Music Staff

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Mr. Gareth Baard, MMus, MTeach, BMus, LTCL, UPLM

Gareth Baard was appointed as Director of Music at St John’s in March 2022.  He was born in South Africa, where he completed his undergraduate music studies at the University of Cape Town in 2011, with double majors in clarinet and organ performance.  Having a keen interest in church music, he was appointed in 2008 as organ scholar at the parish of St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church Observatory, where he subsequently served as Assistant Organist from 2011 until 2014.

Gareth was also a music teacher at a number of primary and high schools in Cape Town, where he taught the clarinet, saxophone, piano, class music, conducted concert bands and was a cricket and junior rugby coach.

In December 2014, Gareth and his wife moved to Sydney.  Since then he has held the positions of Director of Music at St. Luke’s Anglican Church Mosman and Assistant Organist of St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Sydney, as well as assisting a number of other local churches and choirs with their musical repertoire.  He has given organ recitals in Sydney at St. Andrew’s Anglican Cathedral, St. Stephen’s Uniting Church Macquarie Street and St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral as well as at St. Matthew’s, Albury, NSW.

In 2018 Gareth completed a Masters of Music Performance, majoring in Organ, at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in 2021 completed the Master of Teaching degree with the University of New England, Armidale, NSW.

Gareth and his wife, Lorna are keen foodies, enjoy travelling, and are keen cricket enthusiasts.