Tait Winter Prom 2014 at St John's Smith Square

The 2014 Tait Winter Prom was a landmark event for the Tait Memorial Trust at St John’s Smith Square, proudly supported by Australia’s largest bank, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. To see and hear our talented Awardees performing at one of London’s most prestigious concert platforms was thrilling…truly a great night for the Trust and for our young Australians we support.

Tait Memorial Trust Winter Prom 2014

Now in our 23rd year Awards have increased by 30% from 2013  largely due to the more than three fold rise in Tait Friends subscriptions in 2014 and our loyal audience who come to our events and generously give towards our scholarship fund.

Thank you.

CBA-BankName_Shdw_Col_Hor_Shape_0

We are very grateful for the
support that we receive
from the following organisations:

Principal Partner:
Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Partners:
Australian Business
The Australia Day Foundation
Bailey Nelson UK
The Britain-Australia Society
Cubitt House
Minter Ellison
Oliveto & Olivo Ltd
Qantas
Royal Over-Seas League
The Thornton Foundation
Treasury Wine Estates

2014 Tait Winter Prom at St John’s Smith Square
London Tuesday 9th December 2014
St John’s Smith Square,
Showcasing Australian Talent — An evening of Music and Ballet
Supported by Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Conducted by Kelly Lovelady
Tait Chamber Orchestra
Presented by former Miss Australia, Kimberley Busteed
Directed by Greg Eldridge

Jayson Gillham, Piano
Elena Xanthoudakis, Soprano
Xenia Deviatkina-Loh, Violin
Sophie Moffatt, Dancer
Calvin Richardson, Choreographer
Matthew Ball, Dancer
Marlena Devoe, Soprano
Chad Vindin, Piano
Adam Szabo, Cello
Yelian He, Cello
Nicola Crowe, Flute
Gerard Schneider, Tenor

Concert Programme

Percy Grainger (1882-1961)
Handel in the Strand
Jayson Gillham, Piano

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Concerto: No. 14 in E flat , K. 449
Jayson Gillham, Piano

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
The Lark Ascending
Xenia Deviatkina-Loh, Violin

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Ch’io mi scordi di te? Non temer, amato bene. K.505
Elena Xanthoudakis, Soprano
Jayson Gillham, Piano

Interval 20mins

Gabriel Faure
Kenneth MacMillan 1 – choreography
Requiem, Pie Jesu solo
Sophie Moffatt, dancer 2
Coached by Leanne Benjamin OBE
Marlena Devoe, Soprano
Chad Vindin, Piano

Saint-Saëns
The Swan
The Carnival of the Animals
Calvin Richardson – choreography
The Dying Swan
Calvin Richardson, Dancer 3
Adam Szabo, Cello
Chad Vindin, Piano

Giovanni Sollima (1962- )
Violoncelles Vibrez!
Yelian He & Adam Szabo, Cellos

Kevin Penkin (1992- )
Changing Feet
Nicola Crowe, Flute

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
La Boheme, Act 1
Che gelida manina
Si, mi chiamano Mimi
O soave fanciulla

Marlena Devoe, Soprano
Gerard Schneider, Tenor 4

1 Performed with the kind permission from The MacMillan Estate
2 Appears with kind permission from The Royal Ballet School
3 Appears with kind permission from The Royal Ballet
4 Appears with kind permission from The National Opera Studio

Winter Prom highlights

Jayson Gillham playing Grainger’s, Handel in the Strand

Xenia Deviatkina-Loh playing Vaughan William’s,  The Lark Ascending

Elena Xanthoudakis singing Mozart’s, Ch’io mi scordi di te? K 505 with Jayson Gillham, piano

Adam Szabo & Yelian He playing Sollima’s, Violoncelles Vibrez!

Marlena Devoe & Gerard Schneider sing the Final scene from Act 1, La boheme, Puccini

Review in Limelight Magazine

Review in Seen and Head

Tait Friends at Stoke Lodge 18th March 2014

On Tuesday March 18th the Trust invited our Friends to the home of the Australian High Commissioner, Stoke Lodge. The evening was hosted by Sasha Carruozzo, wife of Mike Rann CNZM the Australian High Commissioner, and by Tait Memorial Trust Chairman, Isla Baring OAM. The Trust are terribly grateful to Mike and Sasha and want to publicly thank them for their generosity in allowing us to use their home to entertain our guests.

Isla Baring OAM giving her welcome speech to our guests
Lindsay Birrell, President of Legacy UK, Isla Baring OAM and Mrs Jenny Dunn
Lindsay Birrell, President of Legacy UK, Isla Baring OAM and Mrs Jenny Dunn
Tait Friends, Mr and Mrs Ian Tegner with TMT Awardee, Benjamin Mellefont
Tait Friends, Mr and Mrs Ian Tegner and Mrs Karen Goldie-Morrison with TMT Awardee 2013, Benjamin Mellefont

We were delighted to welcome many of our most valued and generous supporters, the Deputy Australian High Commissioner, Mr Andrew Todd and his wife, and the Agents’ General of Western Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.

Awardees present included: Greta Bradman, Soprano; Benjamin Mellefont, Clarinet; Xenia Deviatkina-Loh, Violin; Sophie Moffatt, Ballet; Kevin Penkin, Composition (2013/14 Tait Scholar); Calvin Richardson, Ballet and Adam Szabo, Cello.

Great Bradman TMT Awardee with Sasha Carruozzo
Greta Bradman TMT Awardee with Sasha Carruozzo

Joining us was Sam Sakker, a young