In 1944, an annual state-based competition for young performers was organised by the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Over the years it grew into the ABC Concerto and Vocal Competition, producing such names as Max Olding (piano, 1952), Charmian Gadd (violin, 1962), Roger Woodward (piano, 1964) and Nathan Waks (cello, 1968).

In 1968 the competition became the Instrumental and Vocal Competition and by 1978 a format comprising four categories (Strings, Vocal, Keyboard, and Other Instrumental) was born. This was followed by the addition of an “Outstanding Competitor” in 1981 with winners including Ian Munro (piano, 1982) and Duncan Gifford (piano, 1989).

From 1997 Symphony Australia presented the Awards in collaboration with the ABC and the competition was renamed the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards. In 2001 the vocal category was removed from the competition and replaced with a cash prize and performance opportunity for a singer, administered through the Australian Singing Competition and the Music and Opera Singers’ Trust.

The Young Performers Awards are now presented by the Music and Opera Singers Trust.

Past Winners

Starting in 1981, an award for the most “Outstanding Competitor” was introduced. Today, the title Young Performer of the Year is bestowed on the most outstanding competitor, who receives prize money and the opportunity to perform with a symphony orchestra. In the list below, from 1981 the overall winner is marked with an asterisk (*).

Details of winners of the competition since 2015 can be found at http://youngperformersawards.org/winners-finalists/.

2015

• Lloyd Van’t Hoff*, clarinet
• Lily Higson Spence, violin
• Christopher Cartlidge, viola

2014

• Grace Clifford*, violin
• Andrew Kawai, oboe
• Anna Da Silva Chen, violin

2013

• Hoang Pham*, piano
• Stefan Cassomenos, piano
• Andrew Kawai, oboe

2012

• Katerina Nazarova*, violin
• Young Kwon Choi, piano
• Som Howie, clarinet

2011

• Nicholas Russoniello*, saxophone
• Nicholas Young, piano
• Emily Sun, violin

2010

• Oliver She*, piano
• Richard Pollett, violin
• Ashley William Smith, clarinet

2009

• Ji Won Kim*, violin
• David Papp, oboe
• Bo An Lu, piano

2008

• Maxwell Foster*, piano
• Rebecca Chan, violin
• Jessica Foot, oboe

2007

• Shaun Lee-Chen*, violin
• Benjamin Kopp, piano
• Tristram Williams, trumpet

2006

• Cameron Hill*, violin
• Brieley Cutting, piano
• Shefali Pryor, oboe

2005

• Suyeon Kang*, violin
• Oliver Le Meng She, piano
• Mark Gaydon, bassoon

2004

• Amy Dickson*, saxophone
• Chen Gu, violin – winner of the Nelly Apt Scholarship
• Edward Neeman, piano – winner of the David Paul Landa Scholarship

2003

• Richard Haynes*, clarinet
• Nicole Vasilakis, violin – winner of the Nelly Apt Scholarship
• Olivia Sham, piano

2002

• David Fung*, piano
• Kristian Winther, violin – winner of the Nelly Apt Scholarship
• Jamie Adam, marimba

2001

• Pei-Jee Ng*, cello – winner of the Nelly Apt Scholarship and the Paul and Helena Haas Scholarship
• Kristian Chong, piano
• Emma Scholl, flute
• Caitlin Hulcup, mezzo-soprano

2000

• Sophie Rowell*, violin – winner of the Nelly Apt Scholarship
• Grace Kim, piano – Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Trust winner
• Meg Sterling, flute

1999

• Claire Edwardes*, percussion
• Alexandra Osborne, violin – winner of the Nelly Apt Scholarship
• Andrea Lam, piano
• Göknur Ray, soprano

1998

• Simon Tedeschi*, piano
• Sarita Kwok, violin – winner of the Nelly Apt Scholarship
• Nicole King, bassoon
• Caroline Chown, soprano

1997

Name changed to ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards.

• Philip Arkinstall*, clarinet
• Kirsten Le Strange, violin – winner of the Nelly Apt Scholarship
• Alexandra Sherman, mezzo-soprano
• Fabian Russell, tuba
• Lance Coburn, piano

1996

• Andrew Day*, flute
• Susie Park, violin – winner of the Nelly Apt Scholarship
• Lachlan Redd, piano
• Catherine Carby, mezzo-soprano

1995

• Alison Eddington*, percussion
• Leanne Kenneally, soprano
• David Tong, piano
• Sally Cooper, violin

1994

• Elowyn Leonard*, clarinet
• Sally Cooper, violin
• Fiona Campbell, mezzo-soprano
• Margot Lee, bassoon
• Shan Deng, piano

1993

• Liwei Qin*, cello
• Rebecca Chambers, piano
• Sarah Warner, bassoon
• Emma Lysons, soprano

1992

• Natalie Chee*, violin
• Caroline Almonte, piano
• Steve Rossé, tuba
• Lisa Brown, soprano

1991

• Tamara-Anna Cislowska*, piano
• Kathryn McCuster, soprano
• Zoë Black, violin

1990

• Clemens Leske, Jnr*, piano
• Andrew Collis, bass-baritone
• Anna McMichael, violin
• Markus Lutz, percussion

1989

• Antony Chesterman*, oboe
• Duncan Gifford*, piano
• Melissa Barnard, cello
• Louise Page, soprano

1988

• Virginia Taylor*, flute
• Julian Smiles, cello
• Yanghee Kim, piano
• Ian Vayne, bass-baritone

1987

Name changed to ABC Young Performers Award.

