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From the President

In Australia, we certainly have the best public for music. I remember being told that Australians are only really interested in football and cricket and why would I be interested in establishing a Piano Competition.

Since we began in 1977, every Competition is getting better, as there is an increasing number of young pianists world-wide beginning to learn the piano at a very early age. This has resulted in piano technique becoming better and more refined every year. In addition, young people are able to put emotion into their performances far more convincingly today than they could thirty years ago.

We had a large number of overseas visitors who came only for the Competition – they all say that we are now the most famous and well-known Competition in the world. It is quite amazing that we have almost full houses from the beginning of the Competition now – this has taken thirty years to achieve.

We have great support from many organizations and individual people, and this has resulted in four new prizes and several new donors of existing prizes. The details of this can be found later in the newsletter.

Music is now a major force in our lives. There is so much trouble around the world and it is music that can take our mind away from this tragic situation. It would be so good that people world-wide could learn to accept that loving is so much better than killing – the world would be a much better place for all to live in.

Claire Dan
AM, OBE

What they are doing now

Since Marian Sobula was in Sydney in 2004, Marian competed in several other competitions and received the following prizes:October 2004 Sulmona 2nd Prize, Pordeonone 2nd Prize, Gorizia 3rd Prize, Treviso 3rd Prize, December 2005 Valladolid, Spain 3rd Prize. In 2005, he also was equal 1st Prize-winner at “Yamaha Foundation Europe” in Poland – shared with Radoslaw Sobczak.

He was invited to perform in the Beethoven Festival in Bonn, Germany, where he performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and gave a performance in the Eastern Beethoven Festival in Warsaw, Poland giving a recital of works by Beethoven – Sonatas Op 81A, and Op 111 and Brahms’ Variations on a theme by Handel. He is continuing his study as a post-graduate student at Cracow Music Academy in Poland and also at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

In June 2006, he performed in a Music Festival in Finland.

In 2006, Chu-Fang Huang has been having a very busy recital and concerto schedule. Recitals have or will be given in Evansville, Elizabeth Town, Chicago, Lakeland, Little Rock, Forth Worth, Muscatine, Los Angeles, Delhi, Cleveland, Jamestown, Sioux Falls, Sanibel, Indiana, Puerto Rico, Kennedy Centre in USA and Tokyo. Concertos she will perform in 2006 are Rachmaninov Piano Concerto Nos. 1 and 2, Grieg, Beethoven 2, 4 and 5, Saint-Saëns 2 and Mozart KV 467.

She will also perform at several festivals in USA.

John Chen had a Recital Tour in New Zealand comprising of 14 concerts in 19 days. This was followed by a visit to Singapore to give the Opening Recital in the Singapore Piano Festival – he was the youngest person ever to give the Opening Recital.

Xing Liu has completed a concert tour in China and is now back in Shanghai where he is studying with the new Head of the Piano Department at the Shanghai Conservatory, Chen Hong-Kuan. In August, he participated in the Villa Lobos Competition in San Paulo, Brazil.

Spencer Myer won the 2006 American Pianists Association Classical Fellowships Competition in Indianapolis, in addition he won both the Competition’s Special Prizes with the highest scores received in Chamber Music and Lieder Accompaniment. The fellowship carries a $15,000 cash award, solo and concerto engagements, and a CD recording on the Harmonia Mundi label, and career assistance for the next three years. He returned to South Africa in June for performances of the two Ravel Concerti with the Philharmonic Orchestras of Cape Town and Durban – this is his second return to South Africa after winning the First Prize in the 2004 UNISA International Piano Competition.

2008 Competition Application/Audition Booklet Launch

On Tuesday 15th August 2006, the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Prof. Don Nutbeam, launched this booklet at the Seymour Centre at the University of Sydney. The event was supported by the Australasian Performing Right Association.

