Held in collaboration with the Australian National Choral Association, Queensland Chapter
Join us for a unique and enriching evening of sacred choral music with our esteemed international guest, Chris Kiver! As part of a massed choir, we will explore exciting sacred music repertoire while developing our singing techniques under his expert guidance. Chris will share insights into the music and help us deepen our understanding and performance. This is an opportunity you won’t want to miss – come sing, learn and be inspired!
As part of this exciting collaboration with ANCA, RSCM members qualify for the heavily-discounted price of $33 (non-member price: $60). QLD Members – keep an eye on your inbox for your promo code!
In addition to Sacred Songs, other events Chris will be leading during his time in Brisbane include:
Community Choir Workshop: Saturday 12 July, 9.30am – 5.30pm
Held at Mt Alvernia College (82 Cremorne Road, Kedron), you will hear from Chris in his Keynote address, as well as sing in a massed choir
Conductor PD with Podium Time: Sunday 13 July, 12-4.30pm
Held at Mt Alvernia College (82 Cremorne Road, Kedron), where conductors will get some podium time with Chris.
If you are interested in making a weekend of it, the RSCM Member’s Discount applies to the 3 Day Super Pass as well, allowing you to save $110 on the standard price! Again, watch our membership emails for details.
Dr Kiver is a sought-after clinician, frequently guest-conducting and adjudicating in China, Australia, New Zealand, and across the USA for ACDA and NAfME. His expertise includes conducting and vocal pedagogy, changing voices, music ministry, programming, recruitment, score study, rehearsal methodology and choral advocacy.
Currently a Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Pennsylvania State University, Dr Kiver is a double Grammy Award winner and a recipient of the World Choral Symposium Foundation Scholarship and the PSU President’s Award.
A graduate of the Universities of London, Michigan, and Florida State University, Dr Kiver studied with eminent conductors, including Blackstone, Eichenberger, Thomas, and Bernius. Before moving to the US, Dr Kiver worked in Brisbane, where those who had the pleasure of singing with him will be eager for a repeat of his dynamic, educative and engaging approach.
Are you a musician considering a career in music performance or education? Have you ever thought about the opportunities available in church music? Join this free panel discussion on Monday, 19 May 2025 from 7pm AEST to learn more!
The Royal School of Church Music invites you to Being a Church Musician, an engaging online panel discussion featuring professional musicians in composition, conducting, and choral singing. Our panellists will share their experiences, insights, and advice on building a fulfilling career in church music—whether as a performer, director, or educator.
Many musicians don’t realise that church music offers a wealth of professional opportunities. From leading choirs and composing sacred works to conducting ensembles and working in music education, the church music world is a dynamic and rewarding field. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, or an emerging professional, this event will provide valuable guidance on how to forge a career in this space.
RSCM (Royal School of Church Music) has a long tradition of supporting and equipping musicians through training, networking, and resources. Being a Church Musician will highlight the pathways available and how RSCM can help musicians of all backgrounds develop their skills and find meaningful opportunities.
📅 Date & Time: Monday 19 May, 7:00 PM (AEST) 💻 Location: Online event
This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from industry professionals, ask questions, and explore a career in church music.
About our Panellists
Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell is an Australian pianist and countertenor based in Oxford, celebrated for his versatility across classical and contemporary repertoire. His performances have taken him to stages across Europe, Australia, the USA, Asia, and Africa, with notable appearances on BBC Radio 3, Australia’s ABC Classic FM, and New York’s WNYC.
A founding member of the contemporary music collective Nonsemble, Sam has performed at TEDx and been featured twice on the influential I Care if You Listen mixtape. Nonsemble’s 2015 EP, Go Seigen vs. Fujisawa Kuranosuke, was hailed as “a monumental contemporary classic” (Cut Common Magazine). As a pianist, his standout performances include John Adams’ Phrygian Gates at Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) and opening the 2019 Extended Play Festival at Sydney’s City Recital Hall.
As a countertenor, Sam has performed with leading ensembles such as Tenebrae, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Oxford Bach Soloists, Ex Cathedra, The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir, The Song Company, and the Mogens Dahl Kammerkor. His solo highlights include the role of Hamor in Handel’s Jephtha alongside James Gilchrist, as well as featured performances in Handel’s Messiah with the Hanover Band, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Eboracum Baroque, and Haydn’s Nelson Mass with Instruments of Time and Truth. For six years, he was a lay clerk in the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
Beyond performance, Sam is a highly sought-after music educator. He teaches piano at two of the UK’s most prestigious schools—St Helen and St Katharine, where he was Acting Head of Piano, and Radley College. He also maintains a busy schedule as an accompanist and répétiteur, working with leading soloists and ensembles, and serves as an official accompanist for Oxford University. Sam holds a Bachelor of Music with First-Class Honours and an MPhil in Chamber Music and Accompaniment from the University of Queensland. His thesis on Benjamin Britten earned a Dean’s Award for its significant contribution to research.
