Bellingen High School has helped make history at the 2026 Festival of Choral Music at the Sydney Opera House during Public Education Week last week.
Local students joined more than 40 talented young musicians from 13 North Coast region public schools to form the North Coast Festival Orchestra, which has become the first ensemble based outside of Sydney to perform a featured item and accompany the combined Festival Choir in the concert series’ almost eight-decade history.
Held across five nights, the Festival of Choral Music brings together approximately 3,300 primary choristers from 116 public schools and two regional choirs, alongside hundreds of featured instrumentalists, vocalists and soloists, with more than 3,700 NSW public school students performing in total.
The newly formed North Coast Festival Orchestra took centre stage in the Argyle and Australis concerts, led by music director Anne Phelan from Bellingen High School.
Ms Phelan said the inaugural Sydney tour was a milestone for the students and the region.
“These 44 young musicians represent 13 public schools and communities across the North Coast, and they have shown enormous commitment to becoming one orchestra,” Ms Phelan said.
“The students understand that accompanying a choir is a great responsibility. They need to listen closely, respond to the conductor and support hundreds of singers while also performing confidently as an ensemble.
“This invitation recognises what North Coast students can achieve when talent is identified locally, nurtured by expert teachers and given room to grow.”
The Years 5 to 12 musicians performed their own featured repertoire, then become the accompanying orchestra for hundreds of primary choristers in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.
The students in the North Coast Festival Orchestra first came together at the Compass Music Festival – North Coast at Wiigulga in May, where more than 1,100 public school performers shared the stage.
Since then, orchestra members have travelled significant distances and committed to intensive weekend rehearsals, developing from students across 13 schools into a single high-level ensemble ready for two major concerts.
The North Coast region was also be represented throughout the week with 162 other students from the region participating in the choirs and individual items
The orchestra brings together high potential and gifted musicians from Ballina Coast High School, Banora Point High School, Bellingen High School, Bowraville Central School, Byron Bay High School, Coffs Harbour Senior College, Grafton High School, Great Lakes College – Senior Campus, Hastings Secondary College – Port Macquarie Campus, Kingscliff High School, Maclean High School, Southern Cross School of Distance Education and The Rivers Secondary College – Lismore High Campus.
• The Festival of Choral Music is part of the NSW Department of Education’s Inspire High Potential and Gifted Education, supporting students to be challenged and develop their potential in the creative domain.