Pianist James Guan awarded Greta Parkinson Prize from RAM

Many congratulations to current awardee, pianist James Guan, who has been awarded the Greta Parkinson Prize by the Royal Academy of Music. This is one of the Academy’s discretionary prizes, awarded for a combination of good work, conduct, and general achievement throughout the academic year. 

Born in Sydney, James studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Primary School, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music High School, and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Paul Rickard-Ford. He has recently completed his Masters degree at the Royal Academy of Music under Ian Fountain with the support of the Australian Music Foundation.

His prizes include 4th in the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition and the Kerikeri International Piano Competition; the Most Outstanding Recitalist in the Emerging Artists Series, and 3rd in the International Competition Piana del Cavaliere and the Clamo International Piano Competition. He was also the recipient of the Best Australian Award at the Sydney International Piano Competition and Winner of the Great Romantics Competition in Melbourne. 

Video of James playing at the Finals of the Jaques Samuel Competition at Wigmore Hall

Samantha Crawford wins Gold Medal at Berliner International Music Competition

Congratulations to AMF alumna, soprano Samantha Crawford, who has won a Gold Medal with Honours at the inaugural Berliner International Music Competition.
Judges included Denis O'Neill, Teresa Berganza, Ryland Davies, Javier Camarena, Carlos Álvarez and Gabriele Fontana.
Photo credit: Jeremy Hosking

Soprano Lauren Fagan makes her WNO debut as Musetta in La Bohème

AMF alumna, soprano Lauren Fagan recently made her debut with Welsh National Opera, as Musetta in La Bohème. Lauren comes from Sydney and studied at the GSMD and on the Jette Parker Young Artists' Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. In June, she will sing the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Opera Holland Park.

Photos © Robert Workman, Lauren Fagan as Musetta

Emily Sun and Waynne Kwon win prizes at the Bromsgrove International Competition

Many congratulations to AMF Alumna, violinist Emily Sun, and current AMF Awardee, cellist Waynne Kwon, who have both won prizes at the Bromsgrove International Musicians Competition. They were selected from 108 competitors to play in the Finals on 8 April 2017, where Emily was awarded First Prize and Waynne was awarded a Finalists Prize. The AMF is proud to be supporting such talented young musicians and wishes them both continued success in their studies.

PHOTO shows: (Black Row, left to right) Dominic Degavino, Hannah Roberts, Edmond Fivet, Hayley Parkes; (front row, left to right) Wyn Chan, Emily Sun, Waynne Kwon and Andrew Zolinsky

AMF Awards 2017

The application process for the 2017 AMF Awards will open on Monday 10 April and close at midnight on Monday 8 May. The First Round will be judged via online application forms and video files. Finalists will be invited to appear live at the Wigmore Hall, London, on Wednesday, 4 October. Any finalists not able to appear, including composers, conductors, and repetiteurs, will be judged on their original or new video files.

Further information can be found on the Apply for an Award page, where a pdf sample application form can be downloaded for candidates to familiarise themselves with the requirements prior to the auditions window opening.

Justin Sun wins Woodwind Prize at ROSL

Many congratulations to bassoonist Justin Sun, who has won the Royal Overseas League Sussex Prize for Woodwind. Justin is the current holder of the AMF Nora Goodridge Emerging Artist Award and is studying for a Masters in Performance at the RCM.

Emily Sun plays Double Violin Concerto with Maxim Vengerov at Buckingham Palace

Congratulations to AMF awardee Emily Sun, who was selected by violin virtuoso Maxim Vengerov to play alongside him in the Bach Double Violin Concerto at Buckingham Palace last week, accompanied by the RCM Symphony Orchestra. The event was hosted by HRH the Prince of Wales, Patron of both the RCM and the AMF. Emily was proud to be able to tell him that she was playing on an Australian instrument made by Arthur E Smith in 1946. Photos: © Paul Burns Photography. Emily and her accompanist Jennifer Hughes will also be appearing in a recital at Wigmore Hall this week.

Emily Sun plays at National Gallery

The AMF were recently invited to provide young musicians for a special event at the National Gallery on 27 January, entitled 'Australia Late', in celebration of Australia Day and the current exhibition of 'Australia's Impressionists'.

AMF awardee, violinist Emily Sun, appeared in recital with her pianist Jennifer Hughes and played a programme of Schubert, Fritz Kreisler and Richard Strauss to a large and appreciative audience. They were the first musicians to use the beautiful new Blüthner piano, which was recently donated to the gallery.

Emily and Jennifer will also be appearing at Wigmore Hall on 13 February, where they will be playing the R. Strauss Violin Sonata in E flat major, Opus 18.

