Music and Performing Arts
The music program at Monash attracts some of the finest professionals in their fields. In addition to advanced musicianship, students are exposed to the historical, creative, technical and cultural aspects of music.
The School of Music - Conservatorium is located within the Performing Arts Centre, which includes a 240-seat music auditorium, a 220-seat drama theatre, an Asian orchestra room, an early music room, music technology studios and a suite of practice rooms.
Pianist and composer Jane Hammond lectures in the school in theory, history and practical studies. She has worked with many major Australian arts organisations including Opera Australia and plays orchestral keyboard regularly with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Jane holds a Master of Arts in Music Composition from Monash and is currently undertaking doctoral research at the school.
Her operas for children have been performed around Australia, in Asia and Europe, including at the Edinburgh Children's Festival.
In 2007 her work Voicing Emily was performed at a sell-out season at the Malthouse Theatre. The Melbourne Age newspaper described the music-theatre production as a work of “ravishing beauty and rare artistic distinction."
The music school shares premises with the Monash Centre for Drama and Theatre Studies. It is dedicated to producing the next generation of theatre-makers, providing graduates with a broad experience across theatre production, direction, performance and writing.
Prominent Monash alumni in the performing arts include playwright David Williamson, writer Don Watson and Academy Award winning filmmaker Eva Orna.
The Monash approach to the performing arts is the same as its approach to other areas of arts and heritage studies: it encourages a rigorous and stimulating approach to studies, an enjoyable educational experience and engagement with the world and contemporary issues.
