WINTER

Da Capo Magazine WINTER 2012 Da Capo Magazine WINTER 2012Page 2• A Note from the General Manager• New Ways to ‘Stay in Touch’Page 3• Scholarship - Lauren Fagan• 2012 Scholars• 2012 Scholars Introduced at CranlanaPage 4• Mentor Program• Still to ComePage 5• Introducing the Cast• Scholarship - Janet Todd• With Thanks• Let us Entertain you!Melba Artists ProgramPage 6-7• Announcing...the Harold Blair Opera Scholarship• Scholarship - Tiriki OnusPage 8• The Ruskin Opera AwardA Family Legacy Continued• Interview - Stacey AlleaumePage9• Semper Ad MajoraDe Bortoli and the Melba Trust• Interview - Siobhan Stagg•••••••Page 10-11Introducing - Samuel SakkerIntroducing - Hannah DahlenburgMelba Scholars Engaged by Oz OperaOperetteA fusion of fashion and operaIntroducing - Lauren FaganIntroducing - Kyla AllanAccommodation PartnerPage 12• Introducing - Brenton Spiteri• Opera in the Wright-Smith ArenaA Birthday with a Difference• Supporters of the TrustThis newsletter is printed on Sovereign Offset derivedfrom well-managed forests and other controlled sourcescertified against Forest Stewardship Council ® standards,a non-profit organisation devoted to encouraging theresponsible management of the world’s forests.Dame Nellie Melba Opera TrustABN 96 424 419 725Suite 501 434 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004Phone (03) 9867 4833 Facsimile (03) 9867 3364www.melbaoperatrust.com.auCopy and editing - Dr. Jillian GrahamDesign by Dig Creativewww.digcreative.com.auFor more information relating toadvertising within this publicationplease contact the Dame Nellie MelbaOpera Trust.To unsubscribe in relation to receivingthis publication, please contactthe Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust.Our scholars arenow well and trulyimmersed in the 2012Scholarship Programand I hope you enjoyreading about theirlatest activities in thefollowing pages.WhichMelba?A number ofour supportershave recentlyexperienced someconfusion due tothe similarity ofour name – MelbaOpera Trust – withthat of anothermusic makingorganisation,Melba Foundation.Both organisationsare committed toAustralian artists– Melba OperaTrust through itsdevelopment ofyoung Australiansingers and MelbaFoundation, byrecording talentedand establishedAustralianclassical musicians.A Note From TheGeneral ManagerWelcome to our winter edition of Da Capo, the magazineof the Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust.This year’s nine scholars wereselected from a national pool ofapplicants by our independent panel,led by Artistic Advisor SharolynKimmorley AM. Sharolyn was joinedby international conductor MarkoLetonja and renowned Australianbaritone John Pringle.Scholarship packages range from$21,000 to $26,000 per scholar.Included in this package is fundingto underwrite an individualdevelopment program aiding vocaldevelopment, intensive languagestudy, stagecraft, movement andprofessional development activities,along with access to the MentorProgram and representation throughthe Melba Artist program. Our singersare thriving on the opportunitiesthe program is affording and welook forward to keeping you up todate with their latest achievementsthrough forthcoming e-newsletters.2012 also marks the awarding ofthe inaugural Harold Blair OperaScholarship and the Ruskin OperaAward, both of which are featuredin this publication.Underpinning the support systemfor our talented young scholars andalumni is the Trust’s endowment.Melba Opera TrustThe Dame Nellie Melba OperaTrust carries forward Dame NellieMelba’s vision by supporting thedevelopment of young Australianopera singers with exceptionalpromise.We nurture the qualities neededto build an operatic career byproviding scholarships, mentoringwith industry specialists andperformance experience.These three levels of supportapply a comprehensive approachto operatic development with afocus on excellence and a viewto developing polished youngprofessionals.In the forefront of our mind is ourfundraising challenge to grow theendowment to a point of equilibrium,$7million by 2015. While it isgratifying that we are over half wayto our goal, raising an additional$3million over the next three years iscritical to the organisation becomingself-sustaining.Our strategy to achieve this is threefold.Firstly, is the support from arange of philanthropic trusts andfoundations making it possible for usto increase