The Contemporary Singers of Australia were a chamber choir based in Sydney, New South Wales, dedicated to the choral music of the 20th century. The group was formed in late 1986 by visiting Canadian composer David Colwell, with modest assistance from the University of Sydney and the NSW State Conservatorium of Music. Colwell directed it until the middle of 1987, when the leadership passed to Antony Walker and Elliott Gyger, who directed the Singers until 1999. Many of the original members were young composers including Gyger, Stephen Adams, Matthew Hindson, Canadian composer Jana Skarecky, and virtuoso recorderist Ian Shanahan