Stage III 2008 Instrument Final Winners
Jessica Foot, Maxwell Foster & Rebecca Chan
All three of the grand finalists for this year’s ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards have now been announced.
The Grand Finalists are Maxwell Foster, Rebecca Chan and Jessica Foot. Each performed to capacity houses across Australia and won $5,000.00 on the night and the right to compete in the Grand Final to be held in Melbourne on 19 September 2008.
The ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year will receive a $20,000 cash prize, a professionally-produced CD of their winning performance, the Sir Charles Moses Trophy and concert engagements with major Australian symphony orchestras, as well as their own recital in the Sydney Opera House’s Utzon Room.
170 young soloists took part in the first round of auditions for this year’s competition, hoping to win the opportunity to perform with one of Australia’s finest symphony orchestras in what is this country’s most prestigious competition for young instrumentalists. By the third stage, only 12 were left, with the three winners now going on to perform in Melbourne.
Sixteen-year-old Maxwell Foster (Qld), won the Keyboard Final held on Friday 13 June at the Conservatorium Theatre, Brisbane, with The Queensland Orchestra conducted by Pietari Inkinen. Maxwell performed Tchaikovsky‘sPiano Concerto No.1.
Rebecca Chan (Vic) won the Strings Final held on Thursday 19 June at the Adelaide Town Hall, with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Verbitsky. She performed Korngold‘s Violin Concerto.
Jessica Foot (Vic) won the Other Instruments Final held on Thursday 26 June at the Federation Concert Hall, Hobart, with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marc Taddei. Jessica performed the Strauss Oboe Concerto.
The Grand Final will take place at Hamer Hall, Victorian Arts Centre with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arvo Volmer, on Friday 19 September 2008 at 8pm.
Now in its 65th year, the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards is unique among Australian classical music competitions in that all finalists have the opportunity to perform with a full symphony orchestra.
The Grand Final will be broadcast live on ABC Classic FM, and recorded for documentary broadcast on ABC Television’s Sunday Arts on the 23rd Of November at 5pm on ABC1 and 7:30pm on ABC2. This year's event will be hosted by Spicks & Specks' Alan Brough and Classic FM's Emma Ayres.