the integrity of specificprograms. Equally beneficial is thatthis reduces the need to draw on ourinvestments in the short term whichis important while we grow thecorpus towards equilibrium.Secondly, we continue to ask for yourhelp in growing the endowmentby way of tax-deductible donationsand through the establishment ofnamed scholarships in perpetuity.The support of our benefactors isthe driving force behind what wedo, and we hope that as you readof the development of our youngartists in the pages of Da Capo,you are inspired to make your owncontribution.Melba FoundationThe Melba Foundation fundsthe fine music label, MelbaRecordings, to produce anddistribute recordings that haveearned accolades around theworld.These recordings promote andprovide recognition to Australia’sfinest classical musicians on theinternational stage.The high quality recordingsfurther help to create aheightened awareness ofAustralia’s cultural achievementsand provide a recorded legacy ofAustralian performers.The third, longer-term facet is thegrowing family of supporters whohave made a provision in their will forthe Melba Opera Trust. Such legacygifts ensures above all else that theactivities of the Dame Nellie MelbaOpera Trust will be supported intothe future. Indeed it is Melba’s ownlegacy gift that has enabled the workof the Trust today.With this in mind, I would like to askreaders to consider a tax-deductiblegift to help ensure the future ofthis organisation and the singers itsupports. A copy of our new gift cardis enclosed.I do hope you enjoy our winteredition of Da Capo.Amy McPartlanTo discuss establishinga named-scholarship inperpetuity or making aprovision in your willfor the Dame NellieMelba Opera Trustplease contact GeneralManager, Amy McPartlan,on 03 9867 4833.New Waysto ‘Stay inTouch’We at the Melba Opera Trust liketo share as much of our goodnews as possible! So don’t be thelast to know...be our friend onFacebook and tweet along withus on Twitter.For everything else you need toknow, including where to see oursingers, how to make an onlinedonation and how to join ourmailing list, visit our website:www.melbaoperatrust.com.auGood afternoonLadies and Gentlemen.It’s my pleasure to be able to tell youa bit about my musical story and myexperiences with the Dame NellieMelba Opera Trust.I grew up in Sydney, and throughoutmy school life was involved in manychoirs and musicals. The first inklingmy parents had that I could sing waswhen my ambitious primary schoolmusic teacher decided to produce theold English version of The Pirates ofPenzance. I rushed home excitedly,thrust a huge script into my mother’shands, and announced that I’d beengiven the role of Frederic – which ofcourse I had to sing up the octave.My mother tells me now thatshe initially thought this was animpossible expectation for a twelveyear-oldgirl. But she handed thescript back to me, and brightly said,“Lauren, that’s fantastic, I know youwill be wonderful in the role.”It wasn’t really until the very end ofhigh school that I decided to takeserious voice lessons – up until thatstage it was expected that I wouldtake up some sort of sporting career,as I was the School Sports Captainand was very involved in athleticsand soccer. I still turn up to mysinging lessons sometimes wearingmy soccer boots, much to my singingteacher’s amusement!When I left school, I decided to doa business degree at University,rather than audition for the SydneyConservatorium of Music, as I felt itwould be important to have a ‘backupplan’ if my dream of becomingthe next Celine Dion wasn’t quiterealised!But throughout university I sang in ateenage classical sextet called ‘Arya’.We had a wonderful time performingat corporate functions, and weregiven the opportunity to sing assoloists at Carols in the Domain andon Australian Idol.Whilst I loved my singing and wasbecoming more and more classicallyfocused, it wasn’t until a year agothat my teacher, Glenn Winslade,suggested that I send an auditionDVD down to the Dame Nellie MelbaOpera Trust. I felt I had nothing tolose and everything to gain, nothaving experienced the traditionalpaths of singing training. And to mysheer delight, I was invited to cometo Melbourne for a final audition,and was later accepted as one of thescholars for 2011.This was the perfect program forme. I was developing my voice,but had no real idea how to launchformally into the