Soprano Lauren Fagan in the Finals of Cardiff Singer of the World

Delighted to hear that 2015 AMF awardee, soprano Lauren Fagan, will be representing Australia in the Finals of the Cardiff Singer of the World. We all send her our very best wishes for her performances in the competition.

Justin Sun - Principal Bassoon with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra

Many congratulations and all good wishes to Justin Sun, winner of the 2016 AMF Nora Goodridge Emerging Artist award, as he takes up the position of principal bassoon with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra in Denmark.

Alumni Emily Sun and Andrey Lebedev to perform together in Recital 20.02.19

AMF Alumni violinist Emily Sun and guitarist Andrey Lebedev will be performing together in a recital at St Barts the Less in London EC1A on 20 February at 1.00pm. Organised by City Music Foundation. Entry is free. TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/emily-sun-with-andrey-lebede…

AMF Chairman Yvonne Kenny AM at Australia House Centenary

AMF Chairman Yvonne Kenny attended a reception at Australia House on 22 November for the unveiling of a new portrait of AMF Patron in Chief, HRH The Prince of Wales, and the performance of This House, commissioned by the AMF from Australian composer Joe Chindamo. The piece was played by musicians from Australia and New Zealand, including AMF alumni. Yvonne is pictured with Australian singers from Phantom of the Opera, Amy Manford and Paul Ettore Tabone, along with actor Brendan Cowell and Timothy Walker AM, Chief Executive of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

New Portrait of HRH The Prince of Wales, Patron in Chief of the AMF

Australian artist Ralph Heimans was commissioned to paint a new portrait to commemorate the 70th birthday of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. The portrait was unveiled by TRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at a reception to celebrate the centenary of Australia House in London on 22nd November 2018.

AMF Commissions new piece to celebrate the Centenary of Australia House in London

Joe Chindamo - ‘This House’
22 November 2018

To celebrate the centenary of the opening of Australia House in London, TRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended a reception at the Australian High Commission where HRH unveiled a wall plaque, mirroring the foundation stone laid by his great grandfather King George V in 1913, and also signed the same visitors’ book. The AMF commissioned Australian composer Joe Chindamo to write a piece to commemorate the occasion with the kind assistance of the High Commission. This House was performed at the event by a string ensemble of Australian and New Zealand musicians, including AMF awardees and alumni. The AMF was honoured to take part in the event, which also celebrated the 70th Birthday of our Patron in Chief. The AMF’s musical contribution was organised by Trustee Dr Margaret Mayston AM and the event was also attended by Yvonne Kenny AM (Chairman AMF UK), Professor Peter Tregear (Chairman AMF Australia Foundation) and Trustee Dennis Muirhead.

Results of the 2018 AMF Awards

Many thanks to all who attended the Finals of the AMF Awards on the afternoon of Sunday 14th October, in the Duke's Hall at the Royal Academy of Music, London. We are most grateful to the panel of distinguished judges, who generously gave up their time to help young Australian musicians studying overseas:

Yvonne Kenny AM - soprano, Chairman of the Panel (non-voting), Chairman AMF UK
Grant Doyle - baritone (Royal Opera House, Opera North, Garsington Opera) ​​
Anthony Legge- conductor and vocal coach (Glyndebourne, ENO, Opera Australia)
Linnhe Robertson - AMF Trustee (Artistic and Research Consultant for Opera & Voice, GSMD)                                
Patrick Savage - violin (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Tippett String Quartet)
Stephen Savage- piano (Soloist, recording artist, piano tutor RNCM) 

We are delighted to announce the names of the 2018 AMF AWARDEES

Samantha Clarke, soprano (GSMD) - AMF Nora Goodridge Emerging Artist Award   

Rachel Siu, cello (Juilliard School) - AMF Nora Goodridge Young Artist Award     

Victoria Wong, violin (Hans Eisler School, Berlin) - AMF Award

Waynne Kwon, cello (RNCM) - AMF Award and winner of the new AMF Audience Prize

 David Soo, piano (GSMD) - AMF Award

Courtney Cleary, violin (Juilliard School) - AMF Guy Parsons Award, donated by the Portland House Foundation in honour of one of AMF’s founding Trustees

Zoe Drummond, soprano (GSMD) - AMF Award

Rohan Dasika, double bass (Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Frankfurt) - AMF Award

Robbin Reza, piano (Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, Köln, Germany) - AMF UK Trustees Award

We are most grateful to all our AMF donors, particularly Nora Goodridge, the Portland House Foundation, David Constable and Ida Lichter, without whom these awards would not be possible.

