Britain may have voted for Brexit but closer to home a new partnership between the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Academy will bring welcome ties with Europe and a strengthening of ANAM’s international standing.
Nick Deutsch, recently appointed Artistic Director of ANAM, has wasted no time in launching ANAM’s International Academy Program, with the goal of delivering professional development opportunities in the world’s leading orchestras, ensembles and academies. The partnership will provide a two-year residency for an ANAM student in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Academy, which includes a significant number of performances with the Berlin Philharmonic each year.
ANAM will become the first music training institution in the world to enter into partnership with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Academy. The prestigious award is made possible by an inaugural gift to the ANAM International Academy Program by arts benefactors Naomi Milgrom AO and Peter Weiss AO.
Nick Deutsch said, “I am thrilled that the Berlin Philharmonic has been one of the first orchestras to join the International Academy Program, and delighted to welcome Naomi Milgrom and Peter Weiss as inaugural patrons of the program. The finest young Australian musicians are equal to the finest young musicians anywhere in the world. Berlin’s embrace of ANAM’s musicians and our program is testament to the international standing that ANAM enjoys”.
Sir Simon Rattle, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Berlin Philharmonic and Chairman of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Academy said, “Over the years the Berlin Philharmonic has had many fortunate associations with Australian musicians, with permanent members in (former ANAM Artistic Director) Brett Dean, Stanley Dodds and Matthew MacDonald and also a steady stream of young musicians passing through the Orchestra Academy. It gives me great pleasure that a dedicated position for young Australians is now to be established at the Orchestra Academy, thus ensuring that this mutually rich exchange may be guaranteed for many years to come”.
Following an audition before members of the Berlin Philharmonic in early July, the successful candidate will take up the scholarship in Berlin in early September.
ANAM has also confirmed a partnership with the prestigious Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academy In Berlin. Four ANAM students have recently returned from Germany where they participated in performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 under Daniel Harding with members of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. ANAM oboist Stephanie Dixon – whose position at ANAM is supported by Loris Orthwein – said, “playing alongside the newly appointed co-principal of the Royal Concertgebouw was an experience that opened up my ears and mind to a completely new perspective of orchestral playing of which only a truly international opportunity such as this can provide.”
Mr Deutsch today also announced the launch of ANAM’s International Brass Program, with the appointment of Michael Mulcahy (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) and Andrew Bain (Solo Horn, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra) to ANAM’s teaching faculty. This program has been made possible with a gift by USA based philanthropist Ann Ronus.
“While the quality of ANAM’s work may be one of Australia’s best kept secrets, I can assure you that our international reputation is rising fast, as these partnerships attest”, Mr Deutsch said. “We are currently in discussion with a number of European and American orchestras and will be announcing more partnerships in the coming months”.
The information above was supplied to Classic Melbourne by ANAM. The picture of Nick Deutsch is by Pia Johnson.
The editor looks forward to an interview with Nick Deutsch soon, to discuss these programs and the Director’s wider vision for ANAM. Watch these pages!
