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Australian Music News Highlights

Monday 14 May 2012

The Arts Minister, Simon Crean, delivered a funding boost of $4.6 million to the music industry, with artist development, stage craft and songwriting the main winners.

After The Melba Foundation failed to secure ongoing funds in Tuesday's budget, its CEO and founder Maria Vandamme has vowed to keep on supporting Australia's best classical musicians.

The announcement of drastic cuts to the ANU School of Music degree were followed last week by its head, Professor Adrian Walter taking an indefinite leave of absence from his job. Today it was announced that he has been appointed as Director of the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and will take up the post in September.

President Barack Obama has honoured Burt Bacharach and Hal David as "two kings of songwriting", presenting them with America's most prestigious prize for popular music.

There are approximately 10,000 bagpipers in Scotland. Experts are sounding the lament over the loss of a traditional skill which means that sheepskins for the bespoke bag under the piper's armpit are often not of the right quality.

Vale Roman Totenberg (1911-2012), a Polish-born violinist who made music with Yehudi Menuhin, ate with Eleanor Roosevelt and built sandcastles with Igor Stravinsky.

Also in the news this week: John Berry, Beastie Boys, Joe Chindamo, Yo-Yo Ma, Shirley Manson, Paul Simon, Owsley "Bear'' Stanley, Shu-Cheen Yu, Victor Willis.

Oz Composers Birthdays: Lee Bracegirdle 1952, Tristram Cary 1925-2008, Roger Frampton 1948-2000, Attila Jurth 1945, David Sydney Morgan 1932, June Nixon 1942 Geoffrey d'Ombrain 1931.

Other Anniversaries:
1912–The first Indian film, Shree Pundalik by Dadasaheb Torne is released in Mumbai;

B: 1652–Johann Philipp Förtsch, German baroque composer, statesman and doctor (d. 1732); 1732–Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie, British musician and composer (d. 1781); 1732–Francesco Pasquale Ricci, Italian composer and violinist (d. 1817); 1912–Arthur Berger, American composer (d. 2003); 1932–Bob Florence, American jazz pianist, composer, arranger (d. 2008); 1942–Taj Mahal, American musician; 1912–Richard Brooks, American film director, writer and producer (d. 1992); 1912–Perry Como, American singer (d. 2001); 1912–Bolesław Prus, Polish writer (b. 1847); 1912–August Strindberg, Swedish playwright, novelist and essayist (b. 1849); 1912–Studs Terkel, American writer (d. 2008); 1952–Phil Seymour, American singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1993); 1922–Kai Winding, Danish-born jazz trombonist and composer (d. 1983). D: 1992–Chalino Sánchez, Mexican musician (b. 1960); 2002–Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, Turkish folk musician, composer and poet (b. 1940) 1992–Lawrence Welk, American musician (b. 1903); 1902–Meredith Willson, American composer (d. 1984).

 
Performance (Competitions & Scholarships Bulletin)
NEW: Matthew Krel Prize for Orchestral Excellence PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:15

SBS Youth Orchestra
Australia

Deadline: 1 October 2012

In memory of Matthew Krel, the Founding Conductor of the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra (www.sbsyo.org.au), an annual Prize has been established to encourage the development of young Australian musicians.

Read more...
 
NEW: 2012 Opera Awards PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 02 May 2012 18:56

Mostly Opera
Australia

Entries close: 2 July 2012

The Opera Awards is open to professional Australian opera singers wishing to further their studies or careers overseas.
The Opera Awards features some of the most respected awards and opportunities available to opera singers, including the YMF Australia Award and the Armstrong-Martin Scholarship.
Full details on website.

 
NEW: A Celebration of Cutting Edge Creativity - "Innovate and Create" PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 02 May 2012 18:51

University of Newcastle
Newcastle,  NSW  Australia

Entries close: 1 July 2012

Remix, recontextualise, create your own instrument or 3D visualisation performance. Compose your own concerto. Perform with a live orchestra or an international internet link ensemble made up of musicians from 5 nations. Enter the Innovative category

As a celebration of collaboration, creativity and the concerto form (but not as we know it), a new competition with a total prize pool of $50,000 has been launched.  The International Space Time Concerto Competition borrows from our rich musical history, embraces the future and promotes the present.  Full details on website.