Jesse Flowers purchases new instrument with AMF Guy Parsons Award

The AMF Guy Parsons Award has enabled recipient Jesse Flowers to purchase a new instrument by world-renowned guitar luthier Antonius Müller, one of the leading exponents of the ‘Double-top’ guitar design. He is well known for producing instruments with plenty of volume and fullness, without compromising their range of tone colour and beauty of sound. Since the guitar is a very intimate and quiet instrument, it is vital to have a guitar that can carry right to the back of a concert hall.
Originally from Sydney, Jesse completed his Bachelor of Music at the Australian National University in Canberra in November 2014. Since then, he has been studying with Tilman Hoppstock at the Akademie für Tonkunst Darmstadt, Germany, where he has won several competitions and will be taking part in the ‘National Concerts for Young Artists of Germany’ 2017/18 season. 
In March Jesse will give a solo recital in Sundsvall, Sweden and a concert in Mannheim, Germany with cellist Wolfgang Boettcher, who was 15 years principal cellist with the Berliner Philarmoniker (and also Jesse's great uncle).

Samantha Crawford wins Wagner Prize

Many congratulations to AMF Alumna, soprano Samantha Crawford, who has won two prizes at the 2016 Wagner Society Singing Competition: the First Prize awarded by Sir John Tomlinson and the President's Prize from Dame Gwyneth Jones. She has also been awarded a place on the Bayreuth scholarship programme from the Richard Wagner Scholarship Foundation, which will allow her to spend a week in Bayreuth as a scholar, attending Wagner operas and masterclasses.

AMF 2016 Awardees announced

Following the Finals of the AMF Awards on 6 October at Wigmore Hall, London, the Chairman and Trustees are delighted to announce that nine young musicians have been chosen as recipients of scholarships this year, With many thanks to our distinguished panel of judges: Piers Lane, piano; Benjamin Hughes, cello; John Anderson, oboe; Professor Raymond Holden (RAM), Linnhe Robertson (GSMD), Professor Peter Tregear (Chair AMF Australia) and non-voting Chairman of the Panel, Yvonne Kenny AM (Chair AMF UK).

The AMF 2016 Awardees

Justin Sun (Canberra) - bassoon - age 22 - MMus RCM - AMF Nora Goodridge Emerging Artist Award                                                                                                                                

Jesse Flowers (Sydney) - guitar - age 22 - Künstlerische Aufbaustudium, Darmstadt  - AMF Guy Parsons Award

Daniel Mullaney (Perth) - tenor - age 25 - Advanced Certificate, Opera, GSMD  - AMF Nora Goodridge Developing Artist Award

Jade Moffat (Brisbane) - mezzo soprano - age 27 - MMus, GSMD Opera Course - AMF Nora Goodridge Developing Artist Award

James Guan (Sydney) - piano - age 25 - MMus, RAM - AMF Award

Shanie Klas (Melbourne) - percussion - age 24 - Masters, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA - AMF Award

Waynne Kwon (Sydney) - cello - age 20 - BMus Hons, RNCM - AMF Award

Oscar Jiang (Victoria) - piano - age 18 - BMus, Juilliard, USA -  AMF Award

James Yan (Illawarra, NSW) - composer - age 22 - MMus RCM - AMF UK Trustees Award

2015 Awardees perform at Sunday in the Apartment

AMF Awardees Emily Sun (violin) and Andrey Lebedev (guitar) performed together as a duo at Sunday in the Apartment on 11 September, at the Rah Rah Room, Piccadilly. Their programme included: 

Claude Debussy: Clair de Lune from Suite Bergamasque, arranged by Andrey Lebedev
Manuel de Falla: Canciones Populares Españolas, 1. El Paño moruno, 2. Il Jota

Photo credit: Peter Livingstone Photography

There was also an appearance by AMF Alumnus, singer Russell Harcourt.

Sunday in the Apartment, run by Australian Business, is a showcase of Australian talent, based in London, and is a light-hearted afternoon entertainment, part chat-show, part cabaret. The next show will be on 27 November. More information: 

http://www.sundayintheapartment.com/

Emily Sun and Yvonne Kenny at the ROSL Grand Final

AMF Chairman Yvonne Kenny, pictured with AMF Awardee, violinist Emily Sun, who won the Gold Medal at the 2016 Royal Overseas League Grand Final at Cadogan Hall on 1 June.

Lauren Fagan to appear in Last Night of the Proms

All best wishes, to current AMF Awardee, soprano Lauren Fagan, who will be appearing as a soloist in Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music at the Last Night of the  Proms on 10 September. 

