Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation

We are delighted to have such a strong connection with the Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Foundation http://www.jsrbfoundation.com/awards-prizes/tait-memorial-trust/ .

For the past 36 year’s, the aim of this non-profit Australian organisation has been to raise money to help assist our most talented young opera singers fulfil their given potential. With the development of the Foundation in 2010 this has given us greater exposure and opportunities to expand on the activities the Society has presented since its inception in 1978. To date, we have awarded over $300,000 worth of scholarships and study grants and hope to further develop our involvement with these young singers by presenting masterclasses, workshops and a mentoring programme.

From the home page of the JS & RB Foundation website

Marlena-Devoe-216x300
2013 Tait Memorial Trust Prize winner, soprano Marlena Devoe from New Zealand

The Trust looks forward to meeting the 2013 Tait Memorial Trust Prize winner, soprano Marlena Devoe from New Zealand who will be offered a prestigious London concert platform as part of her prize from the Bel Canto Awards . Dame Joan Sutherland was one of our founding patrons and loyal supporters due to her long association with Sir Frank Tait ( Isla Baring’s father) the Tait family and J C Williamson’s. The Sutherland-Williamson tour of Australia in 1965 is legendary and was a fitting epitaph to the life of Sir Frank and the enterprise of the Tait brothers.

We wish the Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation well and salute the work they are doing in supporting emerging operatic talent in Australia.

Thomas Rann, Cello to play with the Australia Quartet 31st October, Sydney Opera House

Australia Quartet celebrates Halloween with Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (‘Transfigured Night’), Schumann’s beloved Piano Quartet and Australian composer, Elena Kats-Chernin’s irresistible work, ‘Scherzino’. Tait Awardee, Thomas Rann was recently in London….wonderful artist

Australia Quartet
Australia Quartet

Description

Australia Quartet celebrates Halloween 2013 with a one-night-only concert on Thursday 31 October at Sydney Opera House. Transfigured Night, Schoenberg’s gothic masterpiece anchors a remarkable program which includes a world premiere and performance by internationally renowned Australian composer, Elena Kats-Cherni

Tamara-Anna Cislowska, piano

Veronique Serret, violin

James Wannan, viola

Thomas Rann, cello

Thomas Rann – Tait Awardee 2003

Thomas Rann, Cello
Thomas Rann, Cello

“an extraordinary talent with wonderful musical temperament and control of the instrument.”

In Martinu’s Variations on a theme of Rossini, this finely gifted young cellist’s qualities came to the fore – he demonstrated such superb musicianship throughout the programme that one eagerly looks foward to hearing Thomas Rann many times in the future.”

Thomas Rann is increasingly recognised as the most exciting young cellist to have emerged from Australia in recent years.

In 2008, Thomas Rann gives his Wigmore Hall recital debut with pianist Wu Qian, made his debut with the Queensland Orchestra under Vladimir Verbitsky (Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso and Andante Cantabile) and will give a recital for the inaugural Adelaide International Cello Festival. He will also make his Cadogan Hall debut performing Strauss Don Quixote with the London Phoenix Orchestra and his US recital debut in New York City.

Born in Adelaide, Thomas Rann commenced his cello studies at the age of nine under the tuition of Ruth Saffir and Niall Brown (University of Adelaide). In 2000, Thomas Rann entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, as the only pupil of distinguished English cellist Raphael Wallfisch.   He is now based in London.

Throughout his studies in the United Kingdom, Thomas Rann has performed at venues including Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James’ Piccadilly, Australia House, St James’ Palace and Westminster Abbey. He has appeared at  the Festivals of Courchevel, Schleswig-Holstein, Radolfzell, Brighton (UK), London Festival of Jewish Culture, and Verbier (Switzerland). Thomas Rann’s concerto appearances include performances with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Preston Symphony Orchestra,  Australian National Academy of Music Orchestra, London Phoenix Orchestra and the Melbourne Sinfonia.

