Claire Dan AM

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(1919 or 192022 October 2012) was a Hungarian-Australian actress and philanthropist, best known for founding the

Sydney International Piano Competition The Sydney International Piano Competition is a music competition, presented in Sydney and broadcast live throughout Australia and internationally. It is held every four years, over a three-week period in July–August, and is internationally r ...

in 1977.

Biography

Clara Dan was born in Hungary in 1919 or 1920. She was an actress and cabaret performer, appearing at the

National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

and Vig (Comedy) Theatres in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

, both before and after World War II. Her first husband of only six months was sent to a Soviet labour camp and she never saw him again. While on a one-woman tour of Romania in 1947 she met another Hungarian,

Peter Abeles Sir Peter Emil Herbert Abeles, AC (25 April 192425 June 1999) was an Australian transportation magnate. A refugee from Hungary, he became a businessman in Australia, and was knighted in 1972. Career Abeles was born in Vienna, in Austria, but ...

, then a cabaret entrepreneur, and they married. They left Hungary for a better life, and lived in Rome, London and Paris before migrating to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in 1949. She was naturalised an Australian citizen in November 1954. She and Peter Abeles adopted two daughters. After her divorce from Abeles, in 1976 she set up the Cladan Cultural Institute of Australia, a private philanthropic body that acts as the funding body for the

Sydney International Piano Competition of Australia The Sydney International Piano Competition is a music competition, presented in Sydney and broadcast live throughout Australia and internationally. It is held every four years, over a three-week period in July–August, and is internationally r ...

(SIPCA). She founded the competition in association with

Rex Hobcroft Rex Hobcroft AM (12 May 192523 September 2013) was an Australian pianist, conductor, composer, teacher, competition juror and music administrator. He was the first Australian pianist to play the complete cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas in pu ...

, the then Director of the

Sydney Conservatorium of Music The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music and known by the moniker "The Con") is a heritage-listed music school in Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the old ...

, and with support from the New South Wales Government, then headed by

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

Neville Wran Neville Kenneth Wran, (11 October 1926 – 20 April 2014) was an Australian politician who was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1986. He was the national president of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1980 to 1986 and chairman of ...

. SIPCA was first held in 1977 and soon became one of the world's most prestigious classical piano competitions. SIPCA was managed from Claire Dan's home, "Sundorne", 23 Victoria Rd, Bellevue Hill,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

.pianoseats.com, ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 1 July 2000, Kelly Burke, ''Tinkle Tinkle Little Stars''
In 2008 she published an autobiography titled ''Ups and Downs''. Claire Dan was appointed an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE), and in 1986 a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(AM), in recognition of her service to the performing arts. She died on 22 October 2012, aged 92.''Sydney Morning Herald'': Obituaries
/ref> "Sundorne" was sold for $15.5 million in May 2013, the buyer being the neighbouring Cranbrook School, which had once owned the land.Kirsten Craze, ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

''
"Cranbrook School buys back neighbouring estate for $15.51M"
Retrieved 28 November 2014

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dan, Claire 20th-century births 2012 deaths Australian philanthropists Founders Australian patrons of music Hungarian emigrants to Australia Naturalised citizens of Australia Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Order of Australia Women founders Sydney International Piano Competition 20th-century philanthropists