summer

Da Capo Magazine SUMMER 2012Page 2• A Note from theGeneral Manager• 2012 Scholars• Meet our new Director:Dmitry Danilovich• 2013 Scholarship PanelPage 3• 2012 Herald Sun Aria Winner—Brenton Spiteri• What Melba EatsPage 4• Stacey Alleaume and theIntricacies of a ScholarshipPage 5• A Mentor’s Perspective:Stuart SkeltonPage 6 – 7• Mentor Mania• Behind the Scenes—The trainingof an Opera SingerPage 8• Hannah Dahlenburg,Kyla Allan, Janet ToddPage 9• Gardens, Gibbons andGastronomy—Melba ArtistsA Note From TheGeneral ManagerIt’s been a year of achievements for ourMelba Scholars and we couldn’t be prouder.From Siobhán beingthe 2012 AIOA recipient,winning the ItalianAward and the MiettaSong Competition,to Stacey and Laurencoming first andsecond respectively inthe Sydney McDonald’sOperatic Aria and ofcourse Brenton andFiona’s recent success inthe Herald Sun Aria, justto name a few. There havebeen countless othereisteddfod successesand grant awarding, allserving to ensure thatthese young singersare secure in the nextstages of their careerdevelopment.In fact, our investment in these youngsingers has enabled them to winover $200,000 in prize money andscholarship support. So for everyonewho has shown their support for theTrust, not only is this an impressivereturn on your investment, but itdemonstrates the far reaching impactof your donation. Thank you.This year we say farewell to some ofthe Melba’s long-standing scholars.It is reassuring to read in so manyof their emails and letters how wellthis program has prepared themfor their overseas adventures andit has been a privilege to see themdevelop not just as artists, but aswonderful people and consummateprofessionals. We wait in anticipationfor the updates of their adventuresabroad and will be sure to keep youall informed of their progress.In the meantime, we are chargedwith the task of preparing otheryoung singers for their own journeyand we are inspired by the highstandard of applicants we heard inour recent auditions. Whilst the ‘juryis still out’, I can with confidenceshare that there will be someremarkable instruments for usall to enjoy.As we look to 2013, our plan is tokeep doing what we are doing,but be better each time we doit! Of course this kind of programdevelopment cannot happen withoutcontinued investment. You canread in these pages the impact ourprogram is having on our scholarsand I would ask you to consider howyou can help us to continue our work.Tax deductible donations are whatmakes all of this possible and are thedriving force behind the success ofour scholars this year.I also would like to take thisopportunity to give my heartfeltthanks to the Melba communitysupporters, staff, sponsors, boardmembers and mentors alike for theircommitment and passion for whatwe do. As they say, it’s the sum of theparts that make up the whole andwe are grateful for our hard workingcommunity.On behalf of the Melba,I wish everyone a safe andhappy festive season andmay it be filled with music!Amy McPartlan2012 ScholarsLauren FaganDame Nellie Melba ScholarshipPatrick & Vivian Gordon AwardSiobhán StaggAmelia Joscelyne MemorialScholarshipStacey AlleaumeAmelia Joscelyne ReserveScholarshipRuskin Opera AwardKyla AllanMelba Opera Trust ScholarshipHannah DahlenburgMelba Opera Trust ScholarshipMel & Nina Waters AwardTiriki OnusHarold Blair Opera ScholarshipSamuel SakkerMargaret Schofield OperaScholarshipBrenton SpiteriJohn & Elizabeth Wright-SmithScholarshipJanet ToddBeleura-Tallis Opera ScholarshipMr Moffatt Oxenbould AMPage 10• A 31 Year Affair• Samuel SakkerPage 11• Announcing...Opera Society Scholarship• Lauren Fagan• Tiriki OnusIntroducing the Cast...Meet our New Director:Dmitry DanilovichMs Sharolyn Kimmorley AMPage 12• A Melba Farewell...to Siobhán Stagg• New Ways to Stay In TouchThis newsletter is printed on Sovereign Offsetderived from well-managed forests and othercontrolled sources certified against ForestStewardship Council ® standards, a non-profitorganisation 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 – Jillian GrahamImages – Les O’RourkeDesign 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.Dmitry’s professional experience is in the provision ofcommercial and financial advice to companies in theenergy and natural resources sectors and, since 1996,he has been a Director in the Corporate Financepractice at KPMG in Melbourne.Dmitry has many years’ experience inthe corporate world, having completedundergraduate and Master’s degrees inInternational Business at the PlekhanovRussian Academy of Economics, a Masterof Arts in International Economicsand Finance at Brandeis Universityin Boston and an Advanced GraduateProgram in International Managementat Copenhagen Business School.How did your interest inmusic develop?I have always been interested inmusic and the performing arts—my mother is a piano teacher, soI grew up with classical music.My fascination with music led toinvolvement with classical musicradio station 3MBS 103.5 FM, where Iwas a Director and Treasurer for threeyears and with the Flinders Quartet,where I am currently a member ofthe ‘Sounding Board’.How do you see your experienceinforming your contribution tothe Melba Opera Trust?I hope to be able to contribute mywide-ranging experience in financialmanagement to the financialoperations of the Trust and myprevious experience with musicalorganisations will no doubt alsobe useful!What draws you to the MelbaOpera Trust?The Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trustplays an important role in developingyoung Australian opera singersand the success of its scholarshiprecipients is a testament to theeffectiveness of its approach. I amhonoured to become a Director!Mr Giovanni Reggiolli2013ScholarshipPanelRecently we concludedthe process ofauditioning for nextyear’s scholarshiprecipients. Once again,our inimitable ArtisticAdvisor, Ms SharolynKimmorley Chaired theprocess and was joined byinternational conductorMr Giovanni Reggiolliand renowned DirectorMr Moffatt Oxenbould.In fact, if you saw the recentproduction of Opera Australia’sMadama Butterfly, you wouldhave seen first-hand the expertiseof these artists with Mr Reggioliconducting Mr Oxenbould’sproduction of this famousPuccini opera.We look forward to sharing theoutcome of these auditions withyou in early January 2013.Page 2