Dame Joan Sutherland

The Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation Newsletter
DAME JOAN
SUTHERLAND
90th
BIRTHDAY
ANNIVERSARY
Bel Canto
Dame Joan Sutherland
- born 7 November 1926
In 1974 while on a holiday in London, Lynne Redknap, a nursing sister from Sydney’s
Concord Hospital, attended a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Joan Sutherland sang
and Richard Bonynge conducted the orchestra in the presence of the Duchess of Kent.
Sometime after Lyn’s return to Sydney, a meeting was arranged with Richard Bonynge
in the Green Room of the Sydney Opera House by Russell Braddon, author of the 1962
biography “ Joan Sutherland”. The result was the establishment in 1978 of the Joan
Sutherland Society of Sydney by a group of devoted opera patrons wanting to raise
funds to provide financial assistance for young, aspiring opera singers. Some of those
patrons are still with us today. Out of that vision was born the Joan Sutherland Society
Scholarship for 17-22 year olds, valued at $200 and an Encouragement Award as part of
the City of Sydney Eisteddfod. Over the decades, the Society grew gradually with a focus
on providing performance opportunities and increased funding for our emerging artists.
The first Scholarships were awarded in 1979 for both a male and female singer until 1987
when the Scholarship changed to the best singer, male or female.
When Sutherland passed away in 2010, the then committee felt it was important to
honour both Sutherland & Bonynge. To do this, the Society was converted into what is
now known as the Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation. In 2011 the Bel
Canto Award was created replacing the original scholarship and since that time over $400,000
in scholarships and cash prizes has been awarded to young singers. The Foundation has
also released a CD of highlights from Handel’s Rodelinda conducted by Bonynge and
presented countless concerts featuring many of our scholarship winners.
2016 marks Dame Joan Sutherland’s 90th birthday anniversary year. With many ideas
put forward on how best to celebrate this milestone, we are still presently workshopping
these ideas and hope to have more details in our next newsletter. Joan Sutherland has
captured the hearts of generations of audience members and even today, thanks to
various organisations including this Foundation, she is revered, her recordings are still
played, applauded and considered some of the greatest ever to be released. We look
forward to celebrating this special year and thank you all for your continued interest and
support of the Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation. We couldn’t do it without you!
Edition 11
February 2016
A Message from the
General Manager
Welcome to the eleventh edition of the Bel Canto newsletter.
2015 CONCLUSION
Inspiring and developing our opera singers for the future!
JOAN SUTHERLAND BEL CANTO EVENING
GALA FUNDRAISING DINNER
The close of 2015 produced one of the most enjoyable concerts the
Foundation has ever presented in celebration of Dame Joan’s 89th
birthday. A delightful selection of known and not so well known
operetta, Novello, Coward and more was performed by Justine Viani,
Tabatha McFadyen, Sarah Kemeny, Damian Arnold, Joshua Rogers
and Bradley Gilchrist at Paddington Uniting Church. Richard Bonynge
was particularly pleased with the diverse programme, if not a little
disappointed he couldn’t be there to enjoy the concert personally.
The Christmas season was a chance to slow down a little but not
entirely as the events for 2016 needed to be prepared and various
venues booked plus a few ideas workshopped.
2016 EVENTS
As the year unfolds you will notice a few changes. Changes we hope
will make the year interesting and different but all the while focusing
on the education of singers and our ability to fundraise to improve
our assistance for these young artists.
THE BEL CANTO AWARD
In celebration of Dame Joan Sutherland’s 90th Birthday in
November, we are extremely happy to announce that the Board has
decided, for this anniversary year, to increase all the prizes in the Bel
Canto Award. This will make the award in 2016, Australia’s richest
cash prize singing competition.
The cash scholarship prizes in the 2016 BCA will be:
1st: JS & RB Bel Canto Award $50,000
2nd: Richard Bonynge Award $15,000
3rd: DECCA Award $10,000
4th: Deborah Riedel Award $8,000
5th: Greg & Elizabeth Sanderson Award: $5,000
6th: Duncan & Annemarie Kinnon Award $3,000
7th: Megan Evans OAM Encouragement Award $1,000
In addition to these cash scholarships, which will be monitored
carefully, we continue to offer places to the Solti Accademia in Italy,
the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, the Tait Memorial Trust as well
as the $2,500 worth of CDs from Universal Music Australia.
We are delighted to welcome back all our past sponsors and to
welcome and thank new sponsors Greg and Elizabeth Sanderson for
providing an additional $5,000 prize. The Sanderson’s have been
great supporters of the Foundation for the past few years and are
very grateful to them for this additional prize.