Young pianist, Robbin Reza performed piano solos by Sibelius and Khachaturian. Artistic Director Prof. Warren Thomson highlighted a number of important sections in the Booklet to an audience that included representatives from the University of Sydney, ABC Classic FM, ABC Television, the Competition Board and Friends of SIPCA Committee, the Sydney City Council, Arts NSW, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, APRA/AMCOS, Piano Manufacturers – Kawai, Steinway and Yamaha, Sofitel Wentworth Hotel, UniLodge, Donators of Prizes, Australian Music Centre, Flight Centre - St. Ives, Composers commissioned to write works for the 2008 Competition – Andrew Ford and Roger Smalley, Chamber Music Musicians – Helen Ayres, Timothy Nankervis, Dimity Hall and Julian Smiles, and media.

The sections highlighted were:

1. Auditions: New centres for Auditions are: Naples, Beijing and Shanghai together with Vienna, Hamburg, Paris, Moscow, London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Sydney.

2. Composers Commissioned by the Competition: The two Composers commissioned to provide works for Stage III of the Competition are: Andrew Ford and Roger Smalley.

3. New Special Prizes:
$ 3,000 - For the Best Performance of a Work by a Russian Composer in Stages I – IV of the Competition, donated by Dr Sonya Bajenov.
$ 2,000 - For the Best Performances of a Work from the Romantic Period in Stages I – IV of the Competition, donated by Mrs Jana Chvojka.
$ 1,500 - Encouragement Award to a pianist not selected after Stage IV for the Finals, donated by the Music Teachers’ Association of NSW.
$ 1,500 - Prize for the Youngest Finalist donated by Ars Musica Australis

4. New Donors of Existing Prizes can be found on Page 5 & 6 of the Booklet.

5. Repertoire:
Stage III Works have been commissioned from Andrew Ford and Roger Smalley which form part of Stage III.
Chamber Music: A replacement work by Beethoven and a work by Schubert has been added.
Mozart Concertos: One different concerto, KV537 instead of KV491.
19th/20th Century Concertos: Scriabin Piano Concerto added.

6. Chamber Music: For the Stage IV of the Competition, the pianists will have the support for the Piano Trios of either Helen Ayres and Timothy Nankervis or Dimity Hall and Julian Smiles. Each pair will have six pianists to perform with.
7. Conductors: The conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for the Mozart Concertos will be Nicholas Milton and for the 19th/20th Century Concertos, the conductor is still being negotiated.

Tour of 2008 Competition US Auditions, New York and Los Angeles

For Australian and international music-lovers, 2008 means one major musical event above all others - the 9th Sydney International Piano Competition of Australia (SIPCA) to be held in July, 2008. World-wide auditions will be held in January, February and March 2008, during which just 36 out of hundreds of applicants will be chosen to play in Sydney.

In 2004, Friends and supporters of SIPCA had a unique opportunity to visit Vienna and Moscow for the auditions, along with a week in St Petersburg. In addition to the auditions, tour members experienced a line-up of wonderful performances and cultural experiences in these three great musical capitals. The tour, which was rated an outstanding success, was led by Gary Nash, an accomplished pianist and the founder and member of the classical chamber music group Trio Slav, which delighted its Sydney audiences over ten years (1994 – 2004). TheTour members all agreed that attending the auditions was a wonderful way to get a ‘head start’ on the final competition. Not only were they able to hear some wonderful competitors, but they were also able to grade each contestant and then compare their own choices with those of the judges.

In 2008, music lovers, Friends and supporters of SIPCA are again invited to join Gary Nash at the auditions, this time in New York and Los Angeles. These two cities are indeed the ‘cultural capitals’ of the United States, with a mind-boggling array of performing venues and companies, art galleries, museums and other cultural institutions. Being also the homes of some of the world’s best Schools of Music means that the standard of the contestants is always very high. In fact, of the 36 contestants selected for the 2004 Competition, a quarter came from the auditions in these two cities.

The tour will begin with a full week in the amazing city of New York City where the auditions venue, Yamaha Artist Services, Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center and ‘Museum Mile’ are all within easy reach. The tour will then proceed to Los Angeles where, besides the auditions at Kawai America Corp., you will be exposed to that city’s extraordinary cultural attractions, including the amazing Walt Disney Concert Hall. This newest musical icon was designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry. An architectural marvel, it is regarded by many as having the best aesthetics and acoustics of any concert hall in the world.

