newsletter

Dear members and friends Mid-way through our 2013 recital series I’m delighted to report that it has so far been a great success artistically, drawing large audience numbers, especially on our inaugural Sunday afternoon concert. The many new faces at our recitals this year suggest that the introduction of the Friday evening and Sunday afternoon time slots was a good decision. On a sad note, I would like to acknowledge a great friend and supporter of Art Song Perth, Dr Des Gurry, who died suddenly in May. He was a colourful and eccentric figure, and an enthusiastic supporter of the arts. A regular at ASP recitals for many years, he was whole-hearted and enthusiastic in his love of music and praise of the artists. ASP paid a special tribute to Des at our Sunday recital on 9 June. He will be greatly missed. Tickets for the Sally-Anne Russell recital are selling fast. As seating is limited, I urge you to purchase your tickets now to avoid disappointment. Booking details are on page 2. A reminder that applications are now open for the 2013 Evelyn and Ralph Thompson Scholarship. With a prize pool of $3,000 the ERTS has become increasingly competitive. Details on how to apply are on page 6. I very much look forward to seeing you at our next recital on Sunday, 21 July, at 3:00pm. Dr Harry Cohen President

Number 7 July 2013

From ASP President Dr Harry Cohen

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Tickets selling fast—book now!

Sally-Anne Russell An evening of song

7:30pm Saturday 31 August 2013

Sally-Anne will be accompanied by Marilyn Phillips. Programme to include works by Haydn, Dvořák, Turina, Montsalvatge, Britten and Jake Heggie.

Tickets Members $40 | Non-members $45 | No concessions Book tickets online at http://www.trybooking.com/CTWT or call 9349 5694.

Sky in the Pie—the story of a song cycle On 21 July, soprano Emma Jayakumar will perform her own composition Sky in the Pie. Following is Emma’s account of its genesis.

Composition has always interested me but I never really seriously started writing things down or recording my own material until I returned to Australia from London. I then took some of my musical ideas to Tommaso [Pollio] for his opinion.

Tommaso has been a wonderful supporter and collaborator on several projects in the last few years, most notably the Rather Beastly project for our chamber opera company Lark Chamber Opera.

Tom encouraged me to get serious about my writing and urged me to buy a proper laptop and music software - amongst other things! He is a great ‘sounding board’ and it was he who suggested I write my own song cycle. I was uncertain about it until I found some wonderful poems that I felt lent themselves very easily to music. They were children's poems from a collected book of poetry. I was attracted to them—possibly because they forced me not to take things too seriously. I wanted them to reflect the humour and whimsy of being a child, a result of having a two year old in my life too! I also wanted them to be a little bombastic in parts, to give Tommaso scope to show off his wonderful playing. As my first attempt at classical art song I hope they show the genesis of a serious composer who is able to compose in many mediums. I am, of course, most interested in vocal music and am still writing small scale operatic works for Lark Chamber Opera. I hope to progress to larger scale works as I gain more experience. Emma Jayakumar

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In March 2012 I sang as a part of the season opening concert for Art Song Perth. I never thought that 12 months later I would be planning my relocation to New York City! I travelled to the USA to audition for the graduate programs offered at Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School and Mannes College of Music. I spent four weeks working with the staff of each school and developed a greater understanding of my own voice. It was an exciting and somewhat daunting process, working with different teachers almost every day, but they all helped me uncover different sides of myself as a performer.

I also spent much of my time experiencing some of the most amazing music being made by some the of the greatest names in opera: Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ramón Vargas, Diana Damrau and Ferruccio Furlanetto, to name just a few! I've been offered a place at Manhattan School of Music to begin my Masters in August. This two year program offers a huge variety of training for students, and a wealth of performance opportunities. I'll be studying with the head of the vocal department, Maitland Peters, and will be tutored by some of the best mentors in the United States. The course offers everything needed for a young classical singer- experience in opera, early and contemporary music, acting, dance, languages and, very importantly, specialised art song classes! I'm currently in New York participating in the Manhattan Summer Voice Festival held at the Manhattan School of Music. This six week long program offers a great variety of performance experience to young singers from all over the world. I've been cast in a couple of smaller roles and I'm covering the two principle bass-baritone roles in the main stage production of L'incoronazione di Poppea. I'll also sing Marcello from La bohème in a concert of scenes from opera. I'm really looking forward to singing with Art Song Perth in recital with Lochlan Brown in July. This concert may be my last in Perth for a while, but hopefully the next won't be too far away! Paull-Anthony Keightley

From Paull-Anthony Keightley in New York

And Matthew Ward in London I'm singing the role of Frick in the Royal College of Music's production of La vie Parisienne in June. I played the role of Benjamin Britten earlier this year in a new work commissioned to celebrate the composer's centenary. It was called Journeying Boys and was written and directed by Ian Burnside featuring Britten's Illuminations. And I've recently been offered a five month contract with English Touring Opera for 2014. It's wonderful here. My friends and I go to Covent Garden for £11! I saw Rossini's La donna del lago with Juan Diego Flórez and Joyce DiDonato for £8! AMAZING! Matthew Ward

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Sunday recital a winner

Clockwise from top: L-R: Marilyn Phillips, Richard Symons, Yann Kee, Amy Yarham, Jody Pettit. Yann Kee with husband Eddy Eau. L-R: Marilyn Phillips, Amy Yarham, Yann Kee. Photos courtesy Leah Guelfi

ASP continued its popular 2013 series of recitals, with its inaugural Sunday afternoon concert on 9 June. Artists included soprano Yann Kee, mezzo-soprano Amy Yarham, tenor Richard Symons, baritone Michael Allpress and pianists Jody Pettit and Marilyn Phillips who delighted the audience with their programmes of popular art songs, along with lesser-known works. The programme included songs by Schubert, Barber, Berlioz, Fauré Manuel de Falla and Australian composer George Dreyfus, providing the audience with a varied and enjoyable Sunday afternoon entertainment, with interesting and informative introductions from the artists. The recital demonstrated that art song can be moving, entertaining - and amusing. The warm audience response to all artists, along with the lively after-concert afternoon tea brought the programme to a very pleasant conclusion, confirming the place of winter afternoon recitals in the ASP calendar.