opera world. It’snot an exaggeration to say that mylife has been changed as a resultof receiving this scholarship. I’vereceived training in all aspects ofthe opera profession – handlingfinances, looking after my voice,dressing for performance, preparationfor auditions and applications forscholarships – that’s just to mentiona few aspects of the Mentor Program.Before receiving a scholarship Iwas able to afford only one singinglesson a week and a vocal coachingsession every month or so. I wasn’tsure I had the ability to competewith professional opera singers andthis lack of belief in myself probablywasn’t helped by my beautiful goldenretriever, who still to this day howlsin pain every time I open my mouthto begin singing practice!The funding provided by the Trusthas enabled me to see stagecraft andlanguage coaches, vocal specialists,to attend master classes, and I havebeen able to triple the number oflessons and coaching sessions. I veryquickly began to see the results ofall this training, winning sectionsin the City of Sydney Eisteddfod,and reaching the finals in the JoanSutherland/Richard Bonynge VocalScholarship last year.LaurenFaganText of speechdelivered at theMelba Opera TrustScholarshipLaunch, Cranlana,Monday27 February2012I made it my priority to come toMelbourne to attend every Mentorsession and to be involved in everyperformance opportunity affordedme by the Trust. I have beentold by countless people that myperformance skills have completelychanged since the beginning of lastyear.Last December I flew to London toaudition for the four largest operacolleges in Great Britain. Due toall the extra tutoring and trainingI had gained through the MelbaScholarship, I felt fully prepared andconfident in the auditions, and wasfortunate enough to be acceptedinto all four of the colleges! But Ihave chosen to accept a full two-yearScholarship into the Artist Diploma ofOpera at the Guildhall School of Musicand Drama starting in September.It is very rare for a person to beaccepted into this course withouthaving completed the mandatorypre-opera year or without anundergraduate music degree. As Ihave had no formal conservatoriumtraining, I have to attribute myacceptance into the colleges to thetraining and development I havereceived in my year with the Trust.I feel very fortunate to have beenchosen as the recipient of The DameNellie Melba Scholarship – Patrickand Vivian Gordon award in 2012,and have already started my ownintensive program of learninglanguages, singing lessons andcoaching in preparation for the startof term.And finally: To put it in perspective,just over a year ago I was working asa Sales Manager at an IT company,wondering where my dreams ofbecoming an opera singer weregoing. Now I am preparing to moveto London to study opera full time.2012 ScholarsLauren FaganDame Nellie Melba ScholarshipPatrick & Vivian Gordon AwardSiobhan StaggAmelia Joscelyne MemorialScholarshipStacey AlleaumeAmelia Joscelyne ReserveScholarshipInaugural Ruskin Opera AwardKyla AllanMelba Opera Trust ScholarshipHannah DahlenburgMelba Opera Trust ScholarshipMel & Nina Waters AwardThe Melba Trust was thrilled tohave the opportunity to stageits 2012 Scholarship Launch onFebruary 27 at Cranlana, themagnificent Toorak mansionowned by Melbourne’spreeminent Myer family. It’sdifficult to imagine a morefitting venue at which to presentthis year’s record number ofscholarship recipients, and we aretruly grateful to Lady Southey ACfor her generous hospitality.2012 Scholars (not present: Siobhan Stagg& Samuel Sakker)Anne McFarling with Hannah DahlenburgFleur Gibbs with Janet Todd& Lauren FaganTiriki OnusInaugural Harold Blair OperaScholarshipSamuel SakkerMargaret Schofield OperaScholarshipBrenton SpiteriJohn & Elizabeth Wright-SmithScholarshipJanet ToddBeleura-Tallis Opera Scholarship2012 ScholarsIntroducedat CranlanaReturning scholar Lauren Faganaddressed the guests, communicatingsomething of her personal musicalstory, and her experiences as a MelbaTrust scholar. Lauren’s inspiring wordsare re-printed here. She then joinedher colleagues for the highlight ofthe event, the opportunity to hearwhat the selection panel heard backin November 2011 – the beautifuland evolving voices of our currentscholars.Founding Patron Mary-Jane Joscelynewith Stacey AlleaumePeter Clarke with Tiriki OnusJohn & Elizabeth Wright-Smith withBrenton SpiteriPage 2Page 3