The Wollongong Conservatorium of Music Jazz Program was created in its current form by Eric Dunan in 2001.  Since then the Conservatorium has become recognised around Australia as a significant provider of jazz education to young people.   

STUDENTS AND PARENTS - Click here to see Eric's schedule

EVENTS:

The Jazz Program has always presented regular concerts with visiting artists and students.  Over the years Wollongong Conservatorium has presented Fred Wesley (USA), Wadada Leo Smith (USA), Mark Levine (USA), Mike Nock, James Morrison, Bernie McGann, Matt Keegan Trio, Judy Bailey, 20th Century Dog, The Vampires, Andrea Keller Quartet, Marc Hannaford, Andrew Robson Trio, The World According to James, Sandy Evans, Shannon Barnett, The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra, Eric Dunan Quartet, Danny Carmichael Quintet, Phil Slater, and many more of Australia's leading jazz groups. 

For more information on upcoming jazz events see the http://wollongongjazz.com/ Wollongong Jazz website and follow the links to social networking and to join the mailing list.  

ENSEMBLES:

The Jazz Program has always been based on offering opportunities for students to play in large and small ensembles. 

The large ensembles include Jazz Orchestras as well as Concert Bands as a training ground for musicians to play in large ensembles. 

Small ensembles (or 'combos') include 3-8 students and provide students with a valuable experience playing jazz standards together, directed by a professional jazz musician on staff. 

Click here for more info about the Ensembles program

TUITION:

All of the staff in the Jazz Program are active professional musicians, and have specialised tertiary training in jazz.  Eric Dunan studied in California, USA, while the other staff have all been through the Jazz Program at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. 

Click here for staff profiles

ALUMNI AND ACHIEVEMENTS:

While the majority of school-aged music students don't pursue a career in music, an unusually high proportion of the students from the Wollongong Conservatorium Jazz Program have gone through tertiary study and become professional musicians in recent years.  These former students include Nick Garbett, Josh Wales, Matt Bergner (tpt); Justin Fermino, Stephanie Badman (saxophone); Ben Panucci, Matt Smith (guitar); Bill Williams, Abel Cross, Tom Wade, Lucy Clifford (bass); Alex Masso, Aron McCullough, Finn Ryan, Al Hicks, Sam Cairns, Jodie Michael (drums) 

In 2007 Eric took two Jazz Orchestras and some combos to the Reno Jazz Festival in the USA, where they picked up several awards and surprised everyone by showing how creative some of the young Australian jazz musicians are. 

On another tour, Eric took the Jazz Orchestra to Chine and Japan where they performed at the World Expo and played with James Morrison and Sandy Evans. 

Eric has also taken the Jazz Orchestra to Wangaratta Festival of Jazz several times. 

CONTACT US:

For more information on the jazz program, contact Eric Dunan:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / (02) 4228 1122