Media Release
April 2006
David Harper one of several ‘firsts’ in
ASC’s 25th year
In recent years renowned accompanist and voice
coach David Harper has offered a prize of 10 coaching sessions to one of the
Finalists in the Australian Singing Competition’s Mathy Awards. This year
he has agreed to extend that prize for the benefit of ten singers as
official accompanist for the Semi-Finals. This means that all contestants
to reach that stage of the Competition will benefit from his expertise in
preparing for the Semi-Finals as well as performing in a public concert with
David on 3 September at the Music Workshop, Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
In between working with many of the world’s
‘greats’ (most recently recording a CD with Frederike von Stade), David
returns regularly to Australia and his native New Zealand to coach local
singers at all levels, keen to assist emerging talent as well as established
performers.
It’s a big year for this prestigious
Competition, celebrating its 25th year of distributing to date
over $2 million worth of scholarships, cash prizes and valuable
opportunities. For the first time in its history, a past winner of the
Marianne Mathy Scholarship, Fiona Janes, will be National Adjudicator for
the Mathy Awards and another past Mathy winner, Jason Barry-Smith, will be
an adjudicator in the Brisbane Heats. Both singers have reaped the benefit
of this ‘kick-start’ to their careers and it is exciting to see them at a
level where they can now sit on the other side of the judging table.
An impressive line-up for the Semi-Finals and
Finals adjudication will for the first time include international conductor
Imre Palló, Professor of Conducting at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and
Linnhe Robertson, who will be flown to Australia by Guildhall School of
Music & Drama to select the winner of its scholarship.
The closing date for the 2006 Mathy Awards,
for classical singers under the age of 26, is 1 June. Information and entry
forms are available on the ASC website: www.aussing.com.au
- For further details contact:
The Co-ordinators
-
ASC
-
02 9231
4293
-
asc@aussing.com.au
