Australian Music Foundation

The Australian Music Foundation (AMF) is a charitable organisation (based in the United Kingdom and Australia) which aims to promote and celebrate Australian musical life by offering scholarships, performing opportunities and mentoring to young Australian classical musicians who wish to pursue their post-graduate studies overseas.

DONATE to support our work

Since 1975, the Australian Music Foundation has helped nearly 300 awardees.

Some of our previous awardees have included Violinist Emily Sun (2015 awardee) who has gone on to win the 2018 ABC Young Performers Award in Sydney, and soprano Lauren Fagan recently appeared as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel at the ROH, Covent Garden and represented Australia in the 2019 Cardiff Singer of the World. Soprano Samantha Clarke made her Opera Australia debut in January 2024, as Violetta in La Traviata. Waynne Kwon joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) as Sub-Principal Cello in March 2024. Other distinguished Alumni include baritone Peter Coleman-Wright, pianist Jayson Gillham, conductor Jessica Cottis, saxophonist Amy Dickson and guitarist Craig Ogden.

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Our Autumn Showcase

For nearly 5 decades, the Australian Music Foundation has supported young Australian musicians to study at some of the finest cultural and educational centres in the UK, Europe and North America. Many have gone on to celebrated international careers.

High Commissioner Stephen Smith and Deputy High Commissioner Elisabeth Bowes PSM joined Australian Music Foundation UK Chair Yvonne Kenny AM for the Foundation’s 2024 Autumn Showcase on Wednesday, 16th October 2024 at Australia House in association with the Australian High Commission in the United Kingdom featuring performances by our recent Awardees:

James Emerson (Baritone)
Rachel Siu (Cello)
Samantha Hargreaves (Soprano) and
Dario Scalabrini (Clarinet)

and with thanks to Ian Tindale (Piano).

The evening concluded with some words from our new Trustee and alumna, Samantha Crawford, about our award's impact on her career.

Our guests, supporters and donors enjoyed wines by Jasper Hill Wines and Wines by Kylie Minogue.

On the first anniversary of his Coronation, His Majesty The King announced that he would continue his Royal Patronage of the Australian Music Foundation, reflecting the quality of the Australian talent nurtured by the Foundation.

Thank you again to the Australian High Commission in the United Kingdom, Jasper Hill Wines, Wines by Kylie Minogue and our donors, supporters and volunteers who made the evening so memorable.

See more pictures and read more…

King Charles meets the Australian Music Foundation

Photo: The Australian Music Foundation meets His Majesty King Charles. Background: King Charles with Yvonne Kenny (Chair). Foreground L to R: The Karelia Quartet: Daniel Schultz (Cello), *<Takanori Okamoto (Viola) not in shot>*, Megan Yang (Violin) and Felix Pascoe (Violin) with Kate Paterson (Trustee) and Glenn Horder (Administrator).

The King and Queen have hosted a reception at St James’s Palace in London to celebrate the Commonwealth Diaspora, attended by 300 notable guests including representatives of the Australian Music Foundation.

The Palace had invited the Australian Music Foundation to present our young musicians at the reception. Current AMF Awardee violinist Megan Young was selected to perform with the quartet she plays with, the Karelia Quartet.

His Majesty King Charles, the Patron-in-Chief of the Australian Music Foundation met Yvonne Kenny (Chair UK), Kate Paterson (AMF Trustee) and violinist Megan Yang (AMF Awardee) with the other members of the Karelia Quartet, fellow Australian Felix Pascoe (Violin), Takanori Okamoto (Viola) and Daniel Schultz (Cello) from the Royal Academy of Music.

The King and Queen will travel to Australia and Samoa later in October.

Channel 9 News Australia interviewed Yvonne Kenny and Megan Yang after the event. Sarah Macdonald later interviewed Megan Yang for Mornings on ABC Radio Sydney.

You can watch and listen to the interviews here.

Our 2024 Classical Awards are announced

The Australian Music Foundation has presented awards to nearly 300 young Australian musicians to help support their studies overseas since 1975.

The demand was greater than ever this year. It highlights the impact your donations and support make on our Awardee’s development and careers.

The Awards would not be possible without the generosity of our major donors: The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust; the Helen and David Hains Foundation; The Goodridge Foundation; Maestro Richard Bonynge AC CBE and the Donus Australia Foundation, to whom we are most grateful.

We are proud to announce our Australian Music Foundation Classical Awardees for 2024. Please click here to read about each of our Awardees and their biographies.

Read More…

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