Sixteen students from the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music will get the opportunity of a lifetime this week when they get the chance to work with some of the finest orchestral musicians in the world. The internationally renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra are visiting Australia for the first time to perform 4 concerts at the Sydney Opera House from 16th – 20th November. While in Sydney, the orchestra under the leadership of Maestro Sir Simon Rattle, are undertaking a workshop at the Central Coast Conservatorium in Gosford. As a member of the Association of NSW Regional Conservatoriums, Wollongong Conservatorium of Music is sending 16 lucky students to Gosford to work with players from the orchestra. Not only will they get to work with some of the finest musicians in the world, but they will work on the same repertoire the orchestra is performing in two of its Sydney Opera House concerts.

 10 string players, 4 brass players and 2 woodwind players will make the trip to the Central Coast on Wednesday for the 2-day workshop accompanied by 4 tutors from the Conservatorium. Wollongong Conservatorium CEO Andrew Snell says “This is the equivalent of a young soccer player training with the Manchester United first team or a young political science student spending 2 days with Barrack Obama. These musicians are the absolute best in the world at their craft and for our students to be given the opportunity to work with them in this way is just amazing. Huge thanks must go to Chris Bearman, the director of the Central Coast Conservatorium for inviting our students to take part. I can’t wait to go and I’m not even playing!”