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Accompanists’ Guild of SA Media Release, Adelaide:
Sunday 18 August 2013
for immediate release
THE 2013 GEOFFREY PARSONS AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCED
Earlier this evening (18 August), the Final of Australia’s most lucrative and prestigious award for the collaborative pianist, the Accompanists’ Guild of SA’s 29th Geoffrey Parsons Award, took place in Adelaide at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, The University of Adelaide.
In keeping with the Guild’s acknowledgement of the professional aspirations of their competitors, the cash-pool is a significant $7,500, made possible with the generous support of The Royal Commonwealth Society, SA Branch.
Geoffrey Parsons was an internationally acclaimed Australian accompanist, particularly for singers. He regularly accompanied, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Victoria de los Angeles, Dame Janet Baker, Olaf Bär, and Barbara Bonney. He was the Guild’s International Patron until his untimely death in 1995.
The three Finalists competed for a cash pool of $7,500. They were selected from auditions earlier this week which included a performance of prepared works with their chosen associates, sight reading and a first rehearsal of the set work, Jewel Song from Goundod’s opera Faust with internationally acclaimed Australian soprano, Gisele Blanchard.
The Final was judged by a panel, chaired by the Guild’s Pianist in Residence for the 2013 Festival of Accompanists, David Barnard. He was joined by leading SA musicians, Dale Ringland and Guila Tiver.
As well as performing the set-work with Gisle Blanchard, each finalist presented works of their own choice which demanded great technical, interpretative and ensemble skills, including: Brahms’ Cello Sonata no.1, Saint-Saëns’ Allegro appassinato, Carl Vine’s Sonata for Flute and Piano and lieder by Schubert and Wolf.
In announcing the winners Chairman of the Jury, David Barnard said, that “the panel was particularly impressed with the warmth of the winner’s playing and their decision was unanimous.” David also paid tribute to the enormous talent of the associate artists, Gisele Blanchard, Rosalind Martin, Janis Laurs and Geoffrey Collins.
The 2013 winners are:
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FIRST PRIZE ($5,000) Tully Brookes, South Australia
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SECOND PRIZE ($1,500) Mark Sandon, South Australia
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THIRD PRIZE ($1,000) Patrick Keith, New South Wales
2013 Geoffrey Parsons Award Prizewinner, Tully Brookes performed with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist and founding cellist of the Australian String Quartet, Janis Laurs, works by Brahms, Fauré and Saint-Saëns.
Tully Brookes commenced piano studies in Tasmania and was awarded his AMusA Diploma in 2006. He received the AMEB state prize for this exam and won the Open Pianoforte Concerto Trophy at the City of Hobart Eisteddfod in the same year. Since moving to Adelaide, Tully has studied with Emeritus Professor David Lockett AM and is currently completing a Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the University of Adelaide. He was awarded the Lance Dossor Memorial Prize for Piano Performance by the Elder Conservatorium in 2009 and was joint winner in 2011. Over the course of his studies Tully has received an Elder Conservatorium Director’s Award as well as numerous scholarships including the Brisbane Matthews Pianoforte Prize. He has participated in masterclasses with Malcolm Martineau, Michael Kieran Harvey, Imogen Cooper, Gil Sullivan, Dorian Leljak, Kristian Chong, Albert Tiu and Elizabeth Layton, and has appeared as a soloist with the Derwent Symphony Orchestra. He is currently preparing to perform the first movement of Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra.
ENDS
MEDIA ENQUIRIES Christopher Wainwright 0438 829 728, cmwain@gmail.com