MEDIA RELEASE: Geoffrey Parsons Award Winners Unite
The Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia is proud to support two of the recent Geoffrey Parsons Award winners in their second program of works from the duo piano repertoire. Michael Ierace (2004 Award winner) and Amir Farid (2007 Award winner) first met in Adelaide in 2005 as state representatives and competitors in the MBS National Final of the Young Performer of the Year Award. South Australian, Michael, took out the prize on that occasion and soon after won the premier awards from the Elder Conservatorium — the Elder Overseas Scholarship and the David Galliver Award. Victorian, Amir won significant awards including the Piano Trio prize at the 2005 Australian Chamber Music Competition with the Benaud Trio ( now a successful chamber ensemble with its own national subscription series) , as an accompanist, for best pianist at the 2006 Mietta Song Recital and, as a soloist, winning the 2006 Australian…
MEDIA RELEASE: 2010 Geoffrey Parsons Award Winner Announced
Dear Members of the Media Please find attached a media release announcing the winner of the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia’s 2010 The Geoffrey Parsons Award. Earlier this evening (3 July), the Final of the Accompanists’ Guild of SA’s 25th Geoffrey Parsons Award, named in honour of Australia’s greatest accompanist, took place in Adelaide at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, The University of Adelaide. The three Finalists competed for a cash pool of $4,000. 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, Schubert’s Heimliches Lieben Op. 106, no. 1 with New Zealand tenor, Patrick Power. The Final was judged by a panel, chaired by the Guild’s Pianist in Residence for the 2010 Festival of Accompanists, Opera Australia’s Assistant Director of Music, Anthony Legge. He was joined by leading SA pianists and educators, Stephen Whittington and Berenice Harrison. In announcing the winners…
Media Release: Geoffrey Parsons Award Finalists
Dear Members of the Media Please find attached a media release announcing the 3 2010 Finalists in the Accompanists’ Guild of SA’s The Geoffrey Parsons Award: The three finalists who are competing for cash prizes of $4,000 are: Karl Geiger (Linden Park, SA) Andrew Georg (Pt Pirie, SA) Chris Lian-Lloyd (Paradise, SA) They will present their programs with the set work of a Schubert Lied, which they’ll perform with NZ tenor, Patrick Power. The 2010 Geoffrey Parsons Awards Final takes place this Saturday, 3 July, 7pm at the Hartley Concert Room, Elder Conservatorium of Music, The University of Adelaide. Accompanists’ Guild of SA in association with the Elder Conservatorium of Music presents The 2010 Geoffrey Parsons Award Saturday July 3, 7.00pm Hartley Concert Room, The University of Adelaide, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide TICKETS $15/$10/$5 Festival and Conference ticket holders free BOOKINGS No pre-bookings, tickets at the door. PUBLIC ENQUIRIES Accompanists’ Guild…
2010 The Geoffrey Parsons Award Announcement
The Accompanists’ Guild of SA Media Release Adelaide: 17 February 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia invites interested pianists to enter one of Australia’s most prestigious prizes for Accompanists, The Geoffrey Parsons Award. The Geoffrey Parsons Award is named in memory of the Guild’s founding international patron, Australian accompanist Geoffrey Parsons, who died in 1995. For 45 years Geoffrey lived in London where he was an acclaimed accompanist particularly for singers. He regularly accompanied Elizabeth Schwarkzopf, Victoria de los Angeles, Dame Janet Baker, Olaf Bär, Yvonne Kenny and Barbara Bonney. The competition occurs in two parts, an audition in which competitors perform works of their own choice with their own soloist, followed by a set song and sight reading with the Guild soloist. Three competitors from the auditions will be selected to perform in the Final. Founder and Secretary of the Guild, Diana Harris says, “The…
2009 Geoffrey Parsons Award Winner Announced
On July 9, the Final of the Accompanists’ Guild of SA’s Geoffrey Parsons Award, named in honour of Australia’s greatest accompanist, took place in the Hartley Concert Room at The Elder Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide. The Award has become a centerpiece of the annual Festival of Accompanists. In announcing the winners, Leslie Howard, a Trustee of the Geoffrey Parsons Trust in London remarked ‘I’m sure Geoffrey Parsons would have been impressed that such a competition in his name exists in Adelaide South Australia. It was a pleasure to see some adventurous repertoire choices and such thorough preparation. It was typical of the spirit in which Geoffrey assisted young musicians that we had the very generous participation of such a distinguished artist as Natsuko Yoshimoto with whom all finalists rehearsed and performed.’ The 2009 winners were: FIRST PRIZE ($3,000) Mark Sandon (Gilberton, SA) SECOND PRIZE ($600) Chris Lian-Lloyd (Paradise,…
