Brigidine College St Ives is an independent Catholic secondary school for girls located in St Ives on the North Shore of Sydney. The College offers a holistic education which combines the spiritual, academic, physical and cultural dimensions of learning allowing girls to flourish today and beyond their school journey.
With excellent academic results, a high level of achievement in the performing arts and sport and a strong commitment to service, girls at Brigidine are challenged to think and experience beyond their boundaries, to have the courage to question their world and to be strong and sensitive leaders in their own lives and the lives of others.
Our Misson
We inspire our students to value learning, seek wisdom, act with integrity and to honour their spiritual heritage. We challenge young women to act as global citizens, with strength and gentleness in their own lives and the lives of others.
Our Motto
Fortiter et Suaviter
Strength and Gentleness
Find out more
Go to our website to find out more and to book a College Tour. We’d love to show you around!
brigidine.nsw.edu.au
Music at Brigidine
At Brigidine College, we are proud to offer an exceptional music program designed to nurture and challenge students of all abilities. From beginners who are discovering the joy of music to aspiring elite musicians, our programs cater to all individual needs and aspirations.
Music is recognised as a unique space which allows our students to form a strong sense of identity and belonging. The opportunities for leadership, vertical social structures and shared experiences ensure all students gain exceptional pastoral care and growth through their time in the Brigidine Music program.
Our comprehensive Curricular Music program has consistently produced outstanding results at HSC level. Students are given the tools, techniques and knowledge to excel in all areas of performance, composition and aural analysis, ensuring they are fully prepared for their musical futures.
Our thriving Cocurricular Music program allows students to broaden their musical experience through participation in various instrumental and vocal ensembles. We are proud of our continued success in a wide range of competitions and eisteddfods, where our students regularly achieve recognition for their talent, hard work and dedication.
Through studying Music students will develop transferable skills that will make them an asset to any future employer:
• creative thinking
• perseverance
• discipline
• teamwork
• commitment
• critical thinking
• time management
• attention to detail
• cultural awareness.
Curricular Music
Mandatory Music is offered in Years 7 and 8. Music is then offered as an elective subject in Years 9-10 (Stage 5) and Years 11-12 (Stage 6).
Music is a form of personal and cultural expression that occupies a significant place in global cultures and histories. Music has the capacity to engage, inspire, enrich and transform our lived experiences. As students develop a deeper understanding of music, they draw on histories, practices, technologies and personal experiences to perform, compose and appreciate music.
Brigidine Music students engage with the elements of music through integrated learning experiences in performing, listening and composing. They are exposed to a diverse range of repertoire and develop their musical literacy skills as they sing, play instruments, improvise, compose, record, analyse and appreciate music. At Brigidine, we recognise that each musician is unique, and this is nurtured through our personalised programming which is tailored to each student’s musical focus and interests. Our classrooms are safe and supportive environments that allow students to freely share and express their creative ideas in the pursuit of personal excellence.
The study of Music, at any age, supports intellectual stimulation, neurological development, exploration of values, development of creative thinking and the expression of emotion and self. It combines the development of affective, cognitive, psychomotor, personal and social competencies to grow well-rounded individuals.
Through the study of Music, Brigidine students will develop their confidence, creativity, communicative and collaborative qualities; transferable skills that will facilitate a broad range of future pathways and professions… plus mental health benefits that will last a lifetime!