Winner of the prestigious Muriel Taylor Scholarship for Cellists (London, 2004) – previous laureates include Steven Isserlis, Raphael Wallfisch and Alexander Baillie – Thomas Rann undertook a two-year mentorship in Sydney in 2004 with Professor Uzi Wiesel. Highlights of the 2004/2005 season included recitals at the French and Finnish Embassies in Canberra and a performance at the Institut Franco-Japonais in Tokyo, Japan, for television broadcast in Japan, the USA and Russia. He also peformed at the Kronberg International Cello Festival in Frankfurt, Germany, won the Australian National Academy of Music’s Concerto Competition and was featured as a “rising star” soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for ABC Classic FM’s Young Australia program.

In 2006, Thomas Rann made his widely acclaimed debut with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra as soloist in the ‘Symphony Under the Stars’ outdoor concert before an audience of 30,000. During the same year, Thomas Rann was awarded the E.V. Llewellyn Memorial Scholarship for String Players  and a Senior Award following the Hattori Foundation Final in London. He was also selected as a finalist for the 2006 Music Council of Australia Freedman Fellowship. Other highlights of 2006 included a recital with Sydney International Piano Competition prize-winner Evgeny Ukhanov for ABC Classic FM’s “Rising Stars” programme, broadcast throughout Australia; his Musica Viva debut at a special function held in Sydney ; and a performance at the International Cello Seminar in Israel.

Thomas Rann has appeared as soloist with the Camden Chamber Orchestra and City of London Chamber Orchestra and has continued his regular recital partnerships with pianists Wu Qian and Leslie Howard. Other highlights included appearances for the Tait Memorial Trust at the Royal Overseas League, chamber music and solo performances at the Verbier Festival (Switzerland) and at the London School of Economics Shaw Library Series.

Thomas Rann has been the recipient of generous support from the Ian Potter Cultural Trust, E.V. Llewellyn Memorial Scholarship, the Australia Council for the Arts, the Hattori Foundation for exceptionally talented soloists (London), PPCA Foundation and the Tait Memorial Trust. He has also benefited greatly from the guidance of artists such as Gavriel Lipkind, Karine Georgian, Bernard Greenhouse, Frans Helmerson, Heinrich Schiff, Ralph Kirshbaum, Gary Hoffman, Steven Isserlis and Ivry Gitlis. He is grateful for the use of a fine 18th Century Italian cello owned by the late R.A.G. Holmes AM.

The biography belowis courtesy of Robert Gilder & Co.

Cello

Thomas Rann

“an extraordinary talent with wonderful musical temperament and control of the instrument.”

In Martinu’s Variations on a theme of Rossini, this finely gifted young cellist’s qualities came to the fore – he demonstrated such superb musicianship throughout the programme that one eagerly looks foward to hearing Thomas Rann many times in the future.”

Thomas Rann is increasingly recognised as the most exciting young cellist to have emerged from Australia in recent years.

In 2008, Thomas Rann gives his Wigmore Hall recital debut with pianist Wu Qian, made his debut with the Queensland Orchestra under Vladimir Verbitsky (Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso and Andante Cantabile) and will give a recital for the inaugural Adelaide International Cello Festival. He will also make his Cadogan Hall debut performing Strauss Don Quixote with the London Phoenix Orchestra and his US recital debut in New York City.

Born in Adelaide, Thomas Rann commenced his cello studies at the age of nine under the tuition of Ruth Saffir and Niall Brown (University of Adelaide). In 2000, Thomas Rann entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, as the only pupil of distinguished English cellist Raphael Wallfisch.   He is now based in London.

Throughout his studies in the United Kingdom, Thomas Rann has performed at venues including Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James’ Piccadilly, Australia House, St James’ Palace and Westminster Abbey. He has appeared at  the Festivals of Courchevel, Schleswig-Holstein, Radolfzell, Brighton (UK), London Festival of Jewish Culture, and Verbier (Switzerland). Thomas Rann’s concerto appearances include performances with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Preston Symphony Orchestra,  Australian National Academy of Music Orchestra, London Phoenix Orchestra and the Melbourne Sinfonia.