To encourage excellence and to ensure the competition is as
accessible as possible, we have managed to secure complimentary
venues throughout Australia, in London, Vienna and New York, so
that expat Australian and New Zealand singers and those interstate
will have a chance at this extraordinary prize pool. It is thanks to the
generosity of these organisations this has been made possible. It is
also reassuring to know that the Sutherland/Bonynge brand and the
Foundation’s reputation for assisting our future generation of singers
encourages many organisations to assist us in this manner.
A full list of organisations and donors can be found on the back page.
Richard Bonynge will be our Guest of Honour at this year’s Gala
Fundraising Dinner. We are hoping for a few special guest artists to
ensure this is a truly exceptional night of entertainment. Tickets for
Foundation members, donors and supporters will be $175 per
person. Spaces are limited to 400 for this glamorous evening, so
reserve your seat or table today. We hope you can be a part of this
very important fundraiser for the Foundation.
Call Annemarie Kinnon on: 02 9817 4919
Thursday, 18 August @ 6.30pm - Le Montage, Lilyfield
WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES
Europe, and in particular the USA, have a great tradition in presenting
masterclasses. The Joyce DiDonato classes at Carnegie Hall have
become somewhat of an institution and sell out almost immediately
as do many others. Therefore, in 2016 we will be reintroducing that
tradition of mentor and student working side by side, by presenting a
series of classes. We sincerely hope you’re able to attend these light
hearted and fascinating afternoons. We would like to thank the Sydney
Philharmonia Choirs for providing a venue for these workshops.
500 DONATIONS & COUNTING
500th
Ms Elizabeth Bradhurst was our 500th donor
recently. To thank her, we will be sending
Donation
Elizabeth a copy of RODELINDA on CD. If you
would like to make a tax deductible donation do let
us know. Donations of $350 or more will receive 2 complimentary tickets
to the BCA & ECP competition Final on 3 September in the Sydney
Conservatorium of Music. Thank you to everyone, regards...Fiona Janes
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP OF THE FOUNDATION
Please don’t forget to send in your yearly Associate Membership
which offers discounts and special invites to certain events plus a
hard copy of this newsletter. Contact us for a form or download one
from the website. Yearly cost: $20 per person.
All tax deductible donations are used solely for scholarships, grants and
the education of young singers as per the Australian Register of Cultural
Organisations and ACNC guidelines.
WHAT AREfrom
THEY UP
TO?
News
afar!!
Richard Bonynge recently
judged the Veronica Dunne
International Singing Competition
in Dublin, spent time teaching at
the Wales International Voice
Academy in Cardiff with Dennis
O’Neill and the students plus he has
various recording projects in the
pipeline. 2014 BCA winner, Marlena
Devoe will sing her first Gilda for
Opera Project UK in May and Violetta for Clonter Opera in July, also
in the U.K. Tabatha McFadyen has been busy studying in the U.K.
She recently sang Musetta in Napier, NZ and will sing Susanna in Le
nozze di Figaro for the Hawaii Performing
Arts Festival. Tabatha joined Matthew
Reardon in the Tait Memorial Trust’s Winter
Prom last year in the presence of Richard
Bonynge and Yvonne Kenny (above).
Morgan Pearse has made his Figaro debut
at English National Opera in The Barber of
Seville. Samuel Sakker (left with Venera
Gimadieva) went on as Alfredo for the
opening night of La traviata at the Royal
Opera House in London. Nicole Car has
made a stunning second appearance at the
same house receiving rave
reviews, this time as Tatjana in
Eugene Onegin opposite Dmitri
Horovstoksy. She also received a
standing ovation on opening night
as Luisa Miller for Opera Australia.
Margaret Plummer (left)
continues to triumph in Vienna
going on as Hansel, whilst
reprising her roles of Waltraute
and Giovanna in Rigoletto this
season. Valda Wilson has sung
the Merry Widow for the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater. Anna
Dowsley has sung Rosina for Opera Australia with James Olds
making his OA debut as the Officer in the same opera. 2015 ECP
winner Julie Adams will sing Mimi in 2017 for San Francisco Opera
and cover Jenufa in 2016. Morgan Balfour is in the USA studying
and auditioning. 2015 BCA winner Isabella Moore is studying in San
Francisco before heading to Italy for the Soliti Accademia. Siobhan
Stagg is singing Morgana in Alcina for the Grand Théâtre de Genève
and will perform with Roberto Alagna
in his Australian tour. Superstar
soprano Jessica Pratt will perform
Lucia for Victorian Opera in Melbourne
this April with José Carbó. Lee Abrahmsen
has just performed Constanza for
Melbourne Opera. Marilyn Horne
turned 82 and Plácido Domingo 75,
both in January and Mozart, 260.
The first wedding of the year has taken place between Darren Pene
Pati and Amina Edris (above) in New Zealand. It was a Bel Canto
affair with Marlena Devoe and Isabella Moore as two of the
bridesmaids and Pene’s brother Amitai also present. BCA winner
Naomi Johns will give two recitals in Perth in the coming months.
