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.
The minimum standard is Grade 8 AMEB/ABRSM.
Members of the UNSW Orchestra are eligible for the Willgoss Instrumental Prize each year.
Rehearsals
Time: 6:30 - 9:00 pm, Tuesdays during Academic Term
Location: Sir John Clancy Auditorium
2024 Schedule can be viewed here
Auditions
Registrations for Term 3 2024 have now closed.
If you need to submit a late registration, please email the MPU office at cmc@unsw.edu.au to book an appointment asap.
Steven Hillinger
UNSW Orchestra Conductor
Steven is a versatile conductor and educator who is widely recognised for his work in both the orchestral and symphonic band fields.
Steven graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1992 from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music studying French Horn with Anthony Buddle and has performed with orchestras including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra.
In 1993 Steven completed a Graduate Diploma in Conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium, studying with Henryk Pisarek and the following year was offered a place in the Master of Music course, graduating in 1997, with John Hopkins as his teacher. This was the first time a Masters in Conducting had been offered. In 2019, Steven completed his Doctoral studies at the Sydney Conservatorium, studying with Eduardo Diazmuñoz while undertaking research into the forgotten Hungarian composer, Tibor Idrányi.
Steven has guest conducted many orchestras including the Willoughby, Penrith and Mosman Symphony Orchestras, the Ku-ring-gai and East-West Philharmonic Orchestras, the Cove Chamber Orchestra, The Occasional Performing Sinfonia, the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Wind Symphony and the NSW Youth Orchestra. Steven has also worked with the Australian Youth Orchestra and was shortlisted to audition for the position of Assistant Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He was a finalist the 1997, 1998 and 2000 Westfield Young Conductor of the Year Awards with the Queensland, Adelaide and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras respectively.
Steven was the conductor of the Lane Cove Youth Orchestra (1998), Fisher’s Ghost Youth Orchestra (1998-2000), Sydney Youth Brass (2000), Shore School Symphony Orchestra (2005-2006), Burwood Girls High School Senior Concert Band (2010-2011), St. Aloysius College Senior Concert Band (2012), Ascham School Symphony Orchestra (1997-2014) and was Musical Director of the City of Sydney Wind Ensemble (2001-2006). Steven also worked extensively with the Sydney Youth Orchestra’s Association (2001-2007), conducting the Sydney Youth Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Orchestra and was Musical Director of the University of New South Wales Wind Symphony (2006-2012) and Associate Conductor of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Wind Symphony (2013-2014). Steven has also worked as Assistant Conductor with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
As well as a large amount of guest conducting, at present, Steven holds the position of Chief Conductor and Musical Director of the North Sydney Symphony Orchestra, as well as conducting the Chatswood High School Wind Orchestra, North Sydney Girls High School Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra – leading them on several international tours to Europe and China. Steven is also Musical Director of the University of New South Wales Symphony Orchestra, and from 2016 to 2018, held the position of Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra.
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