Rural Australian Children Prepare to Take Their Voices to the Sydney Opera House

For more than two decades, a youth choir has been giving children from rural and remote Australia the chance to discover music, build friendships and perform on some of the country’s biggest stages.

Moorambilla Voices, founded by conductor and educator Michelle Leonard, works with children and teenagers across about 80 rural and remote communities in western New South Wales.

The program introduces young participants to singing, dancing, movement and musical literacy. Students can eventually join a 400-member choir that performs alongside professional musicians and incorporates traditional languages and different musical traditions.

This year marks the choir’s 21st anniversary. On October 3, the young performers are scheduled to celebrate the milestone with The Power of Possibilities at the Sydney Opera House.

For Leonard, who grew up in the regional town of Coonamble, the program is about much more than learning to sing. She believes young people from regional communities should have opportunities to travel, meet others with similar interests and discover possibilities beyond their hometowns.

Over two decades, Leonard says she has taught around 55,000 young people through the program. Some students have found confidence through performing, while others have developed friendships with peers from communities many kilometres away.

The choir has also provided students with opportunities to work with established musicians. In 2024, Moorambilla Voices performed with English a cappella group VOCES8 in the Utzon Room at the Sydney Opera House, with the concert later broadcast by ABC Classic.

Leonard says the experience can be especially meaningful for children who may feel different in their local communities. Finding other young people who share their interests can give them a sense of belonging.

Now, as the choir prepares for another performance at the Sydney Opera House, its young members are carrying a message that extends beyond music: where a child grows up does not have to determine how far their ambitions can reach.

Sources

• Australian Associated Press (AAP) — “From the bush to the Opera House, choir raises the roof”
• AAP News — Human Interest coverage