Nicole began her formal training in the Sydney Conservatorium Rising Stars Senior Program in 2017, developing her artistry across instrumental performance, chamber music, music theory and composition.

In 2020, she was offered a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School in the United Kingdom, where she studied until 2022. Nicole has claimed multiple prizes at the Sydney Eisteddfod and won the Multiples Section of the NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition.

In 2024, as one of eight string players in The Astra Octet, she travelled to the Melbourne Recital Centre for the Grand Final of Strike a Chord, Musica Viva Australia’s national chamber music competition for school-age ensembles.

The Octet was one of 12 groups selected from 156 entries to perform for the audience and jury, choosing the opening movement of Bruch’s String Octet in B-flat major. She holds a Licentiate in Music, Australia (LMusA) from the Australian Music Examinations Board. Nicole currently studies under Fox Chan. 

Nicole says she is looking forward to the masterclasses ahead but is just as interested in the musicians she will meet. She hopes to build a career in music, performing internationally, learning from others and sharing her own playing. 

Her advice to younger students considering a more serious commitment to music: see your own potential, know what you need to work on and measure your progress against your past self rather than against others … “and make sure you practise!” 

Junior Jazz Troupe takes second at IRBD
Congratulations to our Junior Jazz Eisteddfod Troupe, who placed second at the I’d Rather Be Dancing (IRBD) eisteddfod on Saturday 23 May. IRBD is a dance eisteddfod based on Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches, with troupe sections across all age groups. It was a wonderful result for the girls, considering all their hard work together this term.