The Australian Music Foundation [AMF] is a charitable foundation, first established in the United Kingdom, with the chief purpose of providing financial support to outstanding young Australian musicians who wish to pursue post-graduate music courses in leading music education institutions around the globe. It also offers performance opportunities in Australia and abroad, advice and mentoring to awardees.
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At inception, the AMF’s activities were centred on the UK, reflecting a historical tradition of strong institutional links between Australian music academies and British institutions such as the Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In recent years the AMF has more actively expanded its field of activity to include North America, Europe, and South East Asia.
History
The AMF was initially established by Deed of Trust declared on 30 December 1975, in the United Kingdom, the original Trustees being Baron Goodman, The Hon. Sir Davies Hughes, Mr Robert Norman, Group Cpt Douglas Bader, Mr Sam Lynn, and Mr Guy Parsons. The first awards were made in 1980.
In 2006 an Australian Trust to support the work of the AMF was created under the name of "The AMF Australia Foundation".
The Australian Music Foundation (UK)
Patron-in-Chief: HRH The Prince of Wales KG
Patron: HE the Honourable Alexander Downer AC, Australian High Commissioner to the UK
President: The Right Honourable Lord Broers Lord Broers Kt FRS FREng
Joint Life Presidents: Richard Bonynge AO CBE, Yvonne Kenny AM, Sir John Tooley, The Right Honourable Lord Carrington KG GCMG CH MC, Guy Parsons
Life Presidents In Memoriam: Dame Joan Sutherland DBE, Sir Charles Mackerras CH AC CBE, Dr Peter Andry, OBE, OAM, Professor Peter Sculthorpe AO OBE
Chairman (Board of Trustees): Yvonne Kenny AM
The AMF Australia Foundation (AUS)
Patron: His Excellency General The Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd)
Chairman (Board of Trustees): Professor Peter Tregear
Secretary: Mr Andrew Boxall
Current Awardees 2015/16: Emily Edmonds (mezzo soprano), Lauren Fagan (soprano), Alexandra Flood (soprano), Andrey Lebedev (guitar), Stephanie Jones (guitar), Sonya Pigot (piano – AMF Nora Goodridge Young Artist Award) and Emily Sun (violin – AMF Nora Goodridge Emerging Artist Award)
Alumni
Past awardees have become some of Australia’s leading musicians in their field; they include: Yvonne Kenny (soprano), Elizabeth Campbell (mezzo-soprano), Rosamund Illing (soprano), Ian Munro (piano), Craig Ogden (guitar), Deborah Riedel (mezzo-soprano), Jeffrey Black (baritone), Mark Bonetti (cello), Peter Coleman-Wright (baritone), Andrew Wheeler (conductor), Alexander Briger (conductor), Yelian He (cello), Slava Grigoryan (guitar), Clemens Leske (piano), Benjamin Bayl (organ), Duncan Gifford (piano), David Hansen (counter-tenor), Laurence Meikle (baritone), and Amir Farid (piano).