 |
The 2008 Competition was our best Competition to date and two of the shining stars that emerged from it are Konstantin Shamray and Tatiana Kolesova. I feel they will both have a wonderful future but only time will show how far they will rise. Konstantin Shamray’s tour continues to bring forward many vary favourable reviews as you will see on Page 6, the wonderful review of his performance of the Ravel Concerto in G Major with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. In the same city, on the 15th May, 2010, he gave a performance of Rachmaninov Concerto No 3 with the Elder Conservatorium Student Orchestra in Elder Hall. At the end of the performance, the audience rose to their feet. In March of this year, Konstantin made a CD recording with ABC Classics which includes the Grande Sonata in G Major by Tchaikovsky, a number of shorter works by Scriabin and Prokofiev’s Sonata No 8. As we prepare that Application/Audition Booklet, we have found that we have several new prizes for the 2012 Competition. One is from the composer, Peter Sculthorpe, who is offering a Prize for the Best Performance of an Australian Work excluding the commissioned works in Stage III of the Competition. The two sets of four CDs – Solo Highlights and Concertos and Chamber Music issued by ABC Classics continue to be enthusiastically welcomed in all parts of Australia. There have been many broadcasts on ABC Classic FM of works from these CDs. These are available from/or ordered from ABC shops and leading record shops. Claire Dan AM, OBE |
In April 2010, Tatiana Kolesova performed in St Petersburg, Small Hall of the Philharmonie with the violinist Pavel Milyukov (works by Beethoven, Sarasate and Tchaikovsky). On the 10th April, in Troitsk (near Moscow) as a member of Trio Con Spirito, works by Beethoven, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich. On the 3rd and 12th April, she participated in a Youth Festival “Primavera Classica” in Moscow. On the 22nd and 24th April, Tatiana had a concert tour to Brazil and gave recitals in São Paulo. On the 29th April, “Philharmonie Debut” of Trio Con Spirito in the Chamber Hall of Moscow Philharmonie (same program as on the 10th April).
Takashi Sato was the winner of a special prize from the Geza Anda Competition in Zurich. In June 2009, he released a second release solo CD “The Complete Piano Sonatas by Chopin” from Nami Records, Japan. He also issued in October 2009 the third solo CD “Barcarolle and other piano pieces by Chopin” from the same record company.
Hao Zhu has won the Gold Melad in the largest Chinese Music Competition called “Golden Bell” and also the First Prize for Piano Concert Competition in Beijing International Piano Festival in 2009.
Having lived abroad for 11 years, first in St Petersburg and then in London, Daniel de Borah, (formerly Hill) has now moved back to Australia and resides predominantly in Melbourne and he returns regularly for performance commitments in the UK. Highlights this season includes concerto appearances with the English Chamber Orchestra, the London Mozart Players,and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (August 25 and 26 in the Llewellyn Hall). Daniel also features prominently at the Canberra Music Festival taking place this month. For more information you may visit 
In May 2010, Miyeon Lee was the winner of the 3rd Prize in the Maria Callas Competition in Greece.
Anne Boyd AM was born in Sydney in 1946. Her childhood was spent mostly on a large sheep station in central Queensland. She returned to Sydney for her secondary schooling and university studies, principally in the Department of Music at the University of Sydney where her composition teacher was Peter Sculthorpe. In 1969 she was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship enabling her to undertake a DPhil in composition at the University of York supervised by Wilfrid Mellers and Bernard Rands. Upon graduation she was appointed Lecturer in Music at the University of Sussex (1973-78) before returning to compose full-time in her native Australia. In 1981 she was appointed Reader and founding Head of the Department of Music at the University of Hong Kong returning finally to Australia in 1990 as the first woman and the first Australian to be appointed to the Chair of Music at the University of Sydney.
Carl Vine first came to prominence in Australia as a composer of music for dance, with 25 dance scores to his credit. His catalogue now includes seven symphonies, seven concertos, music for film, television and theatre, electronic music and numerous chamber works. Although primarily a composer of modern ‘classical’ music he has undertaken tasks as diverse as arranging the Australian National Anthem and writing music for the Closing Ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (the flag handover ceremony).
In 2009, Nicholas Carter took up the position of Assistant Conductor of the Sydney Symphony and their Principal Conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. In this role, Nicholas has conducted performances with the Sydney Symphony and the Sydney Symphonia as well as assisting all guest conductors to the Orchestra.
Nicholas Milton has established a reputation as one of the leading Australian conductors of his generation. He has been Chief Conductor of the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany since 2004 and Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra since 2007. Following his successful debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009, he was immediately invited back for further engagements. In 2010 he will also make his debut at Vienna’s Musikverein with the Tonkünstler Orchestra. Other forthcoming highlights include performances with the orchestras of Berlin (Konzerthaus), Stuttgart (SWR), Hannover (NDR Radiophilharmonie), Saarbrücken (Deutsche Radiophilharmonie), Dortmund, Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, Mannheim, Linz, Odense, Lugano (Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana) and the Brabants Orchestra in Holland. 
Pianist Konstantin Shamray joined the orchestra for Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. At just 24, Shamray is a musical sensation, displaying the level of musicianship that should take a lifetime to develop. His rendition of the Ravel situated the work firmly in the Jazz Age.