AUSTRALIAN OPERA AWARDS COMMITTEE
The AOAC committee consists of professional volunteers who are committed music lovers and advocates of the Arts. Since our inception by Shelia Prior 40 years ago, the AOAC has raised and awarded millions of dollars to support OPERA in Australia.
The Australian Opera Awards Committee was the first to honour Dame Joan Sutherland by establishing a scholarship in her name. For forty years, the Dame Joan Sutherland/AOAC Scholarship has been awarded annually. Among the many notable recipients of this award include Anthony Warlow, Daniel Sumegi, John Antoniou, Maria Pollicina, Gregory Tomlinson, Dominic Natoli, James Hancock, Richard Alexander, Dwayne Jones, Deborah Humble, Brad Cooper Andrew Goodwin, Emma Jayakumar, Simon Thew, Amy Radford and Lorina Gore.
The AOAC has sponsored three CDs; ‘The Power of Love’, Deborah Riedel with Richard Bonynge conducting the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestras, Horst Hoffmann’s ‘Great Opera Heroes’, in the Voice of Australia series for Walsingham Classics and for Melba Records and ‘Lisa Gasteen-Singer of the World’.
AOAC Committee Members
Dr Michael Warczak OAM
Judith Ward
Maxim Mangraviti
John Hayson
Ian Casimir
Doune Macnaught
Lisa Donnellan
AOAC PATRONS
Professor the Hon. Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO
Professor the Hon. Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO
Mr. Richard A. Bonynge AC CBE
Mr. Richard A. Bonynge AC CBE
The Hon. Michael D. Kirby AC CMG
The Hon. Michael D. Kirby AC CMG
"Over 40 Years The AOAC has given millions of dollars in Scholarships and Awards"
Beneficiaries
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Regina Daniel (Coloratura Soprano)
AOAC E. Chang and E. & K. Ong Opera Scholarship – $10,000
– Shane Lowrence (Bass Baritone)
AOAC Sheila Prior Memorial Award (worth $5000) to attend The Lisa Gasteen National Opera School
– Ayse Goknur Shanal (Soprano)
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Awards – $20,000
– Michael Honeyman (Baritone)
Inaugural AOAC E. Chang and E. & K. Ong Opera Scholarship – $10,000
– Eva Jinhee Kong (Soprano)
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Lorina Gore (Soprano)
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Wakefield Press, Marjorie Lawrence Biography, Author – Richard Davis
AOAC Sheila Prior Award $5,000
– Gerard Schneider (Tenor)
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Pacific Opera – Hansel & Gretel production
AOAC Sheila Prior Study grants – $300
– David Corcoran (Tenor)
– Andrew Jones (Baritone)
– Jane Parkin (Soprano)
AOAC Sheila Prior Study Grant – $2,000
– Anna Yun (Mezzo)
AOAC Sheila Prior Study Grant – $2,250
– Carolyn Watson (Conductor)
AOAC Sheila Prior Study Grant – $5,000
– James Roser(Baritone)
AOAC Sheila Prior Grant – $5,000
– Music and Opera Singers Trust (MOST) – AUSSING
Nina Barden Bequest $10,000
– Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program, Opera Australia
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Amy Radford (Soprano)
AOAC Sheila Prior Travel Grant – $5,000
– Brian Castles-Onion (Conductor)
Nina Barden Bequest – OA Young Artist Programme, $20,000
YAPs – David Corcoran (Tenor), Andrew Moran (Baritone), Stephen Smith (Tenor), Christopher Tuinen (Conductor), Amy Wilkinson (Soprano)
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Simon Thew (Conductor)
AOAC Sheila Prior Awards – $5,000
– Michael Lampard (Baritone) at AUSSING
– Mary Jean O’Doherty (Coloratura Soprano)
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Emma Jayakumar (Soprano)
AOAC Sheila Prior Awards – $5,000
– John Brunato (Bass)
– Simon Tedeschi (Pianist)
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Andrew Goodwin (Tenor)
AOAC Sheila Prior Awards – $5,000
– Stephen Mould (Conductor)
– Eloise Evans (Soprano)
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Deborah Humble (Mezzo)
AOAC Sheila Prior Memorial Study Grants/Awards inaugurated
– Adele Johnston (Soprano)
– Estella Roche (Pianist)
AOAC Dame Joan Sutherland Award – $20,000
– Brad Cooper (Tenor)