ACCOMPANISTS’ GUILD OF
QUEENSLAND
December 2019
Dear fellow accompanists and Guild members,
We hope that everyone has had a busy time accompanying for AMEB exams, tertiary auditions
and Eisteddfods and is now looking forward to a well-deserved break over the summer.
Our AGM took place at the QMTA Auditorium in Taringa on Sunday 11 August. Those who
attended had an opportunity to voice their suggestions to the committee face-to-face and we
encourage everyone to attend future AGMs. Welcome to a new committee member Valerie
Dickson! Any other Guild members interested in joining the committee, please get in touch.
A very warm welcome to our new members Libby Flynn and Joshua Creek. The Guild
membership fees will remain at $60 for the 2019-2020 financial year in line with low
inflation, and student membership is still only $30 per year. Please encourage your more
advanced piano students to join.
Valerie Dickson delivered an excellent vocal accompanying Master Class sponsored by the Guild at the UQ School of Music on 30 August, which was well attended by vocal and piano students.
Another Master Class was given on 27 August at the Queensland Conservatorium by Karen
Lonsdale, flute, who had many suggestions guiding pianists new to accompaniment.
The Guild had also provided additional prizes for UQ Sleath Prize (strings and piano),
awarded to Ben Anderson, and for UQ Margaret Nickson Prize (voice and piano), awarded to
Jasmine Buckley. Both of these students showed great potential as future accompanists. We
hope these activities continue raising the Guild’s profile among higher education music students and will maintain our sponsorship next year. Our sponsorship of accompanying prizes at various Eisteddfods will also continue in 2020. We hope this targeted support helps to maintain the Guild’s standing in the community.
The Guild’s 25th anniversary dinner took place at Victoria’s Room, Hilton Brisbane on Friday 15 November.
Piers Lane very kindly (and amusingly) introduced our guest speaker Philip Mayers
who delivered an inspirational address about the important role of accompanists in the music world. At the dinner we announced two new Honorary Life Members, Pamela Page and Rhonda Vickers.
Pamela was there in person with Max as our guests and received heart-felt applause from those present. Sue Witham delivered a brief summary of Rhonda Vickers achievements, which would take many pages to list here. Rhonda was a student of Max Olding and also studied with Paul Hamburger and Geoffrey Parsons in London on a Churchill Fellowship. She worked for many years at the Qld Con as an unofficial accompanist, and made many broadcasts and recordings with violinist Kerry Smith. Unfortunately, poor health prevented Rhonda from attending the dinner.
The venue, food and drinks were all excellent, and everyone enjoyed the evening.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Happy accompanying in 2020!
Katie Zhukov