The HSC might be done and dusted, but the show will go on for some star pupils across the New England, as ENCORE and CALLBACK get ready to take to the stage in March.
The New England Times previously reported on ONSTAGE successes from Armidale’s PLC and The Armidale School (TAS). drama students, and today we bring you more achievements of music and dance students from PLC.
“ENCORE, similar to ONSTAGE, is a selection of exemplary performances if HCS Music Course, and that includes Music 1, Music 2 and Extension.” Said Mrs Joanne Wysel, Head of Creative and Performing Arts at PLC Armidale.
“This year PLC had Gabby Cotterell nominated for ENCORE for her music extension, for her vocal performance, which included a spine-tingling rendition of Ava Maria.”
Just another addition to Gabrielle’s accolades, being previously nominated for ONSTAGE for both her individual and group drama performances.
PLC’s Head Teacher also paid tribute to student Chiyo Brown, the school’s Head Prefect for 2023, who did Music Extension in 2022, and accelerated in it and received a perfect score last year, adding to the school’s outstanding results.
“Only the best of the best are nominated, so it absolutely incredible that we have been selected across three areas for creative performing arts at PLC.” Said Mrs Wysel.
“And I don’t want to say for a regional school, because we are demonstrating we are the school to come to for creative performing arts, and having the whole cohort of drama nominated, not just once but twice for some students, it’s amazing we are able to have the teachers we have and to have these students reaching their potential.”
What’s next?
For some students it is passion, for others is it the start of a professional career, and history shows PLC has the plenty of talent to guide them.
“One of our past students, Eliza Scott, she ended up playing with the London Symphony, and we currently have Isla Biffin who was a graduate from 2018 who plays the harp, and because of her connection with PLC Armidale and the level of expertise in our music teachers, she is now in Berlin and has won several competitions and is learning from some of the leading harpists in the world, and plays now for the Berlin Symphony.” said Mrs Wysel.
“For some of these girls, that is what they want to do, so we have a few girls who will be auditioning for NIDA or WAAPA or Sydney Conservatorium of Music or attempting further training.”
And success is already running closer to home.
“We already have one student, Fi Fi Imberger who has a role as Dorothy in the Gold Coast,”
2023 was the first time PLC committed to running a dance course on site, and with it’s results it looks to have a bright future ahead.
“CALLBACK is the exemplary showcase for dancers and PLC Armidale is the only High School in the whole of Armidale region to run dance subjects,” said Mrs Wysel.
“Some schools run the courses by distance education, but PLC actually runs it as a course here.”
“We had six in the cohort which is quite large for a dance class like this, and all girls went remarkably well, and we have one student be nominated for her composition which she did the journey of the human birth and ger unique style was seen as exemplary, and that was Fi Fi.”
This year saw a record number of students nominated for the HSC Showcase exhibitions of exemplary student works and performances.
Congratulations to all HSC Drama, Music and Dance students selected for CALLBACK, ENCORE and ONSTAGE.
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