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Handa Opera
on Sydney Harbour
Phantom of the Opera, 2026

our story

The International Foundation for Arts and Culture (IFAC) is a non-profit organization, which was formed to advance human well-being through music and all the arts.

Established in 1996, IFAC was officially recognized by the Government of Tokyo as a non-profit organization in 1999. The foundation has since enjoyed the backing of a great number of art enthusiasts who have pledged support for our objectives and kindly contributed to our activities in various ways.

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our chairman

DR HARUHISA HANDA

It is my firm conviction that both the civilization and culture of the 21st century are reaching beyond the borders of art, religion, welfare, economics, politics and other realms. The current times are particularly characterized as an age of economics, and in recent years corporate patronage of the arts and culture has expanded greatly.

latest news & events

Hannah Burton Wins the 2026 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition https://ifac-global.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/HannahBurtonWins1.jpg 900 1350 ifaccontent ifaccontent https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0bc72e0cdf4d0ab0b39d20e3787ffe44a61cb18d1ae65a33eeaaec647914fb4e?s=96&d=mm&r=g October 9, 2026 October 14, 2026

Hannah Burton Wins the 2026 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition

Soprano Hannah Burton wins the 2026 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition, with awards supporting further study, recording and professional opportunities for all five finalists.

Sing for Hope at UNGA 81: Social Business, Youth & Technology

Sing for Hope’s co-founders joined UNGA 81 as Global Committee members for a high-level discussion on social business, youth, technology and microcredit.

Five Finalists Named for the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition

Five young singers have been named finalists in the 2026 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition, ahead of the Finals Concert at The Concourse in Sydney on 8 October, where each will perform with the Opera Australia Orchestra.

Photo credit: Hamilton Lund

we support

Photo credit: Prudence Upton

music & theatre

IFAC proudly supports music, theatre, dance and poetry through various global partnerships including world class performances with Opera Australia and Japan’s oldest theatre art Noh.

In Australia, set against its stunning backdrop, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour continues to redefine operatic theatre and the imaginative spaces in which art can be performed.

In Japan, Noh theatre is performed incorporating traditional masks, costumes and various props, in a dance based cultural performance, drawing on its 14th century heritage.

OPERA AUSTRALIA

NOH THEATRE

Visual Arts

IFAC sponsors and supports visual arts at all levels including its ongoing partnership with the Annual International High School Arts Festival in Japan and its historical partnership with the British Museum.

The annual International High School Arts Festival in Japan is an opportunity for senior high school students to showcase their outstanding creative talent on a global platform.

IFAC and the British Museum’s partnership showcased the art and culture of Japan, sharing its beauty with the millions of people visiting the British Museum every year.

BRITISH MUSEUM

INTERNATIONAL
ARTS HIGH SCHOOL
FESTIVAL

youth education

For more than 20 years now IFAC has partnered with some outstanding organisations such as The Juilliard School, Sing for Hope and the Australian Singing Competition supporting youth education within music, arts and culture at a global level.

Through the partnership with IFAC, Juilliard has been able to bring some of the most renowned singers and musicians in the world to work with their young singers.

Sing for Hope now have a decade-long commitment to support toward their programs in New York City as well as dynamic new creative initiatives around the globe, whilst in Australia the Australian Singing Competition has been elevated from a valued contest with piano, to an internationally respected and locally celebrated event.