More than 1300 people have signed a petition claiming that changes to the Elder Conservatorium of Music’s classical voice studies will cause lasting damage to South Australia’s music community.

The petition addressed to Adelaide University was posted on the change.org website yesterday by a group calling itself “Supporters of Classical Voice Performance at the Elder Conservatorium”.

The group says it is dismayed by proposed “sweeping changes” to the Elder Conservatorium of Music, and what it claims are plans to eliminate classical voice performance from the curriculum and instead incorporate it into the area of conducting and ensemble studies (voice/choral singing).

“The proposed changes will do serious and long-lasting damage, both to the ongoing musical health of the SA community and to the reputation of both the Elder Conservatorium and the University of Adelaide,” the petition claims.

“A conservatorium which does not offer Voice Performance can no longer properly claim to be a leading music institution.”

Asked for comment this morning, Adelaide University provided a statement saying it “has no intention of closing classical voice studies in the Elder Conservatorium of Music, and these rumours have no basis in fact”.

A university spokesperson said proposals for changes to the way the Conservatorium music courses are taught were still under consultation with staff, but that the bachelor of music (classical performance), including the classical voice major, would continue to be offered.

“It is proposed that some of the modes of teaching may be changed to give students exposure to national and international expertise and greater opportunities.”

However, there is clearly unrest and uncertainly among current students, a number of whom have expressed their concerns in comments on the petition.

A media release issued last week by Adelaide University stated that changes to the music curriculum were planned to strengthen ties with the music industry and help students apply their skills to multiple career opportunities across different industries.

“Our new teaching and learning model will include greater crossover of skills in areas such as popular music, classical, jazz, performance, teaching, media and multimedia,” Professor Jennie Shaw, executive dean of the university’s Faculty of Arts, said in the release.

“As a result, the music curriculum will become as flexible and diverse as possible, representing the interests of students across a wide range of genres.

“Rather than being known for one specialisation such as voice, composition or violin, they will receive a portfolio of skills that are relevant to the challenges and opportunities in the industry in the 21st century.”

In the same release, Professor Graeme Koehne, Elder Conservatorium director, was quoted as saying he was excited about the opportunities the changes would offer for future students.

The organisers of the change.org petition, however, don’t agree. They said that any move to incorporate voice into an ensemble or choir context could “in no way be described as adequate training, even for choral singers”.

“The absence of classical voice performance training will have a colossal impact on the wider South Australian arts community, eventually resulting in a lack of quality trained local singers in all the areas in which they are currently active,” they claim.

Among those who have commented on the petition are Elder Conservatorium graduate and now professional singer Michaela Burger, who described the bachelor of music in classical vocal performance as critical to her career success.

Other classical voice students at the Elder Conservatorium who have gone on to establish successful professional careers include West End musical star Daniel Koek, who will be returning to SA next month to perform at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and opera singers Greta Bradman and Grant Doyle.