Newsletter Bel Canto Edition 9 – July 2015

The Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation Newsletter
Bel Canto
Edition 9
July 2015
2015 JOAN SUTHERLAND & RICHARD BONYNGE BEL CANTO AWARD FINALISTS
Isabella Moore (24) New Zealand
Tabatha McFadyen (24) NSW
Annika Hinrichs (20) Qld
Morgan Balfour (22) NSW
Rebecca Moret (28) NSW
Daniel Macey (25) NSW
2015 Finalists
Five aspiring dramatic sopranos, competing for $35,000 in
prizes. The Final will be held in conjunction with the
Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award.
Saturday, 19 September 2015, Sydney at 4pm
Deirdre Angenent
Teresa Romano
(31) Netherlands (below)
(30) Italy (below)
Lives in Linden
Lives in Casalbuono
Deirdre has performed Vitellia,
Ottavia and Four Last Songs at
the Concertgebouw. She won the
Dutch Opera Prize and Audience
prizes in the Int. Voice Comp
s’Hertogenbosch and is the recipient
of a Wagner Stipendium Bayreuth
from the Dutch Wagner Society.
Teresa made her La Scala debut
in 2006. She’s sung Vitellia in
Naples and Modena, Leonora in
Parma, Desdemona in Verona,
Boito’s Margherita in Rome. She was
a finalist in the 2013 Cardiff Singer
of the World comp. and winner of
Luciano Pavarotti Giovani prize.
Julie Adams
Gunta Cēse
Elisabeth Rosenberg
(27) U.S.A. (above)
(30) Latvia (above)
(33) U.S.A. (above)
Lives in San Francisco
Lives in Nürnberg
Lives in California
Julie is a member of San Francisco
Opera’s Merola Programme and
is currently doing a 2 year Adler
Fellowship. She won the George
London Kirsten Flagstad Award in
2015 and has sung Blanche in
Streetcar, Mimi and covered Eva
and Cesira for SFO’s programme.
From 2013 Gunta has been a
young artist at the
Staatstheatre in Nürnberg
where she has performed First
Lady, Siegrune and Fortune Teller.
She has sung Tatyana in Riga and
Miss Jessel, Diane, Donna Elvira,
and the 3rd Norn in Stuttgart.
Elisabeth was a quarter Finalist in
the 2015 Domingo Operalia
competition in London and
Finalist in the 2013 Hans Gabor
Belvadere Comp. She has sung
First Lady and been a member of
Houston Grand Opera and Los
Angeles Opera choruses.
A Message from the
General Manager
Welcome to the ninth edition of the Bel Canto newsletter.
THE YEAR SO FAR!
2015 commenced with a riot of rare Rossini in concert
featuring fourteen young singers accompanied by Glenn
Amer. Despite the hot weather, Paddington Church was full
and the concert a valuable learning experience for many of the
singers who had never tackled the composer’s music before. In
March, the American international soprano Marilyn Zschau
guided three singers through Tosca, Macbeth and Attila arias
in a wonderful masterclass whilst regaling us with stories from
her fascinating career. A few weeks later, renowned French
coach Marie-Claire showed four singers the finer inner
workings of the French language in her French aria and song
class. Entries also opened and closed for this year’s JS & RB Bel
Canto Award and Elizabeth Connell Prize competitions.
There was a record number of entrants for both competitions this
year, all of which had to be processed. Video links for the ECP
sopranos were distributed and viewed by nine judges in four
cities around the world. Votes were tallied and the Round 2
singers notified. Then came the Bel Canto Award heats and
ECP Round 2 singers in Sydney. The Bel Canto Award Semi
Final followed with ten singers vying for six places to compete
in September’s Final. I then had the privilege of hearing the rest
of the Round 2 ECP singers live in San Francisco, New York and
London thanks to the Elizabeth Connell Scholarship trust fund
which finances all the running costs for the prize.
Throughout this journey I was assisted by distinguished judges
Ghillian Sullivan and Michael Lewis in Sydney, Dolora Zajick
and Luana deVol in San Francisco - where I also ran into
Amina Edris - Ruth Falcon and Stephen Brown from The Met in
New York and Dame Anne Evans and Dennis O’Neill in London.
I am passionate about beautiful singing and voices, therefore
very excited about this year’s competition.
Inspiring and developing our opera singers for the future!
Placido Domingo’s Operalia prize winners, Kiandra Howarth far left,
Darren Pene Pati far right. Lise Davidsen (centre with Domingo) from
Norway won the 1st Female Prize and Ioan Hotea (2nd right) from
Romania won the 1st Male prize. See you in September....Fiona Janes!
