WAAPA Classical Performance students performed Reaching for the Stars concert under the direction and mentorship of Alexander Gavrylyuk (photo by Stephen Heath).
Edith Cowan University's Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) has launched its inaugural Premier Visiting Artist Program, bringing some of the world's most respected creative practitioners to Perth's Minderoo Centre for Performance Excellence to work closely with students and the wider arts community.
Alexander Gavrylyuk. Photo by Stephen Heath.
The program kicked-off on March 17 with internationally acclaimed Ukrainian-Australian pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk, the first of four globally recognised artists who will visit WAAPA throughout 2026.
Supported by Principal Partner Minderoo Foundation, the initiative provides students with direct access to world leading artists, strengthening WAAPA's commitment to delivering world-class arts training.
WAAPA Executive Dean Professor David Shirley said the program creates transformative learning opportunities for students while enriching Western Australia's creative sector.
"The Premier Visiting Artist initiative means we can bring the world's most gifted artists with decades of international experience into the classroom, the rehearsal studio, and the performance space. For WAAPA students, exposure of this kind is invaluable in developing and nurturing both craft and interpretative skill. It means that our students will enter the professions for which they have been trained with high degrees of confidence.
"The program also benefits the broader community by opening up performances, masterclasses and conversations that connect Western Australian audiences and practitioners with leading international voices," Professor Shirley said.
Minderoo has supported visiting artists to attend WAAPA for nearly 10 years, including alumnus Eddie Perfect who staged a new musical Tivoli Lovely with WAAPA students last year.
Minderoo Foundation CEO John Hartman said the new Premier Visiting Artist Program is a major evolution of that long-standing partnership and will ensure WAAPA students can continue to learn from world-class talent.
"This program builds on nearly a decade of partnership with WAAPA and takes it further. It gives students the opportunity to learn directly from world-class artists while they're developing their craft and starting their careers. That kind of access lifts capability and changes what's possible."
"Through this $7 million endowment, we're making a long-term investment in artistic excellence. It brings leading talent to Perth, backs our local emerging artists and strengthens the role the arts play in building connected communities here in WA.".
A rare opportunity to learn from a piano virtuoso
Alexander Gavrylyuk. Photo by Marco Borggreve.
During his week-long residency at ECU's City Campus, Alexander Gavrylyuk worked closely with WAAPA Classical Music students through intensive masterclasses and collaborative performance opportunities.
His visit included workshops and a public masterclass in the McCusker Recital Hall that invited members of Western Australia's piano teaching community to observe one of the world's leading pianists at work.
The residency culminated in a showcase solo recital at the McCusker Recital Hall, followed by a special Reaching for the Stars student recital co-directed by Gavrylyuk and WAAPA Head of Classical Piano Dr Tonya Lemoh.
Upcoming Premier Visiting Artists
John Driscoll.
Jon Driscoll (UK) – Production and Design
Award-winning video, lighting and projection designer Jon Driscoll will visit WAAPA from July to September, working with Production and Design students and staff.
Known for pioneering projection design in live performance, Driscoll will deliver workshops and masterclasses exploring video storytelling, projection mapping, lighting integration and large-scale production design. He will also provide specialist training to support WAAPA staff and students working with the advanced production technologies housed at ECU's new City Campus facilities.
Industry outreach sessions will also be offered to members of Western Australia's theatre and production community.
Patsy Rodenburg OBE (UK) - Voice and performance
Patsy Rodenburg OBE (UK) – Voice and performance
Internationally renowned voice teacher Patsy Rodenburg will work with students across Acting and Screen Performance, Performing Arts and Aboriginal Performance in August.
Rodenburg has trained generations of actors and worked extensively with leading theatre companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.
She has worked with well-known actors of British theatre, including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen and Daniel Day-Lewis, as well as many of the biggest stars of film and television including Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Orlando Bloom, Hugh Jackman and Natalie Portman.
Rodenburg has also worked with some of the greatest playwrights, including Arthur Miller, Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett, as well as world-class directors such as Trevor Nunn, Richard Eyre, Franco Zeffirelli and Tim Burton.
During her residency she will mentor students in voice, text and performance techniques, with a particular focus on classical texts such as Shakespeare and Greek drama. Public talks and masterclasses will also provide opportunities for Western Australian performers to engage with her influential teaching methods.
Maria Schneider.
Maria Schneider (USA) – Jazz and contemporary music
Seven-time Grammy Award-winning composer and bandleader Maria Schneider will visit Perth in October to work with WAAPA's Jazz and Contemporary Music students.
Schneider will lead composition workshops, rehearsals and industry discussions before directing the WAAPA Big Band in two major public performances at the McCusker Recital Hall.
To find out more about the Premier Visiting Artists' performances visit the WAAPA Performance Program webpage.