• Bernadette Harvey*, piano
• Karen Robertson, mezzo-soprano
• Amanda Parsons, horn
• Patricia Ayling, cello

1986

Name changed to ABC Young Performers’ Competition. State finals converted to four category finals. Young Performer of the Year receives extra cash and minimum of three concert performances with ABC orchestras.

• Alison Lazaroff*, violin
• Philip Mayers, piano
• Anna Connolly, soprano
• Frances Barzyk, tuba

1985

• Diana Doherty*, oboe
• Cameron Retchford, cello
• Yasuko Toba, piano
• Miriam Gormley, soprano

1984

• Adele Anthony*, violin
• Susan Dunn, soprano
• Katrina Brown, piano
• Warwick Tyrrell, trombone

1983

• Joan Qiong Shih*, violin
• Margaret Schindler, soprano
• Deborah de Graaff, clarinet
• Paul Ford, piano

1982

• Ian Munro*, piano
• Ivan James, cello
• Geoffrey Payne, trumpet

1981

Award for Most Outstanding Competitor introduced.

• Jolanta Nagajek*, mezzo-soprano
• John White, marimba
• Brett Dean, viola
• Robert Zocchi, piano

1980

• Sue-Ellen Paulsen, cello
• Stephen Emmerson, piano
• Claire Primrose, soprano
• Michael Mulcahy, trombone

1979

• Keith Birchley, piano
• Liza Chesire, flute
• Adele Nisbet, soprano
• Howard Penny, cello

1978

Four categories introduced – Vocal, Orchestral Strings, Keyboard, and Other Instrumental.

• Amelia Fonte, mezzo-soprano
• Laurien Kennedy, cello
• Victor Sangiorgio, piano
• Peter Veale, oboe

1977

• Robyn Cantle, soprano
• Jenni Flemming, piano
• Susan Blake, cello

1976

• Anthony Halliday, piano
• Rosamund Illing, soprano
• Peta Lowe, violin

1975

• Lesley Young, piano
• Graham Godfrey, tenor
• Alan Vivian, clarinet

1974

• Virginia Inkratas, piano
• Wendy Verco, mezzo-soprano
• Michele Walsh, violin

1973

• Renate Turrini, piano
• Jeffrey Crellin, oboe
• Jonathan Summers, baritone

1972

• Rosalie Myers, piano
• Andrew Peter Bowman, alto
• Keith Crellin, viola

1971

• Ormsby Wilkins, piano
• Rodney Lowe, trumpet
• Margot Wall, soprano

1970

• Julie Raines, harp
• Anthony Newcombe, piano

1969

• Margaret Garrett, soprano
• Tanya Hunt, cello
• Gustave Fenyö, piano

1968

Preliminary recital stage introduced. Instrumental categories divided into Keyboard and ‘Other’. Name changed to Instrumental
and Vocal Competition.

• Nathan Waks, cello
• James Whitbread, baritone
• Tom Pommerel, piano

1967

• Robert Davidovici, violin
• Thomas Ungar, piano
• Glenys Fowles, soprano
• Ian Morgan, clarinet

1966

• Margaret Crawford, flute
• Janice Taylor, soprano
• Elizabeth Drake, piano

1965

• Pamela Bryce, violin
• Vernon Hill, flute
• Janet Lasscock, soprano
• Elizabeth Leslie, piano

1964

• Roger Woodward, piano
• Brian Hanly, violin
• Paul Curtis, flute
• Elizabeth Tippett, mezzo-soprano

1963

• Althea Bridges, soprano
• Philip Miechel, clarinet
• Geoffrey Madge, piano
• Kerry Smith, violin

1962

• Charmian Gadd, violin
• Janet Gare, piano
• Janice Hearne, soprano

1961

• Ruth Gurner, soprano
• Rodney Sigston, piano
• Michael Wentzell, organ

1960

• Nance Grant, soprano
• Stephen McIntyre, piano

1959

• Gloria McDonall, soprano
• Irene Pang, piano

1958

• Lynette Howieson, soprano
• Geoffrey Michaels, violin

1957

• Patricia Connop, soprano
• Stanley Ritchie, violin

1956

• Russell Cooper, bass-baritone
• Janette Hamilton, piano

1955

• Neil Warren-Smith, bass-baritone
• Barbara Hoad, clarinet

1954

• Donald Thornton, piano
• Patricia Wyatt, soprano

1953

• Lynette Kierce, soprano
• Donald Westlake, clarinet

1952

• Marjorie Conley, soprano
• Max Olding, piano

1951

• Kevin Miller, tenor
• Audrey White, piano

1950

Awards inaugurated for singers and instrumentalists. Name changed to ABC Concerto and Vocal Competition.

• Ronald Price, piano – Commonwealth winner
• Enid Strong, piano
• Trevor Lewis, baritone
• Leslie Miers, piano
• Kevin Miller, tenor
• Elise Longwill, soprano

1949

Commonwealth Finals first held.

• Donald Weekes, violin – Commonwealth winner
• Ronald Jackson, bass
• Helen McKinnon, contralto
• Sylvia Biddle, soprano
• Pamela Main, piano
• Pamela Flower, soprano
• Lyall Duke, piano

1948

• Frances Moran, piano –  Juilliard Scholarship winner
• Laurence Davis, piano
• Norma Cornelius, soprano
• Berenice Lehmann, piano

1947

• Dallas Haslam, piano – Juilliard Scholarship winner

1946

• Beryl Kimber, violin – British Council Scholarship winner
• Manfred Clynes, piano – Juilliard Scholarship winner
• Sybil Willey, contralto – Juilliard Scholarship winner

1945

• No winner selected

1944

An annual state-based competition is organised.

• Richard Farrell, piano
• Audrey White, piano
• Betty Munro George, piano