On Thursday 25 October 2012 at the Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera
House, ANNA DOWSLEY, a 25 year old Mezzo Soprano from Ashfield, NSW was
announced as the 2012 Australian Singing Competition winner. Anna
was awarded the Marianne Mathy Scholarship presented to her by
internationally acclaimed opera singer Jeffrey Black.
Since 1982, the Marianne Mathy Scholarship has been the premier
award in Australia’s richest singing competition, awarded to young opera and
classical singers under the age of 26. The Scholarship consists of a cash
prize of $30,000 to assist with a program of study and/or singing
activity. The Scholarship also provides a studio recording with ABC
Classic FM, a recording engagement with Fine Music, Photographic Award,
Editorial Resources prize, oral history prize plus a limited edition Drago
Cherina sculpture presented by Music & Opera Singers Trust Ltd.
Anna sang beautifully and demonstrated poise,
professionalism and ability to rise to the occasion. She was one of five
finalists competing against Thomas Atkins, Charlotte Betts-Dean, Jeremy
Kleeman and Tabatha McFadyen who must also be congratulated on
their high standard of performance, impressing the adjudicators and audience
alike.
The sponsor of the ASC, International Foundation for Arts and Culture
(IFAC) presented the Handa Prize. This exciting prize
includes an audition in Tokyo in 2013 and was also awarded to Anna
Dowsley. If Anna is successful she will receive a professional engagement
in Tokyo. Total package is valued at $25,000.
Prizes valued at over $200,000 were awarded at the Concert. The
five finalists were accompanied by the Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra
conducted by Johannes Fritzsch. Guest Artist was 2012 Opera Awards
Winner Nicole Car.
The unenviable task of choosing the winner was undertaken by National
Adjudicator Jeffrey Black and fellow judges Conal Coad, Dobbs Franks, Michael Halliwell, Huw
Humphreys, Yoshinobu Kuribayashi and
Anthony Legge.
Anna Dowsley
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Anna has been
studying voice performance for seven years at the Sydney Conservatorium.
After completing a Bachelor of Music, she is now in her final year of the
Advanced Diploma of Opera.
Anna has
performed at a range of different venues around Sydney including Angel Place
Recital Hall and Sydney Town Hall. She sings as guest soloist for a number of
choirs and orchestras around Sydney and has been involved in two Sydney
Chamber Opera productions and performed a range of operatic roles at the
Sydney Conservatorium.
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