Winner of the prestigious Muriel Taylor Scholarship for Cellists (London, 2004) – previous laureates include Steven Isserlis, Raphael Wallfisch and Alexander Baillie – Thomas Rann undertook a two-year mentorship in Sydney in 2004 with Professor Uzi Wiesel. Highlights of the 2004/2005 season included recitals at the French and Finnish Embassies in Canberra and a performance at the Institut Franco-Japonais in Tokyo, Japan, for television broadcast in Japan, the USA and Russia. He also peformed at the Kronberg International Cello Festival in Frankfurt, Germany, won the Australian National Academy of Music’s Concerto Competition and was featured as a “rising star” soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for ABC Classic FM’s Young Australia program.

In 2006, Thomas Rann made his widely acclaimed debut with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra as soloist in the ‘Symphony Under the Stars’ outdoor concert before an audience of 30,000. During the same year, Thomas Rann was awarded the E.V. Llewellyn Memorial Scholarship for String Players  and a Senior Award following the Hattori Foundation Final in London. He was also selected as a finalist for the 2006 Music Council of Australia Freedman Fellowship. Other highlights of 2006 included a recital with Sydney International Piano Competition prize-winner Evgeny Ukhanov for ABC Classic FM’s “Rising Stars” programme, broadcast throughout Australia; his Musica Viva debut at a special function held in Sydney ; and a performance at the International Cello Seminar in Israel.

Thomas Rann has appeared as soloist with the Camden Chamber Orchestra and City of London Chamber Orchestra and has continued his regular recital partnerships with pianists Wu Qian and Leslie Howard. Other highlights included appearances for the Tait Memorial Trust at the Royal Overseas League, chamber music and solo performances at the Verbier Festival (Switzerland) and at the London School of Economics Shaw Library Series.

Thomas Rann has been the recipient of generous support from the Ian Potter Cultural Trust, E.V. Llewellyn Memorial Scholarship, the Australia Council for the Arts, the Hattori Foundation for exceptionally talented soloists (London), PPCA Foundation and the Tait Memorial Trust. He has also benefited greatly from the guidance of artists such as Gavriel Lipkind, Karine Georgian, Bernard Greenhouse, Frans Helmerson, Heinrich Schiff, Ralph Kirshbaum, Gary Hoffman, Steven Isserlis and Ivry Gitlis. He is grateful for the use of a fine 18th Century Italian cello owned by the late R.A.G. Holmes AM.

Robert Gilder & Co.
91 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3PS
United Kingdom
Robert Gilder
Managing Director
e: rgilder@robert-gilder.com
p: +44 (0)20 7580 7758
f: +44 (0)20 7580 7739
Robert Gilder & Co.
91 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3PS
United Kingdom
Robert Gilder
Managing Director
e: rgilder@robert-gilder.com
p: +44 (0)20 7580 7758
f: +44 (0)20 7580 7739

Samuel Johnson, Baritone – Winner of German Operatic Award 2014

Breaking NEWS 25-year-old Australian baritone Samuel Johnson, has won the prestigious German Opera Award in Sydney today and will be off to Cologne Opera! Samuel is also the 2013 recipient of the RJ Hamer Opera Scholarship presented by the Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust. Samuel is currently completing his Masters in Operatic Performance, at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. He recently performed the role of Nick Shadow in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, a Queensland Conservatorium production for The Brisbane Festival, conducted by Alex Ingram. Johnson was also a national finalist in the McDonald’s Operatic Aria and Italian Awards.He has appeared in oratorio on numerous occasions in Brisbane and throughout regional Queensland. In 2011, he performed as soloist with tenor Simon O’Neill in the Puccini Gala Concert, with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. While studying, Samuel has performed numerous operatic roles including Styx in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Taddeo and Silvio in excerpts from Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Peter Quince in Benjamin Brittin’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Father in excerpts from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, the title role in Handel’s Saul, Pandolfe in Massenet’s Cendrillon and the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.

Samuel Johnson, Baritone
Samuel Johnson, Baritone

Southbank Sinfonia – Sir Charles Mackerras Chair

For the last few weeks the Southbank Sinfonia’s General Manager, James Murphy has been holding auditions in Australia to find new players for 2014 and to select  the recipient for the prestigious Sir Charles Mackerras Chair.

