IFAC Australia Chairman, Australian operatic baritone and Artistic Director of Opera Australia. He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2014.
It is a great honour to greet you as both the Artistic Director of Opera Australia and the Chairman of IFAC Australia. In my role at Opera Australia, I have witnessed the extensive contribution that IFAC makes towards the education of artists in Australia and abroad.
IFAC places great value on the cultivation of young artistic talent, demonstrated each year by its support for the Australian Singing Competition, a platform which has launched many careers in classical music, across the globe.
Thanks to the support of IFAC, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour has become a worldwide phenomenon. The event has changed the perception of opera, allowing for many more people to share in its intrinsic beauty. IFAC’s support for these events engenders a greater understanding of our artistic heritage and a more profound connection in the performing arts.
IFAC seeks to support the highest, as well as the most elementary echelons of artistic endeavour. In New York, IFAC has been a supporter of the Juilliard school for the past two decades. Meanwhile in China, the Foundation has funded the construction of stages at over 130 major primary schools, to be used by students who would never have dreamt of themselves partaking in the performing arts.
I’m excited for the future of artistic culture which will be greatly enhanced by organisations like IFAC.
