The new Orange Regional Conservatorium Building
We have been dreaming of a purpose-built music education and performance facility since the very beginning. Now that time has come! After 30 years of continuous expansion, the Orange Regional Conservatorium has grown far beyond its current physical capabilities. With over 40 professional musicians, teachers and administrative staff, but only 18 teaching studios and no dedicated rehearsal spaces, the need for a new building has become crucial.
Key Facts about the building
280-seat Recital Hall
30+ teaching studios
Multiple large rehearsal rooms
Dedicated spaces for Early Childhood Music and Music Theory
Digital music composition and recording studio
Offices and administrative spaces
“Touring throughout regional and remote Australia has been an important part of our schedule for the past 20+ years. While we love performing in concert halls here and overseas, there is something special about playing in intimate spaces to Australian audiences. The ORC has been a constant in our travels. Audiences there have always been welcoming and enthusiastic, so we fully endorse any plans to enhance the audience experience and look forward to a return visit in their new recital hall.”
Frequently Asked Questions
-
The conservatorium has outgrown its current premises, which were never designed to be a music school or performance venue. The council-owned building has aged beyond its useful life, and renovation or a rebuild on the current site was not feasible. We employ over 40 teachers delivering lessons to hundreds of students each week, yet have only 18 teaching studios and 2 rehearsal spaces shared by dozens of choirs and ensembles.
-
The new building will feature dozens of teaching studios, all larger than our current ones, with natural light, high ceilings, acoustically optimised design and more. Rehearsal rooms will be flexible, spacious, light-filled and purpose-built. There will also be dedicated spaces for Early Childhood lessons, musicianship, and digital music recording and composition. Communal areas will include kitchenettes, comfortable furniture and amenities, with a focus on creating a safe, welcoming environment for students and community members.
Half the building is dedicated to a 280-seat recital hall, designed from the ground up for music performance. This space has the potential to become a leading regional hub for both community groups and visiting artists.
-
Construction costs are covered by all three levels of government: $10M from the Australian Federal Government, $5M from the NSW State Government, and the remainder from Orange City Council, for a total expected cost of $36–37 million.
Fit-out of equipment, furniture, instruments and technical resources is being funded largely through our generous donor community. The ORC has raised over $1.3M to fit out the new conservatorium, ensuring future generations of Orange's music students and community have access to high-quality resources.
-
This is a highly complex building with exacting standards of fit and finish. It functions simultaneously as a conservatorium, a professional-grade recital hall, and a planetarium, every aspect has been designed specifically for its intended use. For the Conservatorium and Recital Hall, that means angled walls, extra insulation, acoustic treatments and many other music-specific details.
This complexity, combined with early weather delays, global supply constraints, and time spent ensuring engineering and material standards were met, pushed the project back. Rest assured, the site is now swarming with workers!
-
Late 2026. That said, completing a building of this size and scope is a multi-stage process involving finishing works, handover, and moving in, so a specific date is difficult to confirm right now.
-
We don't believe so. Conservatorium access will be via March Street only, and that block of March Street offers twice as many car spaces as our current carpark. There will also be a dedicated drop-off zone and accessible parking.
Recital Hall access will be from the existing Council carpark. We are coordinating with other cultural entities to avoid scheduling major events at the same time wherever possible.
-
An 80-seat planetarium with an unmistakable geodesic dome is also being built on the site. The Conservatorium will share a foyer with the Planetarium, part of the original concept developed by Council, but it will operate as a separate business. Orange City Council is currently planning its operation, and we look forward to some fun collaborations. We may even have to dust off our symphonic choir and rock band arrangement of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon!
-
By all means, ask away! Contact ORC Building Project Manager James Buchanan at james.buchanan@orangecon.org.au
“We very much appreciate the work the Conservatorium does in our public schools, particularly the curriculum, instrumental and vocal ensemble programs delivered to all the Orange district primary schools and the composition, performance and musicianship support provided to HSC music students.”
Do you have a question about this project?
Please complete the form below and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
How you can support this project
The Orange Regional Conservatorium is a registered charity and has Deductible Gift Recipient status (DGR), all donations over $2 are tax deductible.