Southbank Sinfonia
Southbank Sinfonia

The chair is exclusively for a young Australian orchestral musician to honour the memory of the great Australian conductor, Sir Charles Mackerras. The Trust is delighted to support this chair and was instrumental in its creation several years ago. We thank the Southbank Sinfonia for continuing this award and making it such an important position for a young Australian orchestral musician. We look forward to hearing who will be the holder of the 2013/2014 chair.

The last holder of this prestigious post was Violist, Lisa Bucknell. Lisa was a Trust awardee 2012/2013 and played in one of our concerts at the Foundling Museum in August.

Lisa Bucknell, Viola
Lisa Bucknell, Viola

Dominic Natoli – Debut as Otello with Opera Queensland

Delighted to read the news that Australian Tenor, Dominic Natoli has made his debut as Otello with Opera Queensland. Dominic, from Melbourne, has now sung 13 Verdi tenor roles in opera houses all over Europe and now the great Moor himself in Queensland.

A former student of the great Italian baritone, Afro Poli and Tenor, Alfredo Kraus, Dominic is now embarking on the spinto/ heroic italian repertory. We look forward to hearing of further performances in this fach. Calaf or Manrico?

Dominic has a beautiful voice. You can listen to clips of him singing here

Dominic Natoli, Tenor
Dominic Natoli, Tenor

Hoang Phan wins ABC Young Performer of the Year

The Young Performer of the Year for 2013 is Melbourne pianist Hoang Pham. The Tait Memorial Trust are delighted that Tait Awardees, Hoang and Stefan did so well in this prestigious competition. Congratulations to you both.

Stefan Cassomenos, Andrew Kawai and Hoang Pham all performed concertos in tonight’s grand final from the Melbourne Town Hall, accompanied by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

r1042449_12027059

For the concerto round Hoang performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1.

“I love Tchaikovsky and throughout competition I chose music I love,” he said shortly after performing.

“It’s always a thrill to play in with a symphony orchestra, especially in your home town.”

Hoang says he suffers from “extreme nerves” before performing but he accepts that it’s part of the job.

“It’s gotten easier over the years but not that much easier,” he laughs.

In his acceptance speech Hoang recounted first entering YPA in 2004 and not making the first round. His teacher told him that “time tells the truth about each musician,” and so he persisted.

He also thanked his girlfriend, former YPA winner and member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Ji Won Kim.

Pianist Stefan Cassomenos performed Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No 3.

“I feel very much at home playing concertos with orchestras,” he said after his performance.

“It’s really great music, the way it’s written for orchestra and piano,” says Stefan. “Not all concertos are like that,” he laughs, continuing to explain. “Some are written for piano as the central feature with the orchestra in the background.”

Catch up on any performances you missed via the competitor bio pages

Young Performers Awards 2013 Prizes

Best Recital Prize ($5000) – Andrew Kawai

Best Chamber Music Performance Prize ($5000) – Hoang Pham.

Best Performance of an Australian Work Prize ($5000) – Grace Clifford

Concerto Finalist Prize ($7500) – Andrew Kawai, Stefan Cassomenos

Young Performer of the Year ($25k) goes to Hoang Pham

undefined
Pianist Hoang Pham, Young Performer of the Year, 2013. Photo by Lucas Dawson

Written by ABC Classic FM

http://www.abc.net.au/classic/content/2013/10/12/3867867.htm

Connor Barlow – 3rd Year, English National Ballet School

The Tait Memorial Trust are delighted to support Connor Barlow for the 3rd year of his studies at the English National Ballet School. We support two other dancers in 2013, Calvin Richardson and Sophie Moffatt both at the Royal Ballet School.

Connor Barlow started dancing at a local Sydney School at age six; taking classes in all forms of dance. His teachers encouraged him to view dance as a challenging and athletic activity, as well as a performing art.

