The ABC Young Performers Awards is a classical music competition for young people that ran annually from 1944 to 2015, and again from 2017. It is generally considered the most prestigious Australian classical music competition not restricted to a single instrument.
It was conducted by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
in conjunction with
Symphony Australia
Symphony Services International, formerly known as Symphony Australia, is a centralised organisation formed in 1997 for six Australian symphony orchestras: Adelaide, Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney, Tasmania and Western Australia. The orchestras wer ...
(a trading name of Symphony Services Australia Limited, a non-profit arts organisation that operates both domestically and internationally).
In December 2015 it was announced that the competition would be discontinued with immediate effect, as Symphony Australia could no longer support it. However, in October 2016 the return of the competition from 2017 was announced. It will now be under the management of the Music & Opera Singers Trust (MOST), a philanthropic organisation.
Names
The competition had a number of names throughout its history.
* It was founded in 1944 by the then
Australian Broadcasting Commission
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owned ...
as a set of six state-based competitions.
* In 1950 it was given the name ABC Concerto and Vocal Competition.
* In 1968 it became known as the ABC Instrumental and Vocal competition.
* In 1987 it was renamed the ABC Young Performers Awards.
* In 1997 the Concerts Division of the ABC devolved to become
Symphony Australia
Symphony Services International, formerly known as Symphony Australia, is a centralised organisation formed in 1997 for six Australian symphony orchestras: Adelaide, Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney, Tasmania and Western Australia. The orchestras wer ...
, and the competition was then known as the Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards.
* In 2005 after a corporate restructure within Symphony Australia, the competition was rebranded as the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards.
* In 2016 after the Music & Opera Singers Trust (MOST) took carriage of the awards, the competition was rebranded as the ABC Young Performers Awards.
Format
The structure of the competition also underwent numerous changes. Initially, there were six state-based competitions, with no overall winner. In 1949, the six state winners competed for the Commonwealth final for the first time. In 1950, singers and instrumentalists were separated. In 1968 a Preliminary Recital stage was introduced and the instrumental categories were divided into Keyboard and Other. In 1978, four categories were introduced: Vocal, Orchestral Strings, Keyboard, and Other Instrumental.
In 1981 came an award for the most outstanding competitor, their prize including concerts with ABC orchestras. In 1986 the State finals were converted to four category finals.
In 2002 the vocal division of the competition was disbanded and the award transferred over to the
Australian Singing Competition
The Australian Singing Competition (ASC) evolved from the Marianne Mathy Scholarship, established in 1982 through a bequest made in the will of Marianne Mathy-Frisdane, a coloratura soprano opera singer and distinguished teacher of opera and class ...
.
From 2013 until 2015, all entrants were exposed to Preliminary Auditions which were held in each state, from which 12 finalists were chosen by the judges irrespective of their instrument. All 12 finalists played in a Recital round; six were chosen to proceed to the Chamber Music round; and three contested the Concerto round. One of these three was chosen as the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year. The chamber and concerto rounds are hosted each year by a different state orchestra of Australia, 2013's awards will be hosted by the
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008.
The MSO relies on f ...
.
From 2017, preliminary auditions are by digital video submission from which 12 Semi Finalists are chosen by the judges, irrespective of their instrument or location. All 12 Semi Finalists play in a series of competitive public recitals from which three Finalists are chosen to proceed to the Finals. One of the Finalists is chosen as the overall winner and is named the Young Performer of the Year.
The awards are broadcast on ABC Classic FM.
In 2018, the recital round was held at
City Recital Hall
City Recital Hall in Sydney, Australia, is a purpose-built concert venue with the capacity for an audience of 1,238 people seated over three tiers of sloped seating. It is situated in the city centre in Angel Place, just off Martin Place.
City ...
in Sydney, and the final concerto round was held at the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
with the
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and firs ...
. The winner of the 2018 competition was the violinist Emily Sun.
Notable competitors
The Young Performers Awards and its predecessors featured some of the best known names in the Australian classical music scene. They include:
* Caroline Almonte (piano; 1992)
* Adele Anthony (violin; 1984)
* Fiona Campbell (mezzo-soprano; 1994)
* Catherine Carby (soprano; 1996)
*
Rebecca Chambers
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Tamara Anna Cislowska
Tamara-Anna Cislowska is an Australian concert pianist. She has performed across many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, South America, Italy, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, The Netherlands and Poland, and has played w ...
Robert Davidovici
Robert Davidovici, born 1946, is a Romanian-American violinist. He took First Prize honors in the Naumburg Competition in 1972. In 1983, Davidovici tied for first place to co-win the Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition. The p ...
(violin; 1967)
*
Andrew Day
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(flute; 1996)
*
Deborah de Graaff
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(clarinet; 1983)
*
Brett Dean
Brett Dean (born 23 October 1961) is an Australian composer, violist and conductor.
Biography
Brett Dean was born, raised and educated in Brisbane. He started learning violin at the age of eight, and later studied viola with Elizabeth Morgan a ...
(viola; 1981)
*
Amy Dickson
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Dickson was born in Sydney. She began to play piano at the age of two, and saxophone at the age of six. She initially played 'some jazz' in her youth, but eventual ...
(saxophone; 2004)
*
Diana Doherty
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Diana Doherty was born in Brisbane, where she began her education. She attended Brisbane State High School. She studied both piano an ...
(oboe; 1985)
*
Claire Edwardes
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(percussion; 1999)
*
Richard Farrell
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(piano; 1944)
*
Gustav Fenyo
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(piano; 1969)
*
Glenys Fowles
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(soprano; 1967)
*
David Fung
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Fung attended James Ruse Agricultural High School in Sydney, where he received the James Ruse Medal for Dux and the Medal for Musi ...
(piano; 2002)
*
Charmian Gadd
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Gadd grew up in Ourimbah, New South Wales, and learned to play violin at three years old. Her family listened to Alfred Ernest Floyd's ''Music Lover’s Hour'' on ABC ...
(violin; 1962)
*
Duncan Gifford
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David Helfgott
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(piano; state finalist 6 times)
*
Vernon Hill
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Beryl Kimber
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Geoffrey Douglas Madge
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Madge was born in Adelaide and took his first piano lessons at the age of eight. He later won the 1963 ABC Concerto and Vocal Competition. A ...
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*
Emma Matthews
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(soprano; 1993)
*
Stephen McIntyre
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Mary-Jean O'Doherty
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Li-Wei Qin
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Victor Sangiorgio
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Jonathan Summers
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(baritone; 1973)
*
Simon Tedeschi
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Nathan Waks
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Waks was born in 1951, into a musical family, his mother being a talented pianist.Neil Warren-Smith (bass-baritone; 1955)
*
Donald Westlake
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Roger Woodward
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Ashley William Smith
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