Emily Sun wins 2018 ABC Young Performer Award in Sydney

Many congratulations to violinist Emily Sun (pictured), former AMF Guy Parsons and Nora Goodridge Awardee, who won the 2018 ABC Young Performers  Award in the Finals at the Sydney Opera House on 14th July. Emily’s prize included $105,000 in cash, numerous professional engagements and the ABC Classic FM Artist in Residence Prize

Four recent AMF Awardees took part in the semi-finals of the ABC Young Performers Award in Sydney on16th and17th July: Waynne Kwon, cello (current AMF Guy Parsons Awardee), Andrey Lebedev, guitar, Emily Sun, violin and Victoria Wong, violin. Read the full story in the Limelight Magazine article below.

https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/…/violinist-emily-sun…/

AMF Awardee Oscar Jiang gives Melbourne Recital

AMF Awardee, pianist Oscar Jiang, gave a recital of Chopin, Schubert, Szymanowski and Liszt for the Austral Salon of Music on 27th August, at St. Peters Church, East Melbourne. Photo shows Oscar after the concert with AMF Trustee Damien Boyle from Monash Academy of Performing Arts, and Prof Peter Tregear, Chairman of AMF Australia Foundation. Over the summer break, Oscar took part in the Hanoi International Piano Festival in Vietnam, and he will shortly return to New York to begin the third year of his BMus at the Juilliard School, where he has been supported by AMF for the past 2 years.

New High Commissioner to become AMF Patron in the UK

The AMF is honoured and delighted to announce that His Excellency the Hon George Brandis QC, High Commissioner for Australia, has accepted Chairman Yvonne Kenny's invitation to become AMF Patron in the UK. We wish him well during his tenure at Australia House and hope to see him at one of our musical events in the near future.

In Memoriam - AMF Life President, Lord Carrington

The AMF is very sad to hear the news of the death of long-serving Life President, Lord Carrington KG, on 9th July 2018, at the age of 99. We have been most grateful for his unwavering support over many years, and send our condolences to his family.

Waynne Kwon wins RNCM Gold Medal

Many congratulations to current AMF Guy Parsons Awardee, cellist Waynne Kwon, who is one of the winners of this year's RNCM Gold Medal.
 
RNCM Principal, Professor Linda Merrick, said: "The RNCM’s much-coveted Gold Medal celebrates exceptional performance and composition by students at the College. Each year the competition is extremely high and 2018 was no exception. The overall standard was absolutely exceptional and everyone who competed, especially the four winners, should be very proud of their achievement."

Waynne has been supported by the AMF for the last two years of his BMus, and will return to the RNCM as a postgraduate in September.

HRH the Prince of Wales's 70th Birthday Patronage Party at Buckingham Palace

AMF donors Mrs Nora Goodridge and Dr Ida Lichter flew in from Australia to join AMF Trustee James Pitman and the Chairs of AMF UK (Yvonne Kenny AM) and the AMF Australia Foundation (Prof Peter Tregear), at Buckingham Palace, to celebrate HRH the Prince of Wales's Patronages on his 70th Birthday. The AMF is honoured to have the Prince of Wales as Patron in Chief.

AMF Spring Showcase, 14th March 2018

Many thanks to all who attended the AMF Spring Showcase on Wednesday 14th March in the Downer Room at Australia House, and to our awardees Samantha Clarke (soprano), Eilidh Young (snare drum), Victoria Wong (violin), Oscar Jiang (piano) and Waynne Kwon (cello) for their wonderful performances. We are also very grateful to our sponsors McGuigan Wines, and to the office of the Agent General for Western Australia for providing Little Creatures pale ale. Catering was by Standby Chef.

Photo by Matthew Murphy shows AMF Life President Richard Bonynge with AMF Awardees after the performance. 

