Now in our third decade of supporting youth education across the world, the International Foundation for Arts and Culture (IFAC) has been a valued partner of The Juilliard School since 1999, we’ve sponsored the Australian Singing Competition for the past 22 years and have been a proud supporter of Sing for Hope since 2016.

With our sights proudly set on continuing this support into the years ahead, in 2019 we announced a further decade-long commitment to support Sing for Hope’s programs in New York City as well as dynamic new creative initiatives around the globe.

“Dr Haruhisa Handa’s sponsorship of the Australian Singing Competition some 22 years ago elevated the Competition from a valued contest with piano, to an internationally respected and locally celebrated event.

With Dr Handa and IFAC’s generous support, we engaged the Opera Australia’s Orchestra to accompany the finalists at the dazzling annual concert.

The presence of the Orchestra on stage is not only a delight for the audience, but also a career-changing experience for the singers and a noteworthy addition to the rich cultural life of Australia.”

Roland Gridiger OAM
CEO Australian Singing Competition

Haruhisa Handa is first and foremost a philanthropist in the broad sense of the word, giving large amounts of energy, funds, time and effort to various charities around the world.

Many of Dr Handa’s projects are not directly related to the arts but are connected more broadly to the human condition. For Dr Handa, sponsorship, participation and education are all essential ingredients in his philosophy towards the arts.

As an accomplished artist and musician, Dr Handa has been accredited by the Chinese government as a First Grade National Master of Fine Arts, a First Grade National Opera Singer and a Second Grade National Peking Opera Actor.

IFAC has been a proud supporter of Sing for Hope since 2016 and in 2019 announced a further decade-long commitment of support. Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Through dynamic education, healthcare, and global initiatives, Sing for Hope activates creativity in schools, hospitals, refugee camps, and public spaces for millions of people worldwide.

There has never been a more important time for us collectively, as global citizens, to bring hope and healing to those individuals and communities who are too often left behind. Sing for Hope does this each and every day in schools, hospitals, refugee camps, and public spaces worldwide, and IFAC is delighted to help ensure the future of this important work.