Dominic Fitzgerald
Dominic enjoys a busy musical life, splitting his time between teaching, conducting, singing and playing the cello. As Assistant Head of Department – The Arts at Brisbane Boys’ College and Casual Academic at the University of Queensland’s School of Music, Dominic works with students of all stages in their music education journey, from Primary to Tertiary. Cello Performance was the focus of his Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees, at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and the Sydney Conservatorium, University of Sydney, respectively.
Since 2015, Dominic has developed a keen interest in choral music and classical singing generally – and worked as a Lay Clerk at St. John’s Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane from 2015 until May of 2023 when he accepted the position of Director of Music for Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Fortitude Valley. He conducts and sings in choirs in a variety of contexts. Dominic is a great enthusiast for the canon of Western Art Music, as well as a vast array of contemporary and ancient music.
Alex Bartetzko
Alex is currently pursuing a Master of Music Therapy at the University of Melbourne, following the completion of a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) / Bachelor of Music (Piano Performance) with First Class Honours at The University of Queensland. Alongside her postgraduate studies, Alex works as a music therapy assistant at Rhythm Music Therapy, providing in-home and clinic-based therapeutic support across Brisbane.
A passionate pianist from the age of five, Alex is grateful for the teachers and mentors who have supported her musical journey.
After successfully auditioning for the Young Conservatorium at age 10, she studied piano for six years under Oleg Stepanov. This led to successful auditions for both the Queensland Conservatorium and The University of Queensland. The dual program at UQ allowed her to study music and psychology concurrently in preparation for her Masters, as well as the opportunity to study piano performance under Dr Anna Grinberg.
Alex has participated in masterclasses with renowned pianists including Max Olding, Natasha Vlassenko, Alex Raineri, and Ayesha Gough, and has the unique opportunity to study organ with Andrej Kouznetsov. During her undergraduate studies, Alex also undertook an exchange semester in Manchester UK, where she engaged in various cultural activities, such as singing with the choir at Manchester Cathedral and organising a sign language choir.
Outside of her music therapy work, Alex is an avid choral singer, tutor and conductor. Since June 2019, Alex has sung as a Lay Clerk at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane, where she was also selected as a Conducting Intern under Dr Graeme Morton. Alex is regularly involved in projects with the Brisbane Chamber Choir and has participated annually in the National Youth Choir of Australia since 2022, working with conductors Dr Elizabeth Scott, Warren Trevelyan-Jones, Noel Ancell, and is looking forward to woking with Carl Crossin in July 2025.
Join RSCM for an afternoon of workshops with the opportunity to put what you’ve learned into practice at a Choral Service at the fabulous St James Anglican Church, Toowoomba.
In response to the feedback from these sessions in 2021, we are continuing our Vocal Technique sessions in 2022! This session will focus on finding your voice through colour, registration and range, and will be taken by Adele Nisbet, former head of Vocal Studies and Vocal Pedagogy at the Queensland Conservatorium.
Whilst the session is designed to build on the sessions held last year, new attendees are still more than welcome, as we will kick off with a summary from those workshops.
Due to the popularity of these sessions, registration is essential via the below button.
The workshop will take place on Saturday, 6 November October at the Hall at Nazareth Lutheran Church, Woolloongabba from 1.30pm – 4.30pm, with afternoon tea provided. Cost is just $10.
So what will the workshop cover? Learn the fundamentals of good singing and good communication. Renew your enthusiasm for signing – even during COVID times. Collect tips on how to continue to teach yourself after this session.
RSCM Queensland continues to present its Festival of Great Hymns in 2021, but because of the Covid situation, the Festival takes on a different format. Instead of having a large central event, this year RSCM Qld is joining with local congregations to present the Festival.
On Sunday 24th October at 2.30pm, a “Festival of Great Contemporary Hymns” will be held jointly with the Pilgrim People Brisbane congregation at Merthyr Road Uniting Church, 52 Merthyr Road, New Farm, Brisbane.
The Festival will feature hymns with words by contemporary hymn writers including John Bell, Robin Mann, Shirley Murray, Brian Wren, Carolyn Gillette, Fred Kaan, Fred Pratt-Green, Bernadette Farrell, & Timothy Dudley-Smith, and composers including Colin Gibson, Robert Boughen, Colin Brumby, Michael Baughen, Eric Gross and Ernest Sands. Refreshments will be served following the Festival.
As in the past, RSCM members and friends are invited to join the choir (this time, The Pilgrim Singers, conducted by Adele Nisbet and accompanied by organist Dr Steven Nisbet). A choir rehearsal will be held in the church at 1.30pm on the day. Please contact Adele if you are interested in joining the choir. ( or 0407-397-091)
RSCM members and friends are also invited to attend the event. Please register for Covid & catering purposes by 5pm Friday 22 October: email – or phone: 0432-591-652. For other enquiries, phone 0407-037-091.
Do you sing in a choir? Do you just love to sing? Do you want to be a better singer? Then here’s an opportunity just for you.
The workshop will take place on Saturday, 9 October at the Hall at Nazareth Lutheran Church, Woolloongabba from 1.30pm – 4.30pm, with afternoon tea provided. Cost is just $10.
So what will the workshop cover? Learn the fundamentals of good singing and good communication. Renew your enthusiasm for signing – even during COVID times. Collect tips on how to continue to teach yourself after this session.
