Music Theatre

Do you love Music Theatre? So do we!

Career opportunities  Why choose us?  Learn from the best  How to apply

Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre students performing on stage

Join us

Work in a creative, collaborative and nurturing environment, led by highly accomplished and industry-active instructors who will help tailor your toolkit to your strengths. With over 40 direct teaching hours each week of studio-based and industry-focussed study, you will:

  • Be welcomed into a vibrant community as passionate about music theatre as you are.
  • Study at the prestigious Elder Conservatorium in the centre of Adelaide’s cultural hub.
  • Receive intensive, individual singing coaching and group masterclasses in dance, acting and music.
  • Expand your development in related studies including voice-over, dance partnering, vocal anatomy, stage combat and script analysis.
  • Contribute to creative processes and develop your stagecraft in performance outcomes and productions.

You’ll also gain valuable experience through partnerships with Adelaide Festival, South Australian Film Corporation, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Adelaide Fringe.

What you'll study

Bachelor of Music Theatre

Music theatre at the University of Adelaide is more than just a degree - it's a community!

Hear what our students love about studying music theatre at the Elder Conservatorium.

Why choose us?

Our program is delivered by working industry practitioners who provide professional, relevant, innovative and supportive instruction. To ensure you become proficient in singing, acting and dancing, you'll undertake intensive practical training covering:

  • acting, improvisation, stage combat, acting for film
  • voice, speech, accent & dialect
  • singing (solo and ensemble), vocal anatomy, song repertoire
  • dance (jazz, ballet, tap and dance partnering)
  • audition technique, musicianship, history
  • major productions every year

Learn from the best

You'll be learning from world-class performers and educators as they share their knowledge and experience with you.

  • George Torbay AM

    George Torbay

    Our head of department, George Torbay AM, is in constant demand as a director, musical director, vocal coach, vocal arranger and regularly gives master classes.

    His work has taken him around the world working with singers, musicians, as an academic and artistic programme advisor. 

  • Erin James

    Erin James

    A graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (ECU) and University of New England (Grad Dip. Ed.), Erin has worked in theatre, music theatre, television and film for the past two decades. As a performer, she has toured Australia, Southeast Asia and New Zealand in major musicals for Opera Australia, GFO, Really Useful Group and TML.

    As a director and creative, Erin has worked on Phantom of The Opera, South Pacific and My Fair Lady for Opera Australia, She Loves Me for Hayes Theatre Co, and various other major productions around the country.

    Erin has a passion for working with students to develop their skills in the performing arts. She is also fluent in Auslan and is working to become an intimacy coordinator for stage. 

  • Dr. Terrence Crawford

    Terrence Crawford

    Terence has been a professional actor since 1980, appearing in scores of productions on stage and screen.

    He is among the country's most experienced acting teachers, and has published two books on the subject of Australian acting.

    He achieved a Masters with a dissertation on Chekhov, and his PhD is a sociological study of theatre practices.

  • Dr. Martin Cheney

    Martin Cheney

    Martin is a lecturer, music director, repetiteur and pit orchestra pianist who joined the ECMT teaching staff in 2020. He recently completed a PhD in Composition and also holds a Bachelor of Music Education with First Class Honours.

    Martin has over 50 professional, amateur and educational creative team credits, including playing keyboard for the Australian productions of The Wizard of Oz, Mamma Mia!, Aladdin, Chess and 9 to 5. Martin was the MD for the 2022 ECMT graduation production of Legally Blonde: The Musical, directed by original Broadway cast member Nikki Snelson, and will also MD the Class of 2023's Sweeney Todd and A Chorus Line.

    Outside of music theatre, Martin is a published composer, Arts writer and critic who writes for his own website, Sharp Four Reviews, and has by-lines at the Australian online magazines FilmInk and CutCommon.

  • Joseph Simons

    Joseph Simons

    Joseph is a director and choreographer working in music theatre, contemporary dance, opera, theatre and ballet. After graduating from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Joseph was awarded 2009 Outstanding Emerging Artist at Australian Dance Awards and nominated for a Green Room Award for Best Male Dancer.

    His choreography has been widely performed in Australia and internationally, and Joseph was the recipient of the 2013 Tanya Liedtke Fellowship - awarded to one Australian choreographer every two years.

    From 2015 Joseph has been a contributing creative with Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and directed and choreographed the sold out and extended production of The Producers in Brisbane, Queensland. He was the Artistic Director of Altitude Theatre before becoming a full-time lecturer in Music Theatre at Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide.

  • Paul Sinkinson

    Paul Sinkinson

    Paul has been with the Bachelor of Music Theatre since inception as repertoire coach and accompanist. Show credits as a resident music director include Shrek, In Pieces, Mamma Mia!, Songs for A New World and Spring Awakening.

    Paul brings industry experience as a keyboard deputy from national tours including 9 to 5, Frozen, Mamma Mia!, The Sound of Music and Singin’ In The Rain.  He was the Associate Music Director for the national tour of Friends! The Musical Parody and has worked on a plethora of state-based productions as music director (Mary Poppins, Wicked, Kinky Boots, Avenue Q, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).

    Paul holds a Masters of Secondary Education in Media and Music and runs a senior social choir program across the state for the aged care provider ACH Group.


How to apply

Apply for an audition & pay audition fee

Applications for Semester 1, 2024 entry are now open.

Apply for your audition

Submit your audition application

Pay audition fee

When applying, you must pay a non-refundable audition fee via the online shop to be guaranteed an audition (search 'audition').

Bachelor of Music Theatre applicants

There is an audition registration fee of $66, payable prior to your audition.

Pay Bachelor of Music Theatre audition fee

Apply to SATAC or International Admissions

Domestic students

You will need to lodge an application through the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC).

Visit the SATAC website

International students

You will need to lodge an application through our International Admissions Service. You do not need to register for an audition.

International applications

Current UofA students

You will need to lodge an internal transfer application.

Apply for an internal transfer

Prepare for your audition/interview

Please ensure you have followed the audition requirements for your specialisation:

Audition requirements by program

The Conservatorium does not provide accompanists except for the Bachelor of Music Theatre auditions. All other auditions that require an accompanist should contact the Accompanists' Guild of SA.

Applicants should contact accompanists as early as possible as auditions cannot be rescheduled to accommodate accompanist availability.

On the day of your audition, please ensure you arrive 15 minutes prior to your audition or interview. You will receive notification of your audition outcome following your audition.

We look forward to meeting you!