_________________________________________________________________________
RICHARD BONYNGE’S
85TH BIRTHDAY LUNCH
A MEMBER and DONOR EVENT
Here is a chance for our valued
members, donors and their friends
to spend time with Maestro
Bonynge in celebration of his 85th
Birthday. Held in the elegant Royal
Automobile Club’s lavish Victoria
Room, enjoy a delicious buffet style
lunch and fine music whilst
Bonynge recently in New York for
Masterclasses with Martina Arroyo
catching up with friends and
foundation supporters. Places are
running out so book your place today by calling Annemarie.
Cost: $60.00 per person.
MONDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER AT 12.30PM
The stage is once again set for a thrilling Finals week
in September which I guarantee will not disappoint. ________________________________________________________
The eleven finalists featured on the cover will be competing for over
$100,000 in prizes and scholarships. Reserve your seats today for this
special afternoon of international singing. Seats are numbered and
selling fast, so I recommend you don’t delay in securing yours today.
You are definitely in for a thrilling Final!
All tickets can be reserved or purchased by calling
Annemarie Kinnon on (02) 9817 4919 | 0418 647 730
[email protected]
PLACIDO DOMINGO’S “OPERALIA”
Whilst I was in London I was graciously invited by Placido Domingo
to attend the private rounds and Final of his famous singing competition
OPERALIA - the world’s richest singing competition. Two Australians,
Lauren Fagan and Kiandra Howarth, plus 2012 Bel Canto Award
winner Darren Pene Pati were among the 40 quarter finalists, as was
E Connell Prize finalist Elisabeth Rosenberg. Each sang two arias and
for some also a Zarzuela piece. 40 became 26 which then became 11,
with Kiandra and Pene both making the Final 11. Congratulations
goes to Pene for winning the $20,000 second prize and audience
prize and to Kiandra for winning the $10,000 CultureArte Prize.
DONATE TOWARDS THE EDUCATION OF SINGERS
We have a long list of singers requesting assistance and various
projects we’d like to tackle to further educate and support these
singers. Projects like workshops and masterclasses which we want to
be able to give free to these singers. Here’s what you can do:


Make a general tax-deductible donation to the Foundation.

It’s Dame Joan’s 90th birthday in 2016, perhaps you would like to
do something special to mark that celebration! If so, please contact
us with your ideas. Maybe you would like to fund an opera
performance or concert in her name or private soiree in your home!
Make a specific donation for a cash prize, workshop or
masterclass in your name, on behalf of a loved one or anonymously.
________________________________________________________
MEMBERSHIP OF THE FOUNDATION
Membership offers discounts and special invites to certain events
plus a hard copy of this newsletter. Contact us for a form or
download one from the website. Yearly cost: $20 per person.
All tax deductible donations are used solely for scholarships, grants
and the education of young singers as per the Australian Register of
Cultural Organisations and ACNC guidelines.
It’s Dinner
time!
News
from afar!!
The invites have been posted, the venue is
booked, the auction items are being
gathered and the guest artists lined up.
Hosted by Mr Alan Jones AO, this elegant,
magical and entertaining evening is our
major fundraising event for the year. To help
raise funds for the Foundation and this year’s
Bel Canto Award all we need is YOU! When?
Thursday, 20th August at 6.30pm. Where?
At the stunning Le Montage in Lilyfield right
on Iron Cove Bay. Joan Sutherland’s
magnificent voice will greet you in the
carpark, stroll the red carpet, sip champagne
overlooking the bay and enjoy a delicious
three course meal. Featuring soprano Greta
Bradman, former Bel Canto Award winner,
tenor John Longmuir and so much more. The special price for
foundation supporters if $150 per person.
You’d be mad to miss it!
_________________________________________________________________
MEGAN EVANS OAM
Encouragement Award
Won by KATHRYN WILLIAMS at
this year’s Bel Canto Award
Semi Final. Proudly Sponsored
by the Sydney Savage Club.
______________________________________________________________
HELP!!!!
ACCOMMODATION NEEDED
The ECP trustees are in need of up to five families to house our
visiting divas for a week. A central location is preferable so that the
singers don’t have too far to travel. A piano is an added bonus but
not essential. Last year we had billets in the eastern suburbs and
inner west. They graciously showed the singers around Sydney and
were invited to the private morning tea at Credit Suisse, the
preliminary judging session, Finals concert and VIP post performance
party. Please contact Fiona Janes on 02 4861 2440 or via email at
[email protected] if you’re interested in giving
a visiting DIVA a home for the week, or if you know a hotel sponsor!
WHAT ARE THEY UP TO?
