Joshua Clifford

Joshua Clifford is a conductor, singing teacher, performer, and lyricist based in meanjin/Brisbane. He holds a Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours) in classical voice from the University of Queensland, and a Master of Music Studies (with Distinction) from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University majoring in vocal pedagogy, where he received an award for Academic Excellence.

Currently, Joshua works at Kenmore State High School, Centenary State High School and Ambrose Treacy College (ATC) as a specialist singing teacher and choral director. He manages a busy teaching schedule, and the diverse range of high-school ensembles he conducts includes youth treble choirs, changed and changing-voice tenor/bass choirs, and mixed-voice ensembles. In 2023, the Kenmore SHS Chorale reached the Choral Fanfare Metropolitan Regional Finals and received a ‘Most Outstanding Secondary Performance’ trophy. More recently, Joshua toured with 59 students from ATC to the Australian International Music Festival in Sydney where the choir received a gold award in the competitive event, and he had the thrill of conducting at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

Passionate about community music-making, Joshua is also the director of the Hillbrook Chorale, who produce their own concert series each year and collaborate with a range of local performers and ensembles. For several years, he worked with Voices of Birralee as a senior musical assistant and has toured as a chorister to Canada, Austria, France, Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia.

Other musical collaborative work includes serving as accompanist for QLD Music Festival’s ‘Help Is On Its Way’ (2019) and ‘Absolutely Everybody’ (2021) choral projects, led by Dr Jonathon Welch, and audition repetiteur/vocal coach for QLD Theatre Company/QPAC’s new musical ‘Round The Twist’.

Joshua regularly adjudicates vocal and choral competitions for both schools and community organisations. His work with the Australian National Choral Association (ANCA) involves serving as the Immediate Past President of the QLD/NT Chapter, and as Editor for ANCA’s national choral magazine ‘Sing Out’.

As a versatile singer, Joshua straddles both contemporary and classical performance contexts, including jazz standards with the Jindalee Jazz Orchestra and choral masterworks with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra including Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Joshua’s interest in language and writing has led to collaborations with composers including Joe Twist, Jenny Moon and Paul Jarman, where he has written lyrics in the creation of new Australian choral works. In his spare time, Josh reads voraciously.

Photo credit: Alastair Bett