Background

The song recital award was established in 1995 by the late Mietta O'Donnell with Michael Easton, Len Vorster and Tony Knox. It was run annually for 6 years, most recently in 2000. At the end of 2000, shortly before her untimely death, Mietta O'Donnell suggested, and it was agreed, that in future the competition should be held every second year. There was, in consequence, no attempt to mount the competition in 2001. From 2003 the Song Recital Award will bear Mietta's name.

Mietta herself made an enormous commitment of time and energy to the running of the competition and the committee is determined to continue with the award as a celebration of the life and achievements of this remarkable and wonderful woman and to continue her commitment to this wonderfully rich, but unappreciated, art form.

The purpose of the Award and of the Masterclasses, which have been an essential part of the program, is to provide a forum for performers of the art song, to promote performance and wider appreciation of this inspiring form, in all its diversity, and to provide support and masterclasses for students and performers including accompanists in areas relevant to art song.

The Masterclasses are being organized under the auspices of the Mietta Foundation by the committee of the Mietta Song Recital Award and will be held in the week leading up to the Mietta Song Recital Award Competition.

Objectives

The Song Recital Award and the Masterclasses aim:

• To provide performance opportunities, nationally and internationally, for singers and accompanists
• To provide competition opportunities, at an international level, for performers from Australia and overseas
• To promote the commissioning of new works in the Art Song genre
• To promote the performance and wider appreciation of Art Song in all its diversity
• To provide language training opportunities for performers both within and outside Australia

• Live performance
• Broadcasting
• Recording

Performers are encouraged to attend the Masterclasses which are seen as an essential part of the contribution to the knowledge of performers and to their development in this genre.

Benefits of the Award Competition and Masterclasses

Past competitors have made recordings and found new career opportunities through participating in the Award. Past award winners are now performing internationally and their participation in the Award has contributed to their experience, exposure as performers and success.

One of the measures of success for the Masterclasses is the number of students attending as well as the benefits from the classes received by the particular performers who have been selected as semi-finalists. Past winners of the Award have gone on to make recordings and the Song Recital Award itself has been broadcast.

The Song Recital Award Competition is itself judged by a panel of professional artists and musicians who provide input during the course of the judging process.