Jazz

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Learn with acclaimed jazz musicians at Queensland Conservatorium

Do you live and breathe jazz? If you enjoy playing, listening and composing jazz, consider majoring in this complex and creative musical form.

As an aspiring jazz musician you'll develop your technique, skills and experience, ready for a professional career in the music industry. Our program provides an education that's grounded in the jazz tradition, while looking to the musical future.

Studying at Queensland Conservatorium you'll learn and perform with acclaimed jazz musicians in some of the southern hemisphere's best performance spaces. Many of Australia's top jazz exponents started here, including Katie Noonan, Kate Miller-Heidke, Megan Washington, Isaac Hurren and Jacam Manricks.

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Griffith named top creative arts school in Australia according to the 2017 Uni Reviews rankings

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Study jazz at Griffith

Master voice teacher helps create world class singers

Become more fluent in this complex form

Learn from the best

Careers in the music world are so highly competitive that you'll need all the knowledge, support and connections you can get. We aim to help you achieve both artistic individuality and a high level of musical literacy.

You'll benefit from the expert teaching, training and support of our dedicated jazz lecturers. They're nationally established musicians with international connections to the New York, Boston, London, Toronto, Tokyo and Montreal music scenes, where they often tour. Several are also experienced in other genres, such as north and south Indian, country, classical music, Brazilian or Afro-Cuban.

You'll have the freedom to specialise in voice, piano, guitar, drums, bass, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, vibes, flute, violin or clarinet. You'll take your place in the Conservatorium's premier ensemble, The Con Artists, or do regular gigs at leading Brisbane venues. In jazz music performance, there's an inherent link between improvisation and composition. You'll be supported in achieving a high level of performance excellence.

You'll learn to be versatile, as you acquire a technical foundation on your individual instrument that allows you to speak the language of jazz freely. You'll develop a respect for other musical styles that encourages you to develop as a creative, innovative musician into the future.

Mirusia Louwerse

Bachelor of Music (Classical Voice)

Mirusia Louwerse is an Australian-Dutch soprano who gained worldwide fame as a soloist with Andre Rieu—the man responsible for turning classical and waltz music into a hugely successful worldwide concert touring act. She studied opera at Queensland Conservatorium and at the age of 21 was announced as the youngest winner ever of the prestigious Dame Joan Sutherland Opera Award. She says her time at Queensland Conservatorium was marked by a feeling that it was finally a place where she fitted in, where she 'made lifelong friends and contacts in the music industry'. 'My dream always was to tour the world, and I am fortunate to say I have followed and lived that dream so far! I am really proud of my achievements in my career, but I am also still learning every day and there is still so much I want to do.'

Study options

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Degrees	Campus	OP
Bachelor of Music	South Bank
Bachelor of Music (Honours)	South Bank
Bachelor of Music in Performance	South Bank
Graduate Certificate in Music Studies	South Bank
Master of Music Studies	South Bank

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Career outcomes

Graduate with the skills to compose your career

The career roadmap for our graduates often includes performing before a variety of audiences in numerous types of venues

As a professional, you'll be able to use the wide-ranging analytical, technical, creative and conceptual skills acquired in your degree to great advantage. Alongside our star alumni, you'll find your place on the world stage working in areas that include:

Freelance professional musician
Member of jazz groups
Teacher at primary, secondary or tertiary level or in a private studio
Film industry scoring soundtracks
Session musician
Composer and arranger
Arts administrator

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06 Jun 2019

Amazing Grace snares national percussion prize

04 Jun 2019

Musical theatre students prepare for epic production of Les Misérables

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