Founded in 1878, SUMS is Australia’s oldest university choir and has actively contributed to the musical life of the University and Sydney’s community for 147 years. SUMS combines its musical endeavours with a great social atmosphere. Meet friendly faces at our weekly rehearsals, and hang out afterwards at the pub! As a non-auditioned choir, we encourage everyone of all musical abilities to sing with us.
SUMS has had many notable achievements over its lifetime, including Australian premieres of Bach’s Mass in B minor and a performance during the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron at the Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony. Our recent performances include Schumann’s Missa Sacra, Faure’s Requiem, and the Ferenc Farkas Christmas Cantata.
Musical Director
Dr Michael Bradshaw completed his Bachelor of Music at the University of Queensland Australia, graduating with a university medal and first class honours in piano performance and musicology.
In 2014 he completed his MA in Kodály pedagogy at the Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary. He became assistant to the institute director, Dr László Norbert Nemes, teaching musicianship classes, conducting the institute choir, as well as completing further studies in conducting, piano, and voice. In 2018 he completed his PhD on the music of Sergei Prokofiev.
Dr Bradshaw is an accomplished educator, and currently teaches at the Conservatorium High School in Sydney. His passion and dedication to music education has led him to teach across Australia. In 2016, he coordinated a choral program across ten local school choirs in Roma, Queensland, Australia, and in 2019 he worked with 12 rural NSW schools to encourage and promote opportunities for young students to participate in musical learning. He has conducted at a range of levels, from primary school choirs to assistant conductor for the University of Queensland Chamber Singers, and in 2019 he took on the role Musical Director for the Sydney University Musical Society.