¹ú²ú±¬ÁÏ

It was late summer, and a crowd was gathered in Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens for the Chihuly Glass exhibition. A jazz trio was playing to the masses gathered in the Schomburgk Pavilion when a young man was invited to the stage to join the band – he proceeded to give a captivating vocal performance of Moonlight Serenade and, quite rightly, received a warm and enthusiastic cheer from the public. The young man, Jack Elms, a Senior student at PAC, had the opportunity to run his performance with a professional jazz combo in front of a crowd - not of judges, not family and friends but total strangers – one week before performing this piece at the renowned ‘Generations in Jazz’ festival. It’s the perfect litmus test of where you are as an emerging artist and a chance to experience the connection and joy your music can bring to the community.

Since joining the College as Voice Coordinator, I’ve witnessed the strength of our singing culture firsthand. With six choirs spanning the Prep and Secondary Schools and a consistent presence at ‘Generations in Jazz’, PAC has built a program where singing is both valued and visible.

Singing is an extremely powerful form of expression. One of our key goals is to continue increasing the number of boys who participate in the ensembles, who sing freely and proudly. Part of this is maintaining the high standard of our ensembles and making their excellence more visible in the wider community.

As a jazz specialist and multi-instrumentalist, I’ve been thrilled by the breadth of ensembles at PAC - choirs, big bands, string groups, jazz combos - and the creative possibilities they offer for cross-collaboration. Highlights have included Year 12 Apollon Velonakis’ electric violin feature with the jazz combo at ‘Generations in Jazz’, staff joining the combined choirs at the Winter Showcase, and the ‘Piano Man’ major concert where the string ensembles and choirs united. Singers regularly collaborate with big bands and jazz combos, highlighting the rich, cross-ensemble opportunities available in the Music Program at the College.

I’m excited to be part of a supportive and energised music team here at PAC and am humbled to be playing a role in developing our future musicians. I look forward to providing opportunities for the students to connect with professional musicians, mentors, and to explore music as a vocational option or simply as lifelong passion and an ongoing rich social connection.

¹ú²ú±¬ÁÏ is proud to offer Music Scholarships for exceptional instrumentalists and vocalists. To find out more visit our Music Scholarships page.

Dr. Julian Ferraretto

Voice Co-ordinator