The Accompanists’ Guild of SA Inc.

The Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia Inc. was founded in 1983 as a non-profit organisation. Its objectives are to promote the status of the accompanist and to encourage and assist in establishing a unity of purpose and the maintenance of high ideals amongst accompanists in South Australia. It also provides a point of contact for accompanists and other musical groups on matters of mutual interest.   

The Guild organises musical programs throughout the year in which various aspects of the art of accompanying are discussed and demonstrated, using South Australian performers and guest artists from interstate or overseas.

The Guild raises money each year to provide the Geoffrey Parsons Award, worth $2,500 in prize money plus a Guild Recital for the winner. The Geoffrey Parsons Award is a major event in the Guild’s calendar.

In July 2003 a series of lunch time concerts each Wednesday in Pilgrim Church highlighting Accompanists marked a new initiative for the Guild. 2005 saw the third successive “Month of Accompanists”. In 2004 the star attraction was our International Patron, Phillip Moll, and in 2005 we featured Teachers as Accompanists. The teachers included three non specialist pianists, Elder Conservatorium Heads of Studies Keith Crellin (Strings), Elizabeth Koch (Woodwind) and Howard Parkinson (Brass) as well as three piano teachers Monika Laczofy, Irina Lioubimova and Gabriella Smart who accompanied their piano students in piano concertos.

2005 also saw the first “Young Accompanists’ Showcase” which provided 7 secondary school students with the opportunity to work with professional soloists and Guild tutors towards a Master Class with Timothy Sexton and two public recitals. This initiative received Government funding through SAYAB, which we hope to attract once again in the future.

To contact the Guild, please e-mail us at accguildsa@museco.id.au