And you will be there during the peak American musical season, with the opportunity to attend concerts by the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras and performances by the Metropolitan Opera and Los Angeles Opera, amongst many others. Full details of the tour will be available in early 2007. In the meantime, please note the dates in your diary.

Carnegie Hall	Lincoln Center
Walt Disney Concert Hall

Conductor Nicholas Milton

Nicholas Milton is to be Conductor for the Mozart Concerto section of the 2008 Competition.

Nicholas Milton has established a reputation as one of the leading Australian conductors of his generation. He is currently General Music Director/Chief Conductor of the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra (Germany), Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra (Sydney).

Nicholas Milton has conducted extensively throughout Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Finland, France and New Zealand. He served as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra from 2000-2004, and made his US debut in 2005 with the Phoenix Symphony. His Australian conducting engagements include regular appearances with all of the major Australian orchestras.

Nicholas Milton won Symphony Australia’s 1999 Young Conductor of the Year competition and was a prizewinner in the 1999 Lovro von Matacic International Conductors’ Competition. In 2000 he was appointed Permanent Guest Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and was also awarded the Sir Charles Mackerras Conducting Prize in London.

Originally a violinist, Nicholas Milton graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He continued his studies in the United States at Michigan State University, Boston University, the Mannes College of Music, and the Juilliard School, and holds Master’s degrees in Violin, Orchestral Conducting, Music Theory, and Philosophy, and a Doctoral degree in Music from the City University of New York. He was Concertmaster of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra from 1996-2002 and Violinist with Macquarie Trio Australia from 1998-2005. In 2003, Dr. Nicholas Milton was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal, for Service to Australian Society and the Advancement of Music.

John Chen Tour Reviews

The tour of 31 concerts in March, April and May 2006 was a great success. As well as the concerts, John also gave Master-classes to local students in Tamworth, Alice Springs and Adelaide. Some comments from Presenters follow.

“It was a fabulous recital on Friday, our largest audience! Many people commented on John’s playing, in particular the Ravel, and in his relaxed persona on stage.” Ron Ogden – Peninsula Music Club

“John’s recital was absolutely super last night and the response was rapturous. He has a wonderful range of expression in his playing and the program was beautiful and very well balanced. John was very generous in giving the audience three encore pieces and he was a delightful guest to have here in Bathurst.” Stephen Champion – Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre

“The masterclass was a great success. All students responded positively to John’s input. Thank you to John and SIPCA for the chance to attend such classes.” Ruth – Alice Springs Music Teachers’ Association

“Thank you for arranging John Chen’s recital. It was certainly a high point in our history. He is so talented and such a pleasant young man.” June Howarth – Roseville Music Club

“His concert was absolutely beautiful, such a night to remember. The audience feedback has been only of high praise for John’s wonderful and talented performance.” Cecilia Robertson – Somerset College

“A pleasure presenting John – he was, as I said before, fantastic – and very self-contained.” Guy Barrett - Adelaide – MDB Promotions

John also received rave reviews for his Recital in Perth and with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (two different Concertos). There were also two from Auckland, when he returned to give 14 Recitals in New Zealand.

Friends' Forthcoming Events

The two young pianists that are perfoming at this year’s Friends Christmas Party are:

• Robbin Reza (aged 12 years) began to play the piano at the age of five with Sayano Thoral. He has achieved remarkable results for AMEB and Trinity exams. He is currently preparing for his 8th Grade Piano, 5th Grade Trumpet and 5th Grade Music Theory. He has attended piano eisteddfods and has won 40 prizes, including 15 First Prizes. He was awarded 1st Prize for the Junior Championship at the Northern Beaches Eisteddfod this year and successfully performed at their GALA concert. His interests are all kinds of music, dance, athletics, swimming and soccer.

• Nanko Reza (aged 7 years) began her piano lessons at the age of six and passed her AMEB Preliminary Grade with High Distinction only after six months after she had her first lesson. She also won prizes at local eisteddfods, including the 1st Prize. She is currently preparing for her 1st Grade Piano and doing so very diligently.