Bachelor of Music (Hons) Diploma of Music performance (Jazz Popular) Graduate Diploma in Education (Middle years)
Polly Christie has been the musical director of fourteen choirs in metropolitan Melbourne and led workshops at festivals around Australia. She is an experienced singer, solo performer and recording artist (Lothlorian, Magenta and Resonance Choir) and held Artistic Director positions at festivals and special events. She held the Artistic Director role for The City of Darebin Carols by Candlelight event for 5 years where she conducted 100 singers and the forty-piece brass band, performed and co coordinated the event.
Polly has co-written and co-directed four successful community arts/ choir shows as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival: EN:CHOIR (2004), Sonic Bath (2005) and Travelling Light (2006), and with her Woodend Choir the Pollyphonics, Home Sung, (2009) and Key Change, (2013).
Polly was both the ensemble leader and voice teacher at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE for five years. She has also taught voice at Sophia Mundi Steiner School in Abbotsford for three years and has conducted the choir at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. She currently teaches voice at Sacred Heart College, Kyneton.
Workshops and Performances at festivals and events in Australia include:
Centenary of Federation massed choir, Vic: Conductor (2001)
Summer Song Music Camp, N.S.W: workshop leader (2004, 2005)
Big West Festival, Vic: Musical Director, massed children’s choir (2004)
Macbeth, Vic: Musical Director (2007)
Grafton Arts festival, NSW: workshop leader (2003, 2007)
She has a bachelor of Music with honours and completed a thesis titled “The roles and contributions female choral conductors play in contemporary Victoria”. She is currently Musical Director of the Pollyphonics Choir in Woodend and she also performs with her partner Andy Rigby and the Kwela Swingsters, a 7 piece Swing band.
In 2015 she completed a Graduate Diploma in Education (Middle years) and was awarded the Pro Vice Chancelor’s Commendation, 2015.
Along with teaching, conducting and performing, Polly is also an arts administrator and Artistic Director. She formed a not for profit incorporated association in 2016 called Vocal Ranges, with the main purpose of curating a voice festival in the Macedon Ranges, Kyneton.
She is also a volunteer for CMVic, a councillor for Music Australia (Community Music development) and regularly supports and mentors community music makers.
