be sent to this email address.

This address must be NSW Department of Education email address.

Additional teacher/contact details

This contact may be a parent or instrumental tutor.
Additional teacher/contact name

Principal details

Item entry details

Item type

Audition details

Please ensure that your audition piece does not exceed 5 minutes in duration.
Audition piece 1
Do you have more audition video pieces to submit as part of your application?
Audition piece 2 (optional)

Performance availability

Please select all concerts for which you are available. If successful you will be allocated one performance date only. The item soundcheck/rehearsal will take place on the day of the performance, most likely in the morning.
Festival of Choral Music at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney NorthWest Music Festival concert dates at The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith
Festival of Instrumental Music at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney NorthWest Music Festival concert dates at The Concourse, Chatswood
Cantabile Music Festival 2025 concert dates at the Sydney Opera House
Primary Proms at the Sydney Town Hall

Principal endorsement

I acknowledge that I have received permission from the school principal to submit this application. I understand that, should this application be successful, written approval for involvement will be requested from the school principal.