 
NEW: The International Space Time Concerto Competition - "Celebrate History" PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 02 May 2012 18:47

University of Newcastle
Newcastle  NSW  Australia

Entry close: 1 July 2012

Are you are a virtuoso instrumentalist or an orchestral performer? Would you like to perform with a live orchestra to an international audience. Enter the Historical category and choose any concerto from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern or Post Modern period

As a celebration of collaboration, creativity and the concerto form (but not as we know it), a new competition with a total prize pool of $50,000 has been launched.  The International Space Time Concerto Competition borrows from our rich musical history, embraces the future and promotes the present.
Full details on website.

 
The National Jazz Awards PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 18 April 2012 22:53

2-5 November 2012
Wangaratta Jazz Festival
Wangaratta,  Vic  Australia

Entries close: 1 June 2012

Entries are now open for Australia's most prestigious jazz instrumental competition - the National Jazz Awards, to be judged by Mike Nock, Vince Jones and Michelle Nicolle (1998 winner).

Read more...
 
IFAC Australian Singing Competition PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 05 April 2012 12:15

8-25 October 2012
Perth  WA  Australia

Entries close: 1 June 2012, 5pm

IFAC Australian Singing Competition evolved from the Marianne Mathy Scholarship, established through a bequest made by Marianne Mathy-Frisdane, a distinguished teacher of opera and classical singing. The competition is now entering its third decade discovering, rewarding and providing career opportunities to emerging Australasian opera and classical singers under the age of twenty-six.  Full details on website.

 
20th Jeunesses International Piano Competition PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 04 April 2012 22:02

18-25 May 2013
Bucharest,  Romania

Entries close: 1 March 2013

Age limit: up to 30 years old

Read more...
 
8th Leopold Mozart International Violin Competition PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 22 March 2012 08:24

17-28 April 2013
Augsburg  Germany

Deadline: 7 December 2012

Program includes violin and chamber music.  Details on website.

 
7th Bucharest International Jazz Competition 2013 PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 22 March 2012 07:33

18-25 May 2013
jmEvents.ro,
Bucharest,  Romania

Deadline: 10 February 2013

Bucharest International Jazz Competition, organized by jmEvents.ro, is a singular event on the professional Romanian jazz scene, but also is ranked among the first 3 jazz competitions in Europe. It is addressed to bands and vocalists aged up to 35 years, and its mission is to contribute to the acknowledgement of the Romanian and international jazz values.  For details go to website.

 
Musica Viva Chamber Music Award PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 09:53

15 July - 4 August 2012
Sydney Eisteddfod
Sydney,  NSW  Australia

Entry deadline: 25 June 2012

The Musica Viva Chamber Music Award is open to 3-8 players of any age, on any combination of acoustic or amplified instruments, with or without piano and including period instruments and percussion and percussion.

Read more...
 
63rd Gian Battista Viotti International Opera Singing Competition PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 09:28

20-27 October 2012
Vercelli,  Italy

Entry deadline: 20 Juy 2012

The 63rd Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition 2012 is open to singers of all nationalities who reach the age of 18 to 35 in the course of 2012.  Full details from website

 
Michele Pittaluga International Guitar Competition PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 26 January 2012 20:18

24-29 September 2012
Città di Alessandria
Alessandria,  Italy

Entry deadline: 31 August 2012

Guitar Competition for both ancient and modern works for 6 strings classical gui- tar. Soloists of all nationalities are admitted to the competition, provided that they were not born before 1st January 1979 (33 years old).  For details go to WEBSITE

 
International Marimba Competition PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 25 August 2011 21:30

30 July - 5 August 2012
Salzburg,  Austria

Entries close: 30 May 2012

Open to any nationalities with no age limit. WEBSITE

 
Beijing International Music Competition 2012 - Flute PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 25 August 2011 21:26

11-23 October 2012
Beijing  China

Entries close: 4 July 2012

The competition is open to applicants of all nationalities and races are under the age of 32 (born on or after October 10th, 1980).  WEBSITE