HOST FAMILIES NEED FOR THIS YEAR’S ELIZABETH CONNELL PRIZE. PLEASE CONTACT
FIONA JANES IF YOU CAN HOUSE A VISITING DIVA FOR A WEEK. 040 202 4118
EVENT DATES FOR 2016
MASTERCLASSES at the Wharf - Sydney Philharmonia Studio
 Sunday 28 February at 2.30pm
Fiona Janes Bel Canto Masterclass & Workshop
 Sunday 20 March at 2.30pm
Glenn Winslade Masterclass
 Sunday 3 April at 2.30pm
Bernadette Cullen Dramatic Voice Masterclass
 Sunday 15 May at 2.30pm
Marie-Claire French Masterclass
OTHER EVENTS
 Dennis O’Neill Masterclass -TBC
 18 August at 6.30pm
Joan Sutherland Bel Canto Evening Gala Dinner - Le Montage
 30 August
Competition Welcome function with Richard Bonynge and 2016
Finalists - Details TBC
 1 September at 5.00pm
Preliminary Final of the Bel Canto Award and Elizabeth Connell
Prize - venue TBC
 3 September at 4pm - Verbrugghan Hall Sydney Con.
6th JS RB Bel Canto Award and 3rd Elizabeth Connell Prize Final
 Dame Joan Sutherland’s 90th Birthday Celebration - TBC
Mezzo Helen Sherman as
Dorabella for Opera North
Joan Sutherland’s 89th birthday “Love Live Forever” Concert
GRETA BRADMAN
TOUR and ALBUM
on sale now
Limelight Magazine’s artist of the year (2015) Greta Bradman is
immensely excited to announce her upcoming nationwide tour of
Australia, running through April - May, encompassing both capital cities
and regional centres. The 'My Hero' tour is a celebration of many of
Bradman's own heroes, notably Richard Bonynge, who conducted her
with the English Chamber Orchestra on her award winning and chart
topping 2015 Decca album, ‘My Hero’, released on Decca Classics.
Beginning in Wagga Wagga on 21 April, the 19-concert tour has a special
focus on regional centres, such as Hamilton, Goulburn, Cootamundra and
Bowral. More details on venues and dates, as well as booking information
can be found on Greta’s website. www.gretabradman.com
TOUR DATES
Thursday 21 April, 7pm – St. Michael's Cathedral, Wagga Wagga, NSW
Friday 22 April, 7pm – St. Paul's Anglican Church, Burwood, NSW
Friday 29 April, 7pm – All Saints' Anglican Church, Ainslie, Canberra, ACT
Saturday 30 April, 7pm – Cootamundra Town Hall, NSW
Sunday 1 May, 2:30pm – St. Jude's Church, Bowral, NSW
Thursday 5 May, 7pm – Good Shepherd Church, Hamilton, VIC
Friday 6 May, 7pm – St. Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat, VIC
Saturday 7 May, 7pm – All Saints Church, East St Kilda, Melbourne, VIC
Monday 9 May, 7:30pm – St. Mary of the Angels Basilica, Geelong, VIC
Thursday 12 May, 7pm – St. Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide, SA
Friday 13 May, 5pm – Ngeringa Cultural Centre, Mt. Barker Summit, SA
Thursday 19 May, 7pm – St. John's Cathedral, Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 21 May, 7pm – St. David's Cathedral, Hobart, TAS
Sunday 22 May, 2:30pm – St John's Anglican Church, Launceston, TAS
Friday 27 May, 7:30pm – Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle, NSW
Saturday 28 May, 7pm – St. Stephen's Uniting Church, Sydney, NSW
Sunday 29 May, 3pm – St. Saviour's Cathedral, Goulburn, NSW
Saturday 10 September, 7pm – St. George's Cathedral, Perth, WA
Thank you to…….
Richard Bonynge AC CBE
Paradise Investments
Lady Potter AC
Alan Jones AO & 2GB
Cyrus Meher-Homji
DECCA & Universal Music
Greg & Elizabeth Sanderson
Paul Ferris
Duncan Kinnon &
Annamaria Kinnon OAM
Sydney Savage Club &
Mr Matthew Blampey
Opera Australia
AMEB Qld
Melbourne Opera
West Australian Opera
Royal Opera House
Metropolitan Opera
Vienna Staatsoper
Digital Nexus
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs
CDs to add to your collection
Join us on Facebook
Videos of the finals are on Youtube
P.O. Box 880, Leichhardt NSW 2040
(02) 9817 4919 | 040 202 4118
enquiries@jsrbfoundation.com
ticketing@jsrbfoundation.com
generalmanager@jsrbfoundation.com
www.jsrbfoundation