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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).

 
Festivals (Events Bulletin)
NEW: WAMi Festival 2012 PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 03 May 2012 10:45

26 May - 2 June 2012
Perth  WA  Australia

Presented by the Western Australian Music Industry Association (WAM), the annual WAMi Festival celebrates original WA music through extensive program of multi-genre, live, local music showcasing, associated music industry events, music business conference, and the WAMi Awards

website

 
NEW: Vivid Sydney PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 03 May 2012 10:37

25 May - 11 June 2012
Sydney  NSW  Australia

website

 
NEW: Devonport Jazz PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 03 May 2012 10:34

26-29 July 2012
Devonport,  Tas  Australia

Devonport Jazz is an annual music festival in the City of Devonport on Tasmania's northwest coast.

website

 
Wangaratta Jazz Festival PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 18 April 2012 22:58

2-5 November 2012
Wangaratta,  Vic  Australia

For details go to website.

 
Australian Festival of Chamber Music PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 04 April 2012 21:58

27 July - 4 August 2012
Townsville  Qld  Australia

Held annually in July and August, the Festival was established to enhance the cultural environment of North Queensland by presenting internationally acclaimed classical musicians to audiences from Townsville, around Australia and overseas.  Full details on website.

 
WAMi Festival PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 04 April 2012 21:55

26 May - 2 June 2012
The West Australian Music Industry Association
Perth  WA  Australia

The WAMi Festival returns to Perth 26 May to 2 June 2012 for an 8-day celebration of local, original contemporary music. The Festival also offers a series of WA regional tours throughout May.  Full details on website.

 
Festival Europa Cantat XVIII Torino 2012 PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 04 April 2012 21:43

27 July - 5 August
Torino,  Italy

This experience of international chorality lands for the first time in Italy, from 27th July to 5th August! The festival offers more than 50 ateliers for choirs and individual singers, of any level and on every musical genre. There will be special programmes for conductors and composers and also training courses for young choral and musical managers.  Full details on website.

 
Red Earth Arts Festival 2012 PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, 03 April 2012 10:03

31 August - 21 September 2012
Karratha,  WA  Australia

Artist Application Deadline: 14 April 2012

Building on the momentous success achieved in 2011, this year’s festival promises to exceed last year’s achievements by delivering quality arts programing for the community of Pilbara and tourists visiting the Pilbara region.

Read more...
 
Melbourne International Jazz Festival PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, 03 April 2012 09:59

1-10 June 2012
Melbourne  Vic  Australia

Jazz royalty and the new wave of powerhouse musicians converge on Melbourne from all points of the globe, in a program that celebrates life as it should be – a complete immersion in the joys of music – for the 2012 Melbourne International Jazz Festival
website.

 
Adelaide Cabaret Festival PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, 03 April 2012 09:39

8-23 June 2012
Adelaide  SA  Australia

Quirky and unique, the art form of cabaret has created a safe haven for those artists who generally escape definition, artists who enjoy the “up close and personal” nature of a live audience and who thrive on the challenge of presenting work that provokes and inspires.
Website

 
Original Recipe Music Festival PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 21 March 2012 11:29

15-17 June 2012
Darwin  NT  Australia

For program and information go to website.

 
2012 Australian International Music Festival PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 09 February 2012 12:12

24 June - 1 July 2012
Sydney  NSW  Australia

Performers Application Deadline: 1 December 2011

Ensembles, bands and choirs from around the world apply for the opportunity to perform at some of Sydney's best venues.  Workshops, concerts and adjudicated performances.
Festival website

 
Bellingen Jazz Festival PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 09 February 2012 11:49

17-19 August 2012
Bellingen  NSW  Australia

Staged in and around Beautiful Bellingen with its pristine river and historic streetscape, from a modest start in 1990, the Bellingen Jazz and Blues Festival is now among the most respected Jazz Festivals in Australia.
Festival website

 
Bellingen Music Festival PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 09 February 2012 11:43

8-11 June 2012
Bellingen  NSW  Australia

Bellingen Music Festival is run entirely by a committee of volunteers dedicated to bringing the best of classical music to the NSW mid-north coast.
Festival website

 
2012 Australian Innovation Festival PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 26 January 2012 18:03

26 April - 31 May 2012
Australia-wide

The Australian Innovation Festival is a national festival established in 2002 to encourage and support networking and business opportunities for participants in the areas of research & development, and technology commercialisation across all industry areas. he 2012 Festival Theme ‘Creating the Knowledge Economy’ will be supported by the continuing focus on the four C’s of innovation - Creativity, Connections, Collaboration and Commercialisation. Full details on WEBSITE

 
Gympie Muster PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 08 December 2011 10:00

23-26 August 2012
Gympie  QLD  Australia

Artist Application Deadline: 31 December 2011

The Gympie Music Muster is an annual event held over 6 action-packed days in one of Queensland's beautiful national state parks.

WEBSITE

 
Festival Europa Cantat XVIII Torino 2012 PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 24 November 2011 19:07

27 July - 5 August 2012
Torino,  Italy

Choir Participation Application Deadline: 30 November 2011

The festival offers more than 50 ateliers for choirs and individual singers, of any level and on every musical genre. There will be special programmes for conductors and composers and also training courses for young choral and musical managers.
WEBSITE

 
Blue Mountains Music Festival PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 05 May 2011 12:54

17-18 March 2012
Katoomba  NSW  Australia

Artist Application opens 1 June 2011

WEBSITE

 
7th World Choir Games 2012 PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 10:00

Organisation: Interkultur

The World Choir Games will take place in the USA for the first time. The city of Cincinnati situated on the borderline of the US states of Ohio and Kentucky will house the event.

Read more...