Julia Piggin

Julia is a music graduate of the University of Melbourne as a chief study piano student under Max Cooke and second study composition student under Bernard de Oliveira. Inspired and guided by the lunchtime recitals of Margaret Schofield, and the choral direction of Keith Humble, Julia has performed as an accompanist throughout her professional working life, initially with the Monash Uni Choral Society and for many years, as chief accompanist with Young Voices of Melbourne.

Her early musical influences in the world of Kodály-based teaching methodology have been Jean Heriot, Marion Stafford, and Mark O’Leary in Melbourne and James Cuskelly in Brisbane. She has studied privately with Piroska Varga, herself a graduate of the Liszt Academy

A private study tour of the Franz Liszt Academy, the Kodály School in Kescemet and the Kodály Institute in 2003 confirmed a quality of teaching, previously unseen in Melbourne. The musical skills of the students and the richness of the choral sound with such immaculate rhythmic precision remain unforgettable.

Julia has been member of the Victorian Branch Committee of KMEIA since the year 2001, making a pivotal contribution in the conception and delivery of many successful events on the Victorian calendar, including the establishment of the annual Autumn Seminar. She has been a key contributor to the development of the Kodály Primary Teacher Training course in Victoria also presenting courses in South Australia and NSW and workshops in regional Victoria and in Tasmania.

“Julia’s workshop presentations are engaging and well researched, solidly embedded in Kodály philosophy while demonstrating originality of thought and application to the greater world of music. She currently teaches at Scotch College and is generous in providing mentorship and opportunities for teachers to observe her work. Julia provides an excellent example as a fine musician and accompanist in her own right and is called upon to accompany at many KMEIA Victoria events and concerts. The “Sound to Symbol” workbooks written by Julia are an excellent resource for the Kodály based music classroom.”

Susan Searle, KMEIA National Conference, 2016

Julia remains a student of life in general and the Kodály approach to music education in particular. A well executed short macchiato, never too far away, assists with this.

Honorary Life Members

Latest News

New Membership Portal

Kodály Australia has moved to a new membership database service called Wild Apricot. The change is required because our GameDay system is no longer fit for our purpose.  What does this mean for Kodály Australia members? Effective immediately, online membership applications and …
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IKS Scholarship

The International Kodály Society (IKS) offers fee waiver scholarships to support participation in Kodály-inspired professional development. The closing date for the next round is 1 November 2024. Complete information, including selection criteria and eligibility, is available on the IKS website. I …
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Vale Dr Doreen Bridges AM FACE

It is with great sadness that we inform our community of the passing of Honorary Life Member Dr Doreen Bridges AM FACE. Dr Bridges made a significant contribution to Australian music education. She was known by many in our community, …
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2024 Award Recipients Announcement

The Kodály Australia National Council were delighted to receive impressive applications and nominations for the 2024 Awards for Excellence in Australian Kodály-inspired Music Education. The high number of peer nominations across each of the five categories is also a testament …
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Research Invitation: Teacher Growth and Development from Australian Kodály Certificate Courses

Kodály Australia is pleased to support the research project, Teacher Growth and Development from Australian Kodály Certificate Courses, conducted by Dr Jason Goopy (chief investigator) and Jason Boron at Edith Cowan University. This study aims to investigate teachers’ motivation to …
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