The four finalists of the 2015 Freedman Classical Fellowship are clarinettist Aviva Endean, harpist Jessica Fotinos, violinist Suyeon Kang and pianist Alex Raineri.
The prestigious annual Fellowship awards a classical instrumentalist less than 30 years of age with a $15,000 scholarship to undertake a career-enhancing creative project.
Aviva Endean is a performance-maker, clarinettist and composer interested in expanding the audience experience of sound by creating site-specific, intimate contexts for listening. Her practice spans a wide variety of musical styles including experimental and improvised music, contemporary chamber music, world music, and inter-arts collaborations.
She has performed with leading new music organisations such as Chamber Made Opera, Golden Fur and New Music Network, co-directed new music ensemble Quiver, played with “Gypsy-death-core” band The Barons of Tang since 2009, and studied and collaborated internationally through the Vancouver Creative Music Institute, Bang on a Can Summer Music Institute, and in Germany and Amsterdam.
Jessica Fotinos is a diverse and distinctive harpist, actively involved in orchestral, chamber music and solo performance. Jessica was the first harpist to be awarded a scholarship to study at the prestigious Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in 2010, studying with Jacinta Dennett.
She has been a core member of viola, flute and harp trio “Petrichor” and performed with the Malthouse Theatre production “The Bloody Chamber” and ANAM’s collaboration with James Ledger, Paul Kelly and Genevieve Lacey. Jessica has also held principal harp positions in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Metropolis series), Orchestra Victoria, the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Australian National Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra.
Suyeon Kang has been gaining international recognition since winning the Symphony Australia ABC Young Performer’s Awards at the age of 16. She is currently based in Berlin for her studies at the Hochschule für Musik Berlin ‘Hanns Eisler’ studying with Professor Antje Weithaas, where she recently completed her Master of Music.
Suyeon has received international recognition as winner of the 2015 Michael Hill International Violin Competition and major or special prizes at the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (USA 2014), International Music Competition Bayreuth ‘Pacem in Terris’ (Germany 2014), 2nd International Violin Competition Buenos Aires (Argentina 2012), Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition (Norway, 2010), and the International Leopold Mozart Violin Competition (Augsburg 2009).
Pianist Alex Raineri is based both in Brisbane and Melbourne. He is under the tutelage of Leah Horwtiz OAM and Timothy Young and is a student at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). Concurrently he is also undertaking a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (Griffith University).
Alex is the pianist and co-artistic director of the Brisbane contemporary music ensemble Kupka’s Piano who are currently in residence at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts. He regularly performs in duo partnerships with soprano Tabatha McFadyen and percussionist Angus Wilson, was selected in 2013 by Universal Music Australia to perform as touring associate artist with Andreas Ottensamer, and has performed with the likes of ELISION Ensemble, Brett Dean, Slava Grigoryan, Southern Cross Soloists, Ensemble Offspring, and Camerata of St John’s.
The judges for the 2015 Freedman Classical Fellowship are Dr John Lynch, Associate Professor of conducting, Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Benjamin Schwarz, Director of Artistic Planning, Sydney Symphony Orchestra; and Nigel Westlake, leading Australian composer.
The winner will be announced on Thursday 17th September.
See the previous Freedman Fellows
Read more about the Freedman Music Fellowships
