Mietta Foundation		in association with the       2004 melbourne international arts festival
	presents

Herald Sun 15 April 2003
By Xenia Hanusiak

"The finals of the 2003 Mietta Song Recital Award provided a delightful Sunday afternoon's entertainment. The mood of this salon event was so harmonious it was as if the angels of the late Mietta O' Donnell had descended on the proceedings.

"The finalists were a poised quartet of non-negotiable talents. On the day the unequivocal winner was Sydney soprano Leah Thomas, 24. The unanimous choice, delivered by a four-member panel chaired by Richard Bonynge, was backed by her Audience's choice Award. Thomas performed a winning program of Grieg, Duparc, Korngold and Ginastera.

"Joanne Goodman won the Encouragement Award for her performances of Brahms and Cannon. Brisbane soprano Amy Cutler provided a vivid chronicle of Copland's cycle of Emily Dickinson settings and tenor Benjamin Martin summarised Faure's La Bonne Chanson with elan.

The standard of the accompanists was deemed so high the judges divided the Award among the four pianists - Francis Greep, David McSkimming, Paul Hankinson and Bethany Cook."