2011 Countdown is on
18-Oct-2011

2011 Countdown is on for this years IFAC Australian Singing Competition Finals Concert — 3..

A MOST vital contribution
18-Jan-2011

For almost three decades MOST has created, developed and administered programmes and activities ..

Emily Sun, 2011 Nelly Apt scholarship recipient in the instrumentalist category

Nelly Apt Scholarship

Rising Star wins 2011 Nelly Apt Scholarship for Instrumentalist

Emily Sun, talented young violinist featured in the popular film, Mrs Carey's Concert, has been awarded the 2011 Nelly Apt Scholarship for Instrumentalist.

Emily, who has been playing violin since a very young age, is currently a second year student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The 20 year old was also a grand finalist in the 2011 ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards competition, which will be held in Brisbane in September 2011.

Past winners in the instrumentalist category include Susie Park of the Eroica Trio and Rebecca Chan, violinist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

linkMrs Carey's Concert

The Nelly Apt Scholarship was established from a bequest by the late Nelly Apt, who left funds to provide financial assistance for young Australian musicians to study in Israel. Scholarships are offered in three areas — for classical and operatic singers; for string instrumentalists; and for conductors.

James Bradley, Pascall Prize winner 2012

Pascall Prize

James Bradley receives the 2012 Pascall Prize

James Bradley, writer, reviewer, blogger and novelist, has won the $15,000 Pascall Prize of Australian 'Critic of the Year', presented at the 2012 Sydney Writers' Festival. The judging panel consisted of Geordie Williamson, Alison Croggon and Convenor Adrian Read. 

The Pascall Prize is the only major national award for critical writing/reviewing in Australia. The Pascall Prize is presented to a critic whose work over the previous 12-18 months has contributed significantly to public appreciation, debate and understanding of the arts in which he or she is involved.

Allen Evans Cello Competition, image courtesy of Ted Szukalski

AUSTRALIAN cello AWARDS

Currently in development, the Australian Cello Awards will feature the Allen-Evans Award, to be presented tri-annually to an Australian cellist over the age of 18, living in Australia or overseas.

* image courtesy of Ted Szukalski

The Australian Cello Awards is currently being established from a bequest by Mary Allen and Betty Evans.

Opera-Opera.com

A new home for Australia's oldest info source in classical & operatic music

Development is underway to provide a new online 'home' with social networking tools, blogs, forums, galleries and more ... coming soon!

2012 IFAC Australian Singing Competition - Anna Dowsley

IFAC Australian Singing Competition

2012 Semi-Finals, Masterclass & Finals Concerts

Thomas Atkins (tenor), Charlotte Betts-Dean, Amy Corkery (soprano), Anna Dowsley (mezzo soprano), Jeremy Kleeman (bass baritone), Alexander Knight (baritone), Jenny Liu (soprano), Tabatha McFadyen (soprano), Kathryn Radcliffe (soprano) and Daniel Todd (tenor) were selected as this year's Semi-Finalists, following an audition process held across Australia and New Zealand.

The Semi-Finals Concert was held on Wednesday 10 Oct0ber 7pm at The Independent Theatre, North Sydney. The evening was compered by John Bolton-Wood AM, and the Semi-Finalists were accompanied by David Harper.

The public Masterclass with Jeffrey Black for the 5 Finalists selected at the Semi-Finals was held on Thursday 11 October 11am at The Independent Theatre, North Sydney. This year's participants were Charlotte Betts-Dean, Anna Dowsley, Jeremy Kleeman, and Tabatha McFadyen. Thomas Atkins was unable to attend due to prior commitments in New Zealand.

The Finals Concert was held on Thursday 25th October 7pm at the newly named Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera Hous. The Finalists performed in concert with the Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra. The event was compered by Guy Noble, with the AOBO conducted by Johannes Fritzsch. The winner of the 2012 Marianne Mathy Scholarship (The Mathy) was Anna Dowsley (pictured ab0ve).

link Read more

The IFAC Australian Singing Competition (IFAC-ASC) is the richest and most prestigious opera and classical singing competition in Australia. Through the legacy of Marianne Mathy-Frisdane, the IFAC-ASC is able to recognise and reward emerging Australasian singers under the age of twenty-six.
In 2011 the IFAC-ASC is turning 30!

Nicole Car - 2012 Opera Awards Recipient

Opera Awards

Nicole Car, 2012 Winner of the Opera Awards

Nicola Car, one of Australia's most outstanding young sopranos, is the recipient of the 2012 Opera Awards, featuring the YMF Australia Award and the Armstrong-Martin Scholarship.

Nicole completed her Bachelor of Music at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2007. 

In 2007 she won the Herald-Sun Aria, and was a Finalist in the Australian Singing Competition in 2008.

She is currently in the Young Artists Program with Opera Australia.

linkRead more...

The Opera Awards is a privately-judged competition open to singers who have performed at least two principal roles with a recognised professional opera company in the previous two years. Entrants must be an Australian citizen or resident; there is no age limit.

Handprints at Carnarvon Gorge, Qld

Rona Tranby Trust

Rona Tranby Trust celebrates 20 years

2011 marked the 20th anniversary of the Rona Tranby Award, from a bequest by Thomas Paul Rona to promote and encourage the recording of accounts of Aboriginal oral histories. The Rona Tranby Trust function was held on the 14th of September 2011 at the Sydney Jewish Museum.

The Rona Tranby Trust supports the recording and preservation of Aboriginal oral history (individual, groups or communities). To date the awards have assisted over ten diverse and valuable projects throughout Australia. These exciting works have resulted in several published books as well as audio and video recordings.