Guild continues celebrating the accompanist, with leading Australian pianist Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard is a sensitive, intelligent and committed musician – Alfred Brendel
An Afternoon of ART SONG to OPERA
Adelaide: Friday 6 March 2009 for immediate release On Sunday 22 March, the Accompanists’ Guild and the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing will present Art Song to Opera – a half day Seminar. First scheduled as “American Song Seminar” arising from the PhD research of Nicole Panizza, the Guild has changed topic and pianist because, for reasons beyond her control, Nicole is unable to leave Ireland. Given extremely short notice, the Accompanists’ Guild’s national connections with leading accompanists and repetiteurs have proven invaluable. An experienced pianist was urgently needed to front the seminar and to rehearse in Sydney with Opera Australia soprano, Teresa La Rocca. He was found – in Perth – conducting L’elisir d’amore for WA Opera and miraculously available on March 22. As a conductor, pianist, repetiteur, chorus master and vocal coach Simon Kenway’s expertise is centred on opera and art song but not with a particular…
Media Release – 2009 AGSA Program
Adelaide: Tuesday 6 January 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE GUILD’S CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE Following the Guild’s wonderful 25th anniversary year with the coup residency by leading UK vocal accompanist, Malcolm Martineau, the Guild continues from strength to strength, with an inspiring program for 2009. The 2009 program includes concerts, masterclasses, a seminar and workshop presented by leading Australian and international artists. South Australian performers from students to professionals, young and old, will be involved in presenting many aspects of the accompanist’s art. In March former South Australian, now Irish based vocal coach, Nicole Panizza will lead the American Song Seminar. Joined by fellow South Australian, Opera Australia artist, soprano, Teresa La Rocca, the pair will present a three-tiered seminar which includes a lecture demonstration, a masterclass for voice/piano duos and a recital all related to Nicole’s PhD research. Since leaving South Australia Nicole has worked in the UK and Ireland and studied with world famous vocal accompanists including Malcolm Martineau and Roger…
2008 Geoffrey Parsons Award Finalists Announced
The 2008 Geoffrey Parsons Award Finalists are: Alexander Hanysz, Hyde Park SA Amanda Hodder, Melbourne, Vic Janice Jialou Tan, Windsor Gardens, SA Please click here to download the media release.
THE ACCOMPANIST TAKES CENTRE-STAGE
Accompanists’ Guild of SA Media Release ADELAIDE: Sunday 4 May 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUSTRALIA’S 1ST NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF ACCOMPANISTS Friday 30 May – Sunday 1 June 2008 Elder Conservatorium of Music The University of Adelaide ` The world’s first renowned vocal accompanist, Gerald Moore, made famous the question, “Am I too loud?” From Friday 30 May until Sunday 1 June 2008, the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia during its inaugural Conference of Accompanists and Associate Artists will consider that question and much more. The Conference is part of the Guild’s 25th Anniversary Celebration and coincides with the visit of a pianist often compared to Moore and Geoffrey Parsons, one of the world’s foremost vocal accompanists, Malcolm Martineau. During the three-days, Malcolm Martineau will be one of the many pianists to contribute as speaker, educator and performer. The Guild has attracted a rich array of presenters –…
AN AFTERNOON OF SONG WITH MALCOLM MARTINEAU & JONATHAN LEMALU
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MEDIA RELEASE: 2nd time lucky for 2007 Geoffrey Parsons Award Winner leading young Australian pianist, Amir Farid
Adelaide: Monday 16 July 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE On Thursday evening (12 July), the Finals of the Accompanists’ Guild of SA’s 23rd Geoffrey Parsons Award, named in honour of Australia’s accompanist par excellence for singers, such as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Victoria de los Angeles and Olaf Bär, took place in Adelaide at The University of Adelaide. The three Finalists competed for a cash pool of $2,500. They were selected from a group of six pianists who undertook Stage One auditions earlier this week, where they performed prepared works with their chosen associates, sight reading and an unrehearsed reading of the set work, Schumann’s Märchenbilder No. 1, Nicht schnell with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra violist, Cecily Satchell. Judging the Finalists was a panel, chaired by the Guild’s Pianist in Residence for the 2007 Festival of Accompanists, Jean-Paul Sévilla, with local leading pianists and educators, Stephen Whittington and Leonie Hempton. The finalists apart from…