Connor Barlow, Ballet
Connor Barlow, Ballet

 

Connor attended The McDonald College of Performing Arts and began his classical ballet training under the guidance of Ms Josephine Jason and Mr Alan Cross in 2007. Later he joined the Australian International Ballet Academy and the Premier State Ballet, where he performed the lead role of ‘Basilio’ in their 2010 Production of Don Quixote.

In March 2011 Connor travelled to Europe to audition for several prestigious ballet schools and was accepted into the 3 Year ‘Diploma of Professional Dance’ at the English National Ballet School (ENBS), in London.

Since September 2011 Connor has been tutored by a number of renowned international ballet tutors under the direction of Samira Saidi. Some of the most significant tutors that has Connor has worked with include, Chris Wright, Ivan Dinev, Cynthia Harvey, Yohei Sasaki, David Wall and Alain Dubreuil.

With the English National Ballet School, Connor performed the lead in Kenneth MacMillan’s ‘Soiree Musicales’ and in Frederick Ashton’s Les Rendezvous and several original works by Nuno Campos and Stina Quagebeur.

In June 2013 Connor travelled to Fiori in Italy to represent the ENBS at the Dance Gala at the historic Treatro Alessandro Bonci in Cesena, performing the ‘Grand Pas Classique’.

When he is not dancing, Connor loves to surf with this Dad at Cronulla Beach in Sydney or read a good book.

Connor’s aim is to become a professional ballet dancer and / or choreographer, with a leading international ballet company.

We, at the Tait Memorial Trust, wish Connor well and hope the support that we have provided these past three years will make the journey to a professional career that much more easier.

Connor’s award is kindly provided by the Thornton foundation.

ABC Young Performers Award 2013

Delighted to report the great success of two of our Awardees in the ABC Young Performers Award 2013. The 12 finalists have now been reduced to 6 overnight after outstanding performances from everyone. Two of the remaining finalists on piano are Stefan Cassomenos and Hoang Phan.

Stefan Cassemenos, Piano
Stefan Cassemenos, Piano

Stefan has performed for the TMT in London at 49 Queen’s Gate Terrace and for the TPAA at the Savage Club twice and Hoang has also performed as part of the Melbourne Piano Trio and was awarded our prize last year when he studied at the Royal College of Music in London.

Hoang Phan, Pianist
Hoang Phan, Pianist

The next round is Chamber Music & will take place on Wednesday 9th October at the Iwaki Auditorium and Stefan or Hoang will then proceed to the final which takes place on Saturday evening 12th October at 7pm with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and recorded on ABC FM.

The prize money for this year is:

Best Recital Prize – $5,000
Best Chamber Music Performance Prize – $5,000
People’s Choice Prize – $5,000
Best Performance of an Australian Work Prize – $5,000
Concerto Finalist Prize x 2 (runners-up) – $7,500
Young Performer of the Year – $25,000

After two days and four concerts to hear each competitor play a recital program, the following six have been chosen to go through to the next round.

Concert 1
1pm, Wednesday 9 October, Iwaki Auditorium
Grace Clifford (violin) performing the Brahms Piano Trio in C minor Op 101
Andrew Kawai (oboe) performing the Mozart Oboe Quartet in F K 370
Stefan Cassomenos (piano) performing the Mendelssohn Piano Trio No 1 in D minor Op 49
Concert 2
7pm, Wednesday 9 October, Iwaki Auditorium
Harry Ward (violin) performing the Brahms Piano Trio in C minor Op 101
Hoang Pham (piano) performing the Mendelssohn Piano Trio No 1 in D minor Op 49
Jonathon Ramsay (euphonium) performing the Brahms Horn Trio Op 40

The adjudicators are Ian Munro, Barbara Jane Gilby, Catherine McCorkill and chair of the panel is Huw Humphreys. Both of these concerts will be broadcast live on ABC Classic FM. Tickets are free and available at the door an hour prior to each concert.

Catch up on recitals from round one via the individual competitor, or listen to the entire concerts for Day 1and Day 2.

You can read about the performers and follow their progress on the website: http://symphonyinternational.net.

We wish both of them Toi Toi Toi!!!
r1042449_12027059