Recent Highlights in HSC Music at Brigidine
2025
Georgie Calleia (Music 2): Encore nomination for Performance (Flute)
Georgina Thomas (Music 1): Encore nomination for Performance (Flute/Tenor Saxophone)
2023
Jess Hildebrandt (Music 1): Encore nomination for Performance (Double Bass)
2022
Stephanie Tran (Music 2): Encore nomination for Performance (Cello)
2021
Emily Ambrogio (Music 1): Encore nomination for Composition
Natalie Theodore (Music 2): Encore nomination for Performance (Vocals)
Maddison Xegas (Music 1): Encore nomination for Performance (Vocals)
2020
Maddie McGrath (Music 1): Encore nominations for Performance (Vocals)
Charlotte Cuda (Music 1): Encore nominations for Performance (Vocals)
Jess Gordon (all Music 1): Encore nominations for Performance (Vocals)
2019
Jessica Atalla (Music 1): Encore nominations for Performance (Vocals)
Georgia Byrne (Music 1): Encore nominations for Performance (Vocals)
Abby van Balkom (Music 1): Encore nominations for Performance (Vocals)
Ella Cooper (Music 1): Encore nomination for Musicology
2016
Tiegan Denina (Music 1): 8th in State, Encore nomination for Performance (Vocals)
2014
Rebecca Johnson (Music 2): Encore selection for Composition
Emma Squires (Music 1): Encore nomination for Musicology
Cocurricular Music
Cocurricular Music, or “Music Club”, is offered to students of all abilities and interests. A variety of opportunities for performance include:
• Tours (New Zealand 2016, Singapore 2019, annual Music Camp and interstate trips)
• Eisteddfods and competitions (Sydney, Northern Beaches, Ryde, ASBOF and NSW States)
• Performances in school (Festival of Music, Carols on the Green, Music Performance Nights, assemblies, liturgies and masses, Rockin’ the Green and Police Band workshops)
• Performances in the community (Royal Easter Show, Manly Jazz, Big Band Blast, school collaborations, nursing homes and Ku-ring-gai Council)
• An invitation-only Alumni Music Program, for past Brigidine students who have shown continued support for Cocurricular Music at Brigidine. This program caters for a large, growing number of Alumni and creates performance opportunities for them both inside and outside of school.
Cocurricular Music offers a variety of ensembles for all students and are flexibly created to meet demand. Current ensembles include:
Senior Concert Band
Junior Concert Band
Stage Band
Junior and Senior Choirs
Vocal Ensemble
Chamber Vocals
String Orchestra
Beginner Strings
String Ensemble
Guitar Ensemble
Percussion Ensemble
Rock Band
Orchestra
Musical Orchestra
Flute Ensemble
Saxophone Ensemble
Clarinet Ensemble
Brass Ensemble
Brigidine Music Alumni
Career opportunites in the field of music are vast and varied. Here are some examples of how Music students of Brigidine College St Ives have pursued music in their tertiry studies and chosen career paths:
• Georgie Calleia (Class of 2025) studying Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
• Jess Hildebrandt (Class of 2023) is working as a local artist with the Beachside Big Band and Willoughby Symphony.
• Gemma Curry (Class of 2022) is studying Music Education at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
• Stephanie Tran (Class of 2022) is studying Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
• Calin Hall (Class of 2022) is studying Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
• Bella Sham (Class of 2022) is a tutor with the Australian Girls Choir.
• Natalie Theodore (Class of 2021) is studying Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
• Maddison Xegas (Class of 2021) is a graduate from the Academy of Music and Performing Arts.
• Ella Davies (Class of 2020) created and devised her own music show at Macquarie University.
• Jessica Wearne (Class of 2020) is studying music at Macquarie University.
• Natasha Williams (Class of 2019) is a graduate from the Conservatorium of Music (trumpet) and a current musician.
• Zoe Gougousidis (Class of 2019) is a graduate in Composition at the Conservatorium of Music, a current musician and a peripatetic tutor at Brigidine College.
• Olivia McNamara (Class of 2019) is a graduate in Music Education at the Conservatorium of Music and now teaches Music at Abbotsleigh.
• Annelise Hall (Class of 2017) was cast in the leading role of Sandy for the 2024 Australian production of Grease.
• Natasha Palmer (Class of 2017) is a recording artist.
• Sarah Stanaway (Class of 2017) is a pianist.
• Tiegan Denina (Class of 2016) is a local artist and tutor at the Australian Girls Choir.
• Molly Sutton (Class of 2016) is a local artist.
• Lizzy Chan (Class of 2016) is a tutor at the Australian Girls Choir and performs in musical theatre productions.
• Georgia Nolan (Class of 2016) is a tutor at the Australian Girls Choir and production manager for Willoughby Musical Theatre Company.
• Kirilee Wagner (Class of 2016) is a cello tutor.
• Sophie Clisby (Class of 2013) is a current artist.
• Camilla Corbett (Class of 2012) holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, works in Orchestra Management with Opera Australia and is a Music teacher at Marsden High School.
• Chloe Papandrea (Class of 2012) is a pop singer.
• Emma Hamilton (Class of 2006) is a professional musician.
• Priscilla Pek (Class of 2003) is a Music Therapist.
• Lindsay Gilroy (Class of 2000) is a current music tutor at Brigidine College and a well known Sydney accompanist.
