Less than a year after becoming the first state school to place first in the Advanced Secondary Choir category at the Queensland Youth Music Awards, achieving a gold standard, Craigslea State High School‘s Chamber Choir is preparing for its next milestone: performing at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Australian International Music Festival, with a chance to perform at other superb venues.
The choir, which operates from Craigslea State High School, is raising funds through a community raffle to cover travel and participation costs for its members. Every ticket sold goes directly toward the trip, giving local supporters a tangible way to be part of what shapes up to be the most significant performance the ensemble has taken on.
“We’re raising funds to help these dedicated students travel to Sydney in July 2026 for an unforgettable International Music Festival experience at the iconic Sydney Opera House,” the school said in announcing the fundraiser.
The Work Behind the Moment
The Chamber Choir’s place at the Australian International Music Festival is not simply a participation opportunity. Ensembles are accepted to perform at festival venues, including the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall stage, through an Expression of Interest process.
As an outstanding music education and performance event, Craigslea’s participation is consistent with everything the group has demonstrated since it was formed in 2021 under the direction of music teacher Jennifer Pedder, who established the school’s vocal program in 2014.
The choir’s defining moment came in 2025, when it competed at the Queensland Youth Music Awards in the advanced Auditioned Secondary Choir category against some of the state’s most established and well-resourced school programmes, many fielding ensembles of 80 or more singers.
Craigslea entered with 17 voices and walked out with a gold standard and first place, becoming the first state school in the competition’s history to have its name engraved on the Perpetual Trophy for that category.
Choir member Thomas described the moment the winner was announced.
“I didn’t know that I could lose my voice in just 20 seconds,” he said. “We all jumped up and screamed, we were so happy!”
One of the adjudicators was particularly taken with the choir’s performance of Madonna’s Like a Prayer, with one judge noted to have been clapping along during the piece and admitting she had not managed to take any notes, having been too absorbed in the performance.
“There weren’t many of us, but we still filled the space with sound,” Thomas said.
Mrs Pedder said the win reflected more than a year of committed early-morning rehearsals.
“Choir members must audition to be part of the group and commit to practising every Monday and Friday at 7.30am,” she said. “Singers must be able to sight-read music and carry a harmony part on their own.”
A Festival That Takes Young Musicians to the World Stage
The Australian International Music Festival, now in its 37th year and organised by World Projects South Pacific, draws over 1,000 participants each year from Australia and international ensembles from the United States, China, Europe, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand.
Performances during the week-long festival take place across Sydney’s most iconic cultural venues, including the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Angel Place City Recital Hall, Sydney Town Hall, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, St Andrew’s Cathedral and Darling Harbour.
Participating ensembles are adjudicated by an international jury and awarded gold, silver or bronze plaques based on their concert performances. Alongside the competitive programme, the festival runs educational workshops with world-class clinicians at the Conservatorium, rehearsal exchanges with other ensembles, and cultural experiences across the city.
For 24 students from a state school in Chermside West, performing on the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall stage alongside international ensembles is the kind of experience that does not come around twice.
Support the Choir Before They Go
The community raffle is open now. Tickets are available here, with online ticket sales available until 7pm of 16 May 2026. Prizes are drawn at 7:30pm in the same day and winners will be contacted via phone or email.
The Australian International Music Festival will run from 5-12 July 2026. For more information about the Craigslea State High School Signature Music Programme and the Chamber Choir, visit the school’s website or follow the school’s Facebook page.
Published 29-April-2026
