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THE GREENWAY BUILDING Originally constructed in 1821 as the Government Stables for the Colony of New South Wales , the structure that houses the Conservatorium is one of the few surviving works of the convict architect, Francis Greenway . A dramatic gothic structure with turrets, the building was described as a ‘palace for horses’ and is a portrayal of the romantic vision of Governor Lachlan Macquarie and the British architectural trends of the time. The stables, located in close proximity to picturesque Sydney harbour, reflects the building techniques and the range of materials and skills employed during the early settlement era. OPENING OF THE CONSERVATORIUM In 1915, the NSW Government under William Holman allocated £22000 to the redevelopment of the stables into a music school. The “NSW State Conservatorium of Music” opened on 6 March , 1916 , under the Directorship of Belgian conductor and violinist Henri Verbrugghen . A specialist high school, the Conservatorium High School soon followed in 1919 . RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OPERA WORLD In 1935 the “Conservatorium Opera School” was founded, later performing works such as Giuseppe Verdi ’s Falstaff and Othello , Richard Wagner ’s Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg and Die Walküre , Debussy ’s Pelléas Et Mélisande , among others. EXPANSION AND REFORMS Under the direction of Rex Hobcroft , the Conservatorium adopted the modern educational profile recognised today. Hobcroft’s vision of a “Music University” was realised, in which specialised musical disciplines including both classical and jazz Performance , Music Education , Composition and Musicology enriched each other. In 1952 , a branch of the Conservatorium was established in Newcastle, with an initial intake of 163 students. As part of the Dawkins Reforms , the Conservatorium was split, with the Sydney campus amalgamating with the University Of Sydney , and the Newcastle campus amalgamating with the University Of Newcastle . A 1994 review of the Sydney Conservatorium by the University of Sydney resulted in a recommendation ‘That negotiations with the NSW State Government about permanent suitable accommodation for the Conservatorium be pursued as a matter or urgency” In May 1997, Premier Bob Carr announced a major upgrade of the Conservatorium, with the ultimate goal of creating a music education facility equal to or better than anything in the world. A team was assembled to work to that brief, resulting in a complex collaboration between various government departments (notably the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Public Works and Services), the Government Architect, US-based acoustic consultants Kirkegaard Associates, Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke Architects, the key users represented by the Principal and Dean of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and the Principal of the Conservatorium High School, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust and many others. The building process saw the temporary relocation of the Conservatorium’s performance activities, and the Conservatorium High School to the Australian Technology Park from 1998-2001. DIRECTORS Past directors include Dr Edgar Bainton , Sir Eugene Goossens , Sir Bernard Heinze , Joseph Post , Rex Hobcroft , John Painter , John Hopkins and Sharman Pretty. As Of 2004 , Professor Kim Walker is the current Dean. The model of music education across secondary, tertiary, and community sectors continues to this day. EXTERNAL LINKS |