Merlyn Quaife in 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List Distinguished soprano Merlyn Quaife was recently acknowledged for significant service to music in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Many of you may remember Merlyn and baritone Mark Alderson performed at a Tea Dance fundraiser for ASP in Government House in 1997. Former professional ballroom dancers Bert and June Cohen also performed at the event, to the music of the Silver Threads Band. Merlyn's last concert appearance in Perth was in February 2012 when she and Andrea Katz performed Fortune My Foe as a fundraiser for ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans). Anne Watson (ASP) was closely involved in the organization of the concert, and both Merlyn and Andrea donated their services and all proceeds after expenses, to ACRATH. Art Song Perth extends its congratulations to Merlyn.

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As a Wesfarmers Scholar on the West Australian Opera Young Artist Program, I am particularly enjoying my second year under the direction of Joseph Colaneri. In September I will be travelling to New York along with my fellow Young Artists Caitlin Cassidy and Lochlan Brown to complete a two week residency there. We will be working with teachers and coaches in New York and observing rehearsals. As a recipient of the Joan Sutherland Award from the Australian American Association I was fortunate to travel to New York in March 2012. During this trip I worked with incredible coaches and teachers including Deborah Birnbaum, Brian Zeger (Juilliard), Marlena Mallas (Juilliard) and Chuck Hudson to name but a few! I am very excited to return. At present I am enjoying preparing for this trip and have been given a variety of repertoire to present. Luckily I have the wonderful ears and knowledge of my singing teacher Patricia Price to help me in this preparation. I have had the opportunity to begin performing this repertoire, most recently with the West Australian Opera in our concert Highlights and Delights of Opera held at the Albany Performing Arts Centre. In November 2012, I attended the Lisa Gasteen National Opera School, to which I was awarded a

scholarship. This was an incredible experience to work with the likes of John Fisher, Siegfried Jerusalem, Lisa Gasteen, Giovanni Regoli and Sharolyn Kimmorley. A school of this standard and nature is invaluable to young Australian singers. It is highly intensive and productive in development both vocally and professionally. I am looking forward to attending again this year. Most recently, in February, I got to combine some business and pleasure! I was selected to participate in the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition in Dublin, Ireland, with Maestro Richard Bonynge as one of the adjudicators. This was a very special experience for me as I had not sung at home for over 4 years. It was a magnificent experience to be accompanied by former coaches and to compete alongside Irish singers I had studied with. Most of all it was fantastic to have my own Irish fan club with me made up of my family and friends who cheered me to the quarter finals. My journey on the road to becoming a professional opera singer is on its way and I am excited to see what lies behind the next door. Although this path is not always easy it is one that shines brightest for me. Sarah Guilmartin

Sarah Guilmartin

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ART SONG PERTH Postal: 34B Bilinga Road Westminster 6061 | Telephone: 9349 5694 Email: secretary.artsongperth@gmail.com | http://www.artsongperth.org.au Join us on facebook.com/artsongperth | Follow us on Twitter @ArtSongPerth

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Applications are now open for the 2013 Evelyn and Ralph Thompson Memorial Scholarship. A prize of $2,000 will be awarded to a singer or accompanist showing outstanding potential for further study in Australia or overseas. Other prizes will also be awarded with a total prize pool of $3,000. Entrants are asked to submit a varied, twenty mi-nute recital programme of art song (arias, operatic or oratorio, are excluded) as well as a detailed study proposal indicating how they would use the award, and what benefits they hope to achieve. Judging will take place at a public recital at 7:00pm on Saturday, 5 October, in which contest-ants will be required to perform items from their programme selected by the adjudicators. Contestants are judged on: Performance Choice of repertoire Technique Potential Presentation and personality Study plan

Eligibility Entrants must: be Australian or New Zealand citizens, or

permanent residents be financial members of Art Song Perth have performed for Art Song Perth

(formerly The Lieder Society of WA) Repertoire Singers must perform all works from

memory and in the original language Singers must provide their own accompa-

nist, and accompanists their own singer/s Entrants must provide their proposed recit-

al programme and name of associate artist Further details, including application forms are available on the Art Song Perth website at http://www.artsongperth.org.au/scholarship.html. Applications should be submitted electronically to secretary.artsongperth@gmail.com by 6:00pm, Friday 6 September 2012.

Evelyn and Ralph Thompson Memorial Scholarship 2013

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Winner of the 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World as well as the Song Prize was US mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, born in Rome, Georgia in 1981. Now acknowledged as one of the foremost singing competitions in the world, previous winners include Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Main Prize 1989), Lisa Gasteen (Main Prize 1991) and Bryn Terfel (Song Prize 1989).

Jamie Barton’s Song Prize final repertoire: Music for a while - Purcell/Britten Meine Liebe ist grün (Op 63 No 5) – Brahms Unbewegte laue Luft (Op 57 No 8) – Brahms Svarta rosor (Op 36 No 1) - Sibelius Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (Op 37 No 5) - Sibelius I wait for you (Op 14 No 1) – Rachmaninov Glory to God – Rachmaninov For more details visit the BBC website at http://www.bbc.co.uk