Deborah Humble joins the Music Board of the Tait Memorial Trust

Acclaimed for her performances of the works of Richard Wagner, Australian mezzo-soprano, Deborah Humble is one of Australia’s most successful international singers. She has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg Easter Festival, Seattle Symphony, with the Stuttgart Philharmonic, the Hamburg Philharmonic and the London Mozart Players and at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. We are delighted to confirm that Deborah has agreed to join the Music Board, of esteemed Australian performers and artists, of the Tait Memorial Trust.

After gaining a Bachelor of Music from the University of Adelaide and a Masters Degree from the University of Melbourne, Deborah was a member of the Victoria State Opera Young Artist Programme. Having been a Principal Artist for both Opera Australia and The State Opera of Hamburg she has embarked upon a freelance career which takes her all over the world. Deborah is a highly sought after adjudicator and advanced teacher in Australia and recently gave a master class for the Melba Trust in Melbourne, as part of her role as a Mentor with the Trust, and was also invited to adjudicate for the Sydney Eisteddfod

The Music Board and the Artistic Planning Committee bring their vast international experience to assist us in selecting our Annual awards. Over the past three years our awards have more than doubled, and have increased to £40,000 per annum, with several awards of £5,000 per awardee, the selection process is vital to ensure the most deserving and talented young artists are supported in their studies.

lifestyle4 — Deborah Humble, Mezzo-Soprano

Deborah joins our Music Board which is chaired by TMT Chairman, Isla Baring OAM

Caroline Almonte, Concert Pianist
Julian Gavin, Operatic Tenor
Dr Leslie Howard, Concert Pianist
Deborah Humble, Operatic Mezzo-Soprano
Liane Keegan, Operatic Dramatic-Contralto
Cameron Menzies, Stage & Opera Director
Anthony Roden, Operatic Tenor & Teacher

Tait Artistic Planning
Jessica Cottis, Conductor
Jayson Gillham, Concert Pianist
Katrina Sheppeard, Operatic Soprano
Chad Vindin, Accompanist

To apply for a Tait Award please check our website here for further information.

TAIT WINTER PROM 2016 – We return to St John's Smith Square

The Tait Memorial Trust 5th Annual Winter Prom.

: Jessica Cottis, Conductor: Colin Hattersley, Photography

Tait Winter Prom – Memories of Summer

The Tait Memorial Trust returns to St John’s Smith Square on Wednesday 30th November for their 5th annual Winter Prom. Now in its 24th year, the Trust supports young Australian performing artists who come to the UK to complete their advanced studies in music, dance and composition.

We are delighted to confirm that the Australian High Commissioner, His Excellency, The Hon. Alexander Downer AC and his wife Mrs Nicola Downer AM, have kindly agreed to be our Guests of Honour. They have been such loyal supporters of the Tait Trust, and we look forward to welcoming them on the night.

We are thrilled that Jessica Cottis has agreed to conduct and musically direct the Tait Chamber Orchestra, of young Australian musicians, and has selected the programme to showcase our award winners but also to acknowledge the tyranny of distance and the longing many of us feel for the wide open spaces of Australia.

Proudly supported by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia we invite you to join us as we explore our memories of Summer.

St John’s Smith Square, London SW1P 3HA

Wed 30 November – 7.30pm

£35, £28, £22, £15

taitmemorialtrust.org

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Memories of Summer

Tait Chamber Orchestra

Lisa Bucknell VIOLA

James Guan PIANO

Alexandra Hutton SOPRANO

Alexandra Isted VIOLIN

Katrina Sheppeard SOPRANO

Ashlyn Skye Tymms MEZZO SOPRANO

Chad Vindin PIANO

Jessica Cottis CONDUCTOR

Mozart

Sinfonia Concertante

for Violin, Viola and Orchestra K364

Wagner

Prelude and ‘Vorspiel and Liebestod’

from Tristan und Isolde

arr. by James Ledger

for Chamber Orchestra

(UK premiere)

Luke Styles

How they Creep

Bernstein

Glitter and be Gay

Barber

Must the winter come so soon

Williamson

Piano Concerto No. 2

wp14_cropped_1411 — Tait Chamber Orchestra, Tait Winter Prom 2014, St John’s Smith Square

Tait Friends renewals 2015

Principal Partner

Dear Friends,

I was so pleased to see some of our Friends at the “Rising Australian Stars” concert at the ROSL last week where no fewer than four previous recipients of Tait awards played to a very appreciative audience. The music was simply glorious and I hope that you feel, as I do, the warm glow of satisfaction at being part of the nurturing of such wonderful young talent and how, with your generosity, The Tait Memorial Trust has played no small part in moving them along their musical path. With your help we have been able to help them gain the very best musical tuition and to expose them to the challenging and vibrant musical scene of the UK. What their natural talent and hard work, their families and their initial musical education in Australia began we have been able to continue. Apart from their exceptional musical talent one cannot help but be impressed with their enthusiasm, their energy, their strong sense of purpose and their total commitment to the pursuit of excellence. I so enjoyed speaking with Som, Chad, Yelian and Emily, as well as the other performers, after the concert and I am sure you will join me in wishing them all well.

