Internationally renowned opera pianist/vocal coach and recitalist Anthony Legge (above) is AGSA’s Musician in Residence for the 2010 Accompanists’ Festival.

He studied at the Guildhall, Oxford University and the London Opera Centre, and also studied accompanying privately with Geoffrey Parsons and Paul Hamburger.  His numerous recitals include those with, amongst others, Dame Janet Baker, Sir Thomas Allen, Gwynne Howell, Håkan Hagegård and Denyce Graves.

He has worked regularly with the principal British opera companies, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Opera Australia, many European opera companies and at Bayreuth, where he assisted on the Kupfer-Barenboim Ring cycle for five years and a new production of Die Meistersinger. 

He was Head of Music at English National Opera for 14 years where he conducted performances of Dido and Aeneas, Orpheus and Eurydice, Lulu, and Alcina.  He was a judge on the award-winning TV programme series Operatunity. 

He was Director of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music more recently where he helped many young singers in preparation for their career.

He has recorded two CDs with Chandos accompanying Linda Finnie, has a book published by Peters Edition entitled The Art of Auditioning.  His new book, written with Mary King, ‘The Singer’s Handbook – A guide for aspiring singers’, has just come out, published by Faber Music.

He is now Assistant Music Director of Opera Australia since 2009

Anthony Legge will be involved in the AGSA Festival of Accompanists as follows:

Recital:

7.30 pm Friday July 2 Pilgrim Church – Wolf Italienisches Liederbuch with soprano, Rosalind Martin and tenor, Robert Macfarlane

Professional Development Day:

Saturday July 3 – Cynthia Poulton Hall, St Peter’s Cathedral – featured presenter in lecture demonstrations and masterclasses (professional and non professional)

Jury Chair – Geoffrey Parsons Award:

7.00pm Saturday July 3, Hartley Concert Room, Elder Conservatorium

Limited individual lessons June 29/30 (details from the Secretary, accguildsa@museco.id.au )

This can now be found here

PRESIDENT’S LETTER Thursday February 18. 2010

We never know what the New Year will bring to us!

2010 has started us off with mixed feelings. We were all sorry to hear that Diana’s daughter is not well & understand that therefore the “captain has had to forsake the ship” for a while. For the moment the committee has taken over various duties in the preparation for this year’s Festival.

With this, there is only good news.

We begin on June 6 with the Young Accompanists’ Showcase.

Several Secondary School pianists will rehearse & perform with Janet Anderson (violin), Claire Oremland (‘Cello), Louisa Perfect (Soprano) & Keith Hempton (Bass).

Brian Chatterton has been asked to take the Masterclass at Marryatville High School on June 6.

The first Concert will take place also at Marryatville on June 20, the second in Pilgrim Church (Adelaide) on June 30.

The Festival week will run from June 28 to July 3.

Our Musician in Residence this year is Anthony Legge currently from Opera Australia – a world-class musician with wide-ranging experience, particularly respected as accompanist and repetiteur. There will be more information about him on our website.

The Geoffrey Parsons Award offers a prize of $4000; $3000 to the winner, $600 & $400 to the second and third places respectively.

To sing the set work, Schubert’s “Heimliches Lieben”, with the contestants, our guest soloist is Patrick Power who joined the Elder Conservatorium staff last year and comes with glowing credentials from overseas.

As well as chairing the jury (Stephen Whittington, Berenice Harrison and Patrick Power) for the Award, Anthony Legge will also accompany Rosalind Martin and Robert McFarlane in a performance of Wolf’s wonderful song cycle “Italian Song Book”.

This concert will be presented in association with The Firm.

The University has again supported us with the venues for the whole Festival except the Professional Development Day (July 3) for which we’ve secured the use of Cynthia Poulton Hall (courtesy of St.Peter’s Cathedral).

The PD Day will feature Anthony Legge in Lectures & Masterclasses.

On June 30 we will again present a concert of “junior” pianists, accompanying similar age soloists – all still in Primary School. The aim behind this venture is to alert young pianists to a wider range of music-making than merely playing the piano alone. It’s been very popular with teachers and parents as well as the children.

In August we’re hoping to hear Michael Ierace and Amir Farid in a “special” duo piano recital also in Pilgrim Church.

A Fundraising Dinner is planned for Saturday September 11.

The Register of Accompanists for 2010 has been completed & is available to the public.

Radio 5MBS broadcasts supporting AGSA are continuing on a regular basis.

One other important activity will be our involvement with an American initiative, the “Year of Collaborative Music”. Their Music Teachers National Association is setting up a network for like organizations to communicate. We don’t yet have all the details but this is part of Diana’s reply to their invitation:

This is just to let you know that the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia is keen to support your wonderful celebration of Collaborative Music. …we would be happy to at least acknowledge Collaborative Music in all our programs. We are a small but dynamic organization presenting an annual series of programs celebrating the accompanist/associate artist etc as well as providing educational incentives for young pianists from primary school to university.

Final note from Diana:

Remember to support the Guild by renewing your membership for 2010 – renewal notices will come before the March AGM .

We have over 90 members now – will we ever reach 100?

Have a good year!

Monika Laczofy

(AGSA President 2006-10)

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