Former scholarship recipient, mezzo
Margaret Plummer has signed a two
year contract with the Vienna State
Opera following on from her success as
Tebaldo in Don Carlos and Waltraute in
Die Walküre earlier this year. Morgan
Pearse has been mixing with Joyce di
Donato (far right) in Houston Grand
Opera’s Young Artist Programme. 2014 Bel Canto Award winner, Marlena
Devoe has been chosen for the Final rounds of the prestigious Queen
Sonja Singing Competition in Oslo in August. Tenor Matthew Reardon
has won the Australian International Opera Award which will enable him
to study at the Wales International Voice Academy in Cardiff for a year.
Greta Bradman has signed with DECCA Classics and recently released a
recording with Richard Bonynge and the English Chamber Orchestra.
2014 ECP winner, Anna Patrys came second in the International Vocal
Competition in the Czech Republic. Mezzo Emily Edmonds has joined
the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the ROH Covent Garden.
New Zealanders James Ioelu and Amina Edris are both in San Francisco
Opera’s Merola Programme. James will also be joining London’s National
Opera Studio in 2016. Tabatha McFadyen won the $10,000 OASG Prize.
Rockdale Opera’s cast for The Marriage of Figaro later in the year
includes Daniel Macey, James Olds, Phoebe Humphreys, Kirsten
Jones and Jermaine Chau. Daniel Sumegi is the company’s newly
appointed Patron. Queensland tenor, Kang Wang is joining The Met’s
Young Artist Programme. Kathryn Radcliffe
has won the Vienna State Opera Award.
Anna-Louise Cole and Sarah Toth are
reserve finalists for the Connell Prize and Bel
Canto Award respectively. Mezzo Eleanor
Greenwood (right) has won the 2015 McDonald’s
Aria. Morgan Balfour is currently in Hawaii
performing Pamina in The Magic Flute and is a
finalist for the Joan Carden Award. James Olds
won this year’s $15,000 Liederfest in Melbourne
with Lucinda-Mirikata Deacon also winning a
number of prizes. Morgan, Eleanor and James will be giving a concert
for SHOAG with Glenn Amer at St Jude’s Church in Bowral on 27 September.
John Longmuir has generously donated a video camera to the Foundation
so we can film our events for the archives. Thank you John!
L - R: Legendary Australian soprano, Nance Grant AM MBE received the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Victorian Green Room Awards.
Seen here with bass Daniel Sumegi who won an award for his performance as Sparafucile in Opera Australia’s Rigoletto. Last year’s 2nd prize
winner in the Elizabeth Connell Prize, Justine Viani (pictured with Montserrat Caballé) and New Zealanders Darren Pene Pati and Isabella Moore
were all in Barcelona in May for masterclasses with Caballé. Scholarship winners Katharine Tier and grant recipient Andrew Finden debuted in
Karslruhe last month in Iphigenie en Tauride and mezzo Helen Sherman as Cherubino in the U.K. earlier this year.
FORMER JSS PRESIDENT,
DOUG CREMER OAM and ROBERT
HENDERSON’s NEW BOOK
A Photographic History of P&O Cruises
showcases more than 175 years of P&O
History, from the formation of the
company to the current fleet. The book
has a strong Australian focus, illustrated
with the extensive Henderson & Cremer
collection. It is unique among P&O books
in that it traces the history of the
company through researching and
studying the only known surviving full
copy of the P&O Board Minutes.
MEGAN EVANS OAM
27.1.1920 - 8.6.2015
Megan passed away peacefully last month. A service
was held at St Paul’s
Anglican Church Burwood
for Megan with many of
her past pupils, family and
friends paying tribute to
the great lady of the piano.
She was 95 years old.
The Year in Pictures so far!
Top Left: Marlena Devoe with Richard
Bonynge at the Solti Accademia
repetiteurs course in Venice, also attended
by baritone Laurence Miekle. Centre:
Dmitri Horovstovksy with Margaret
Plummer making her Vienna Staatsoper
debut as Tebaldo in Don Carlos. Top
Right: Marilyn Zschau Masterclass with
Laura Scandizzo and Lee Abrahmson.
James Olds also took part.
Left: Rossini Concert - L - R, Joel Scott,
Joshua Salter, Daniel Macey, Damien
Noyce, James Olds, Eleanor Greenwood,
Rachel Bate, Jessie Wilson, Morgan
Balfour, Vivien Conacher, Sarah
Kemeny, Glenn Amer, Sarah Toth,
Maia Andrews, Zoe Drummond.
Left: Marie-Claire French Masterclass
with Glenn Amer, Rebecca Moret,
Marie-Claire, Tabatha McFadyen, Kate
Wilmot, Sarah Toth.
www.jsrbfoundation
PO Box 880, Leichhardt NSW 2040
(02) 9817 4919 | 040 202 4118
[email protected]