Ellery Durrant
We extend a very warm welcome to Ellery Durrant as our new musical director. Ellery joined us early in 2025 and is quickly showing himself to be a warm and inspiring leader.
Ellery is a singer, choral conductor, and pedagogue. He holds a Bachelor of Music (Distinction) from the University of Newcastle. Further training includes masterclasses in consort singing with The Song Company and in conducting and direction with The Australian Voices.
Ellery’s choral experience is extensive, encompassing numerous eisteddfods and international touring with the award-winning Newcastle Chamber Choir and 10 years with the Newcastle Cathedral Choir. He has participated in choral tours to Italy and the Vatican, Geneva, and England.
As a conductor, Ellery is an advocate for community music. He co-founded With One Voice Port Stephens in 2021 and led the ensemble to a performance at the National Folk Festival in Canberra just one year later. Other significant roles include his direction of The SeaSide Singers (2016-18) which culminated in an award-winning three-week cultural exchange to Japan; conducting the Port Stephens Community Band (2018-23); and directing the Newcastle Parkinson’s Choir (2021-23).
Since relocating to Melbourne in 2023, Ellery has embraced a diverse range of musical roles. He has sung with St John's in East Malvern, the Astra Musical Society, Chorus Ecclesiae, and Victoria Chorale. As a conductor, he has worked with ARCapella Children’s and Youth Choirs, the choirs of St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar, the Australian Welsh Male Choir, and the Australian Children’s Choir. He is currently the Musical Director of the Laverton Community Choir and the Mosaic Community Choir, and is a choral scholar at St John’s, Toorak.
Ellery has extensive experience as a private music tutor. As a vocal instructor, he specialises in working with changing voices (both young and old), fostering openness, security, and confidence in his students. He also has significant experience teaching neurodivergent students in piano and flute, tailoring lessons to support student-led progress and individual learning styles. He is a passionate advocate for music theory and integrates this as a teaching tool in support of practical music-making.
Beyond music, Ellery is an avid snowboarder and an aficionado of strategy board games.
We look forward our musical exploration and growth with Ellery.