AMF Welcomes new Trustee, Dr Margaret Mayston AM

The AMF welcomes a new Trustee, Dr Margaret Mayston AM, who is a leading researcher, therapist and lecturer in the field of neurosciences.

She was named the 2010 Australian Woman of the Year in the UK, for her ongoing work helping children and families deal with Cerebral Palsy.

Dr Mayston was recognised in the Australia Day honours in 2009 and is a recipient of the prestigious Schafter Award in Physiology.

The AMF is very grateful for Dr Mayston's support and looks forward to working with her on future projects to assist more talented young Australian musicians in their studies overseas.

Life President, Guy Parsons awarded OBE

The AMF is delighted to announce that founding trustee, long-serving Treasurer and now Life President, Guy Parsons, has been awarded the OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours, for his services to business and charity. 

Mr Parsons was a senior partner at auditing firm KPMG, where he was appointed liquidator for many companies and undertook overseas projects for the Government.

In addition to his work with the AMF, he also set up and is a trustee of The Lynn Foundation, a charity which annually makes some 500 grants to help people with disabilities.

The AMF would like to congratulate Mr Parsons on receiving this honour in recognition of his wonderful work for charity, and to thank him for his support of young Australian musicians over the last 40 years.

Photo credit: Steve Robards

2016 AMF Finalists Announced

The live Finals of the AMF Awards will take place at the  Wigmore Hall, London, on the morning of Thursday 6 October. All are invited to this free event in the AMF calendar, to support these talented young artists as they compete for scholarships to support their studies in the UK, Europe or the USA. If you would like to attend, please contact sas@australianmusicfoundation.org

AMF Finalists 2016 

Justin Sun - Bassoon

Waynne Kwon - Cello

Seong Sin Lee - Cello

Sam Lucas - Cello

Oscar Jiang - Piano

Sonya Pigot - Piano

James Guan - Piano 

Sabina Im - Piano

Jesse Flowers - Guitar

Shanie Klas - Percussion

Rebecca Gulinello - Soprano

Jade Moffat - Mezzo-Soprano

Daniel Mullaney - Tenor

James Yan - Composer

AMF Awardee, violinist Emily Sun, wins Gold Medal at Royal Overseas League

The AMF is delighted to announce that current awardee Emily Sun has won the Gold Medal at the Grand Final of the Royal Overseas League Competition in London on 1 June, playing Debussy's Violin Sonata in G minor and Wieniawski's Fantasie Brilliant sur des motifs de l'opera Faust de Gounod.

Emily told AMF: "I am incredibly honored and thrilled to be awarded the Gold Medal and 1st Prize in the 2016 Royal OverSeas League Music Competition in the UK. This competition hails competitors from all Commonwealth countries and I am very excited to have represented Australia. This award is especially important to me as I am the only violinist to have won the Gold Medal since 1981. 

This could not have been possible without the support of the Australian Music Foundation who have sponsored me through years of study at the Royal College of Music in London. Without the help from this thriving foundation it would be impossible for young Australian musicians to pursue our careers abroad. I am eternally grateful for all the support I have received from Australia. "

The AMF is extremely proud of her achievement and wishes Emily every success in her career.

Watch videos of Emily performing on the AMF Current Awardees page .

AMF Supports Launch of new Creative Professionals Network

The AMF is proud to support the new Creative Professionals Network Australia, instigated by AMF alumna, soprano Samantha Crawford, and Emma Cullen of Cullen Wines. AMF Chairman, Yvonne Kenny AM, attended the launch at Australia House on Tuesday, 10 May, which included performances by Samantha, and fellow AMF alumna, soprano Sky Ingram.

The CPN Australia's mission is to 'connect young Australian and British people working in the arts, business, services and government agencies, to provide them with new experiences. We want to build friendships across these industries, offering professional development opportunities while they are living in the UK.’    

For more information and updates: www.facebook.com/CPNAustralia

"AMF is proud to support this new joint initiative. We think it is a wonderful idea to start building connections with the next generation of potential music lovers. We wish Emma and Samantha a great success." Yvonne Kenny AM

Photograph by James Gifford Mead shows Yvonne Kenny AM, Emma Cullen, Samantha Crawford, Deborah and Andrew Todd (Deputy High Commissioner to the UK). 

Soprano Alexandra Flood gains place at the Wolf Trap Summer Opera Festival

AMF Awardee Alexandra Flood has won a place as one of only 12 young singers out of 1,300 applicants, to appear at the Wolf Trap Summer Opera Festival in Virginia this year. She recently performed the role of Blondchen in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Vorarlberger Landestheater, Bergen, Austria.