President’s Report

Welcome to you all, thank you for coming to the AGSA AGM 2021.

It is so lovely to be able to meet together in relative normality.

Happily, many of us have been to Festival concerts over the past week, and although we’ve had to mask up, it’s been really quite exciting. I know that the performers are loving it.

We are planning to have an interesting year for the Accompanists’ Guild, and I hope that you will be enthusiastic and support the events which we’ve planned for you.

So I present to you my President’s Report for 2020, the year that wasn’t!

The headings Cancelled, Postponed, Retained give you an idea that this will be a very short report!

Cancelled – were the visits by Adelaide trained Stacey Bartsch (currently Assoc Prof in Accompaniment at Universität für Musik in Graz, Austria) and Phillip Moll (AGSA International Patron) and his wife, Yuko. We hope to see them some time in the future.

Postponed – was the Festival of Collaborative Artists featuring pianist Daniel de Borah and cellist Umberto Clerici. There is good news on this front which I will give you later in the meeting.

Retained, but in sometimes different forms were workshops and performances for Young Accompanists’ Showcase, and Junior Ensemble Musicians. 

The AGSA Composition Award, normally linked to the Festival, was also awarded.

Elder Conservatorium/AGSA Mentorship program
5MBS Broadcasts

Thank you to Gina, Monika and Diana for being so flexible and creative in making these important events happen.

Gina arranged for six talented young secondary musicians to work with Anna Coleman (clarinet) Hilary Kleinig (cello) Thomas Marlin (cello) Sarah Wozniak (violin).

Following individual rehearsals, the YAS workshop took place on Sunday 30th August, at Seymour College.
Lachlan Bramble (workshop leader).

There was a very supportive, physically distanced audience for the workshop. It was one of the first live music events after lockdown and as such was quite an emotional time for everyone.

Monika managed the JEMS program in a slightly different way. Because there are so many littlies involved, it was easier for her to run a series of masterclasses over many weekends with AGSA council members providing the coaching.

These were held at Monika’s house so her Sunday afternoons were filled with delightful children sawing and squeaking away on their instruments and generally having a great time with their piano partners.

Leonie Hempton OAM
President