Alumnus Chris Williams wins Composition Prize of the Australian International Chopin Competition

Composer Chris Williams is an AMF Alumnus from 2011 and recently moved back to London. In 2017 he composed the music for the critically acclaimed Sydney Theatre Company production of 'Cloud Nine' and won the Composition Prize of the Australian International Chopin Competition with his piece 'Toccare'. Chris has also recently been invited to write a new work for the Gaudeamus Music Week in the Netherlands. 
Photo credit: Hayden Shepherd

Bass baritone Paull-Anthony Keightley to take up contract in Berlin

Bass-baritone, Paull-Anthony Keightley, one of our 2013 Awardees, completed his studies at Manhattan School of Music and then returned to Perth to take up a Young Artists position at West Australian Opera. He has recently been named the winner of the Opera Foundation for Young Australians Deutsche Oper Berlin Award, and will take up a 12 month contract in Berlin in August this year. In 2017 he was awarded the Royal Over-Seas League Arts scholarship in the finals of the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition, which will enable him to travel to the UK to present recitals and take voice lessons and coaching. CLICK for video

Victoria Wong wins the 25th Gyarfas Violin Competition

It is good to be able to start 2018 by congratulating one of our recent awardees, Victoria Wong, who has won first prize in the 25th Gyarfas Violin Competition, and was featured in the prize winners concert at the Joseph-Joachim Concert Hall in Berlin in December. Victoria, who is from Darlinghurst, NSW, is studying for a BMus at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, Berlin.

The Australian Charity Art Auction, 28.02.17

Many thanks to Michael Whalley, Karen Goldie-Morrison and all who helped to make the Australian Charity Art Auction such  a wonderful success. More than 60 Australian artworks were auctioned by a Christie’s auctioneer at Australia House in aid of a number of much loved UK-based charities with Australian connections, including the AMF. We are most grateful to Michael Whalley for this generous and inspiring initiative, and to all who donated artworks for the auction. Several AMF musicians performed in a short concert to showcase the wonderful Australian talent being supported by the auction. AMF Alumna, soprano Lauren Fagan and current Awardees, pianist James Guan and mezzo-soprano Jade Moffat were accompanied by AMF Trustee, Linnhe Robertson. 

Photo shows Linnhe Robertson, Jade Moffat and Lauren Fagan

2017 AMF Awardees Announced

Following the Finals at Wigmore Hall on 4th October, the AMF is delighted to announce the names of the new Awardees:
Samantha Clarke, soprano, Perth - Opera Artist Diploma, GSMD
Connor D’Netto, composer, Queensland - Masters, RCM
Matan Franco, composer, Melbourne - Masters in Film Scoring, Pulse College, Dublin
Phoebe Gardner, violin, Sydney - BMus, Juilliard
Oscar Jiang, piano, Carlton - BMus, Juilliard (current awardee)
Waynne Kwon, cello, Sydney - BMusHONS, RNCM (current awardee)
Victoria Wong, violin, Darlinghurst - BMus, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, Berlin
Edith Yam, organ, Sydney - Masters, Conservatory of Amsterdam
Eilidh Young, snare drum, Gosford NSW - BMus, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

None of this would be possible without the generosity of our prize donors, particularly Mrs Nora Goodridge in Sydney, and the Portland House Foundation, to whom we are most grateful.

Many thanks also, to the distinguished panel of judges for devoting their time and expertise to this difficult task. Guest judges this year included Australian musicians Leslie Howard (international pianist and recording artist), mezzo-soprano Caitlin Hulcup (Wiener Staatsoper, ROH London, WNO) and violinist Jennifer Nickson (Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden).

Samantha Crawford Wins NSW Wagner Society Award

The New South Wales Wagner Society have granted an Emerging Wagner Singers award to AMF Alumna, soprano Samantha Crawford. This will help provide German coaching and audition support, all valuable steps in helping Samantha to prepare for Wagner roles such as Eva and Elsa. 

Samantha will be appearing at St. Botolph's Church Hall on 5th October, in a concert for the Wagner Society, London, featuring works by Strauss and Wagner, and talk about her experiences at the Bayreuther Festspiele.

Photo shows Samantha at the Bayreuth Wagner Festival this summer