Mietta's Song Recital Award Lives On

The Mietta Song Recital Award Competition makes a most welcome return in April 2003. With prizes valued at more than $15,000, first prize includes one month international study with accommodation in Europe at a Goethe Institute, a gown from Leona Edmiston and cash prizes. A very exciting field of competitors have made it through the preliminary judging to perform in front of internationally acclaimed judges and patrons in April at Federation Hall, Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne.

Patrons of the Award include Mietta’s mother Maria O’Donnell, Richard Bonynge, Yvonne Kenny and Dame Joan Sutherland. “We are very pleased that the decision has been made to continue the Song Recital Award in memory of Mietta, who did so much to help our young artists and wish the project every success.” said Dame Joan.

Mietta O’Donnell created a true “salon of the arts” that for many was the heart of Melbourne. It was not just the excellence and creativity of her food or the elegance of the surroundings, but it was the artistic life that was so much a part of it all. Yvonne Kenny to Debra Byrne, Flacco to David Malouf, Ronald Farren-Price to the Ormond College Choir. Week after week, Mietta simply, tirelessly, provided an outlet for talent and artistry.

The Mietta Song Recital Award, originally established in 1995 by Mietta with Michael Easton, Len Vorster and Tony Knox, has been renamed in her honour. Mietta's partner Tony Knox said, “The competition will inspire the audience for art song and lieder and promote new composition in the field. Mietta’s abounding energy and influence continues to resonate through the arts and hospitality worlds”.

Past winners have gone on to perform and study internationally and have benefited from the opportunities offered by winning this internationally recognised award. The competition has been embraced by the business and arts community, sponsorship and support has come from the Goethe Institute, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, ANZ Trustees, The Tait Family Memorial Trust, Leona Edmiston, The Nino Sanciolo Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Mietta Foundation and many private individuals.

The 2003 Mietta Song Recital Award competition has attracted a large number of high calibre singers from across Australia and New Zealand.

The first stage of assessing applications was “quite a challenge”, according to soprano and member of the preliminary judging panel, Margaret Haggart.

“We are delighted by the number of high quality entries received. Mietta loved this art form and the complex skills required to perform recital well, were evident in the first round,” Margaret said.

The semi-finalists include sopranos Caroline Chown of Sydney, Amy Cutler of Brisbane, Leah Thomas of North Sydney and Caroline Wenborne from St Ives NSW. Mezzo-soprano semi finalists are Joanne Goodman of Eastwood NSW and Linden Loader from Wellington, New Zealand. Tenor Benjamin Martin from Victoria and baritone James Payne of Sydney represent the male voice.

Semi finalists are invited to take part in Master-classes sponsored by the Myer Foundation to be held on Wednesday 9 April with world renown pianist and accompanists Geoffrey Tozer, and on Thursday 10 April with international operatic and Lieder singer, Australia’s Lauris Elms AM OBE in partnership ship with the distinguished pianist Len Vorster. Later that day French language teacher and singer Madame Denise Shepherd will also conduct a class. The Master-classes will be open to students of music and, space permitting, the general public.

The Mietta Song Recital Award semi-finals and finals are on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April at Federation Hall at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne. Semifinalists will each perform three pieces for judges Richard Bonynge, Marilyn Richardson and Peter Burch. “The master-classes, semis and finals promise much musical pleasure for everyone, but a difficult decision for judges!” said Margaret. “We hope that all students, singers, enthusiasts and the artistically curious will attend master-classes and finals performances. It’s such a great opportunity to follow competitors through the stages of development – master-classes through to finals performance” she said, “a fascinating and absorbing challenge for both performer and audience.”

For more information visit .au/msra.html

For bookings please phone 45 Downstairs on 9662 9966.