Almost 200 Central West students took their talents to one of Australia’s most famous stages this week, joining thousands of young performers for the 2026 Festival of Choral Music at the Sydney Opera House.
Held from August 3 to 7 as part of Public Education Week, the festival brought together more than 3,700 NSW public school students for five concerts in the iconic Concert Hall.
Orange Public School made an impressive contribution, with 57 students travelling to Sydney – the largest contingent from any individual school in the combined choir.
They joined students from six other Central West schools, with Parkes Public School performing in Tuesday’s Australis Concert; Cudgegong Valley Public School, Gulgong Public School and Raglan Public School taking part in Thursday’s Bennelong Concert; and Bathurst Public School, Bathurst West Public School and Orange Public School performing in Friday’s Endeavour Concert.
The Festival of Choral Music is a proud public education tradition dating back to 1947 and this year featured around 3,300 primary choristers from 116 public schools and two regional choirs, alongside hundreds of instrumentalists, vocalists and soloists.
More than 650 young performers took part each evening, appearing in massed choirs, orchestras, concert bands, chamber and vocal ensembles, jazz and contemporary music groups.
NSW Department of Education Arts Unit Student Music Programs Officer Luke Wallace said the longstanding festival helped students develop musicianship, confidence, discipline, teamwork and a strong sense of belonging.
“The Festival of Choral Music began in 1947 and has provided generations of NSW public school students with opportunities to perform challenging music as part of a major combined choir,” Mr Wallace said.
Participating students spent much of the year learning specially selected repertoire in their own schools before joining hundreds of other young musicians for combined rehearsals and performances in Sydney.
This year also marked a festival first, with the newly formed North Coast Festival Orchestra becoming the first ensemble based outside metropolitan Sydney to perform a featured item and accompany the combined Festival Choir. For the Central West students who stepped onto the Opera House stage, the festival offered the chance to develop their musical skills while enjoying an experience they are unlikely to forget.
