The Australian Singing Competition (ASC) evolved from the Marianne Mathy Scholarship, established in 1982 through a bequest made in the will of Marianne Mathy-Frisdane, a

coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano () is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile run (music), runs, leaps and Trill (music), trills. The term ''coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, whi ...

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

singer and distinguished teacher of opera and classical singing. __TOC__ The ASC rules and repertoire requirements are designed for young opera and classical singers, under 26 years of age. The competition is now recognised as one of the longest-running events of its kind, offering a range of scholarships, prizes, career and network opportunities, which also make the competition one of the richest in terms of financial and career opportunities available to recipients. Since 1982 the premier award of the competition has been the Marianne Mathy Scholarship, known by its participants and within its industry as "The Mathy". Since 1998 the final concert of the competition has taken place in various capital cities around Australia, featuring many prominent conductors and some of Australia's leading orchestras. The competition has had the patronage of several Governors-General of Australia, most recently David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). In 2014 the ASC formally welcomed

Haruhisa Handa is a Japanese religious leader and a businessman. Handa is the chairman and spiritual leader of the Shinto-based religion World Mate. He is also known by the name in his artistic career, as well as the pen name . He also uses the pseudonym , w ...

as patron of the renamed IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition in recognition of his ongoing sponsorship and support, both personally and as chairman of the International Foundation for Arts and Culture (IFAC). The winner of the

Opera Awards (Australia) The Opera Awards is an singing competition for professional Australian opera singers. It was established in 1986 with the purpose of assisting and developing professional Australian opera singers. This is achieved through programs of study with s ...

is acknowledged and invited to perform as a guest artist at the finals concert of the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition. The competition is widely regarded as the most prestigious opera competition in the Australasian region and is recognised within the opera community in Australia and internationally. Many finalists have successfully established their careers, with several going on to become influential artists both in Australia and abroad.

Marianne Mathy Scholarship winners ("The Mathy")

The IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition is managed by Music & Opera Singers Trust Limited.

References

External links

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Music Australia – The Australian Singing Competition

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

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Opera Awards (Australia) website

Music & Opera Singers Trust (MOST) website
{{Portal bar, Opera Opera competitions Singing competitions Music organisations based in Australia Arts organizations established in 1982 1982 establishments in Australia