What we have achieved in the past we are to continue. We have received 30 applications for this year’s awards and the standard is, as usual, exceptionally high. Our dedicated team is busy considering all those who are auditioning and we expect to be able to help a new group of very talented and committed young musicians and dancers towards a professional career such as that about to be enjoyed by the recipient of our Leanne Benjamin award for Ballet, Josephine Frick, as she shortly begins her contract with the ENB.

This leads me to the actual purpose of this letter. It is time to renew your Tait Friends membership with The Tait Memorial Trust. It is no exaggeration to write that you, our Friends, are the vital component of our commitment to our young Australian performing artists who come to study here in the UK and we trust you will be able to continue your generous support. In addition, if you know anyone else who would like to be part of this very satisfying activity in nurturing the talent of these wonderful young people please encourage them to do so and ask them to contact me on using the contact form below. I shall be very pleased to welcome them as a Tait Friend.

We have a busy calendar of events in the coming month as you will read below and I look forward to seeing you at one of these events or elsewhere.

Your donation will enable us to continue our important work.

With thanks and warmest wishes

Mrs. Isla Baring OAM
Chairman

Australian & New Zealand Festival at King’s College, May 28 – 31.

Some highlights include:

May 30th The Story of the Kelly Gang directed by Charlie Tait (1906)

May 30th Tait Concert, Double Bill, Jayson Gillham & The Australia Piano Quartet
Tait/ Australia & New Zealand Festival of Literature & Arts joint concert

May 31st Tait Young Musicians Showcase
Tait/ Australia & New Zealand Festival of Literature & Arts joint concert

July 2nd The Leanne Benjamin Awards
Leanne Benjamin AM OBE speaking with Ross Alley about her career at the English National Ballet Studios at Jays Mews, London.

It is thanks to donations such as yours that we are in a position to offer our awardees such first class opportunities.

Marlena Devoe, soprano, winner of the 2014 Bel Canto Award to sing at the Tait Winter Prom

The second half of the Tait Winter Prom, Tuesday 9th December, starts with Samoan, Marlena Devoe, soprano, winner of the 2014 Bel Canto Awards singing the ‘Pie Jesu‘ from Faure’s ‘Requiem‘

Sophie Moffatt, dancer, will perform Kenneth MacMillan’s choreographic interpretation of this solo. Sophie recently performed for The Trust at The Leanne Benjaimin Awards at The Royal Ballet School. She ended the evening with the solo from Giselle, coached by Leanne Benjamin OBE.

Sophie will be coached by Australian prima ballerina and Tait Patron, Leanne Benjamin OBE. This video recording is of Leanne performing this piece at the Royal Opera House.

Chad Vindin will accompany on the piano. We are thrilled that The MacMillan Estate have kindly allowed us to perform this piece

The Tait Memorial Trust is pleased to be assisting these fine young Australian artists in 2014

In 2014 Tait Awards have increased by 27% from 2013/14. This increase has largely been due to the excellent response to our new Friends scheme and the increased level of donations from our generous supporters. The names of our Friends and our major donors can be found here

With our new ‘Adopt a Performer’ scheme we have two scholarships of £5,000 per annum over three years. The aim of this scheme is to offer continuity of funding to the artists over the term of their academic studies and to link a donor directly with an awardee.

Last year Kevin Penkin, composer, was the inaugural ‘Tait Scholar’ supported by the Baring family. This year he continues his studies at The Royal College of Music. We are delighted that Kevin has agreed to accept our commission for a new piece of music for flute and orchestra entitled, Changing Feet, to be premiered at our Winter Prom 9th December 2014. Tait Awardee, Nicola Crowe is to play the flute solo.

Waynne Kwon, cello, Higgins Family scholar

Waynne Kwon, cello is the inaugural recipient of the Higgins family scholarship. Waynne is about to commence his undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Though our Partner organisations we are supporting Gerard Schneider, tenor Royal Over-Seas League; Panayiota Kalatzis, soprano and winner of the 2014 Australian International Opera Awards is the recipient of the Frank and Viola Tait Award and we continue our support of the Sir Charles Mackerras Chair at the Southbank Sinfonia. This years recipient is Nicola Crowe, flute.

This year we are supporting 4 singers, 3 cellists, 2 accompanists, 3 composers, 1 viola, 1 flute and for the first time we are supporting a Trio, The Darian Trio which is based in Vienna.

We have a fund of £8,000 to support The Leanne Benjamin Awards for 2014/15 This fund was the result of The Leanne Benjamin Awards launch at The Royal Ballet School and a generous donation from Lady Roberttson. These awards will be announced later this year.