As part of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation‘s Arts Excellence Awards 2023, five sopranos, a pianist, a trombonist, a flautist and a classical guitarist have shared more than $30,000 in prize money.

The awards support young Kiwis of outstanding ability in the classical performing arts who are preparing for a professional career. This is the first year they have been offered nationwide and the recipients are:

Upper North Island:

• Ellis Carrington, soprano – towards a Master of Music in Voice Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music
• Katherine Winitana (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngaariki Kaiputahi), soprano – towards an audition tour in the US including the Merola Opera Program and Ryan Opera Studio

Lower North Island:

• Larissa Kent, soprano – towards a Master of Music in Classical Voice Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
• Chris Everest, classical guitarist – to participate in Camino de las Artes international workshop for classical guitar in Carrión de los Condes, Spain
• Sarah Rathbun, trombonist – towards a Master of Music in Orchestral Performance at the Manhattan School of Music

South Island:

• Olivia Pike, soprano – towards a Graduate Performance Diploma in Voice Performance at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee
• Erica Paterson, lyric-coloratura soprano – towards a Master of Music in Vocal Studies at the Royal College of Music in London
• Abhinath Berry, pianist and composer – towards an audition tour of the United States, including Shepherd, Jacobs, Yale, and Cleveland schools of music
• Anastasia Bell, flautist received the Cecily Maccoll High Achiever Award– to attend a flute summer intensive programme at the Michigan University School of Music, Theatre and Dance

Thanks to the Toi Foundation, the DMMF Taranaki committee offers funding opportunities to Taranaki youth involved in the performing arts twice a year, with the next round of applications closing on September 30. More info here.