Chris Nolan is a leading voice teacher specialising in music theatre and contemporary commercial music styles. Since leaving his role as Head of Singing and Music at the VCA he has focused his energies on his private studio, where he coaches elite singers, actors and dancers, and other professional voice users. In 2023 he is the voice coach for the lead on the national tour of Elvis - The Musical, and a number of the featured leads in Beauty and the Beast. This year Chris has also prepared the cover Chris in Miss Saigon and the cover Elphaba for the upcoming tour of Wicked, in addition to coaching performers in Mary Poppins, Tina - The Musical, Moulin Rouge, Hamilton, the recently closed Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Come From Away. In 2023, he became one of the world’s first certified Singing Athlete trainers, a brain-based system used to coach many of Broadway’s leading performers. His specialism is in teaching dancers to sing, and he is the first PhD researcher to conduct research into this group of performers.

About the Workshop

What Next?

A class designed to help provide insight into the pathways into the performing arts industry and ways to get the most out of voice practice, whether community-based or in a fully professional context.

Masterclass performance and feedback for nominated students, group activities, followed by a curated Q and A with the whole group.

Participants: HSC music and drama students, higher level Conservatorium students, senior performers from local theatre and musical groups, dance school teachers/senior students, high school music staff, choral directors, Vocal Teachers.

Costs: $40 each.

About the Organisers

Dianna Nixon of Wild Voices Music Theatre has over 40 years of practical experience as a multi-disciplinary performer and educator. Her training has included a degree in music from the Victorian College of the Arts, as well as A.Mus.A (piano), and she has attained Estill Voice Figure Proficiency. Dianna has directed over 60 productions ranging from large scale musicals to devised work. Acting and voice work in the past decade has included short films, short story recordings, narration, and play readings. She is an experienced concert performer, ballet accompanist, and choral director. Dianna teaches piano, voice (speech and singing), performance skills and musicianship. She received recognition from the AMEB as one of the top 5 private voice teachers of 2020 in NSW/ACT, based on WVMT exam results, and in 2021 was in the top 10 AMEB NSW/ACT private studio teachers, instrumental & vocal, for high grades.

Hume Conservatorium is the centre for music education in the Southern Tablelands and Southern Highlands of NSW. Based in Goulburn, we were founded in 1985 as a member of the Association of NSW Regional Conservatoriums. We offer accessible music programs for all ages and abilities, across all genres of music, including individual and group lessons, an early childhood music program, an in-schools music program, and ensembles – enriching the lives of our students and the community. We are more than just a music school. We are a regional community of music makers and creatives. We aim to be the trusted go-to provider and enabler of quality music education, performance and creativity for everyone in our region. We inspire, connect and enrich our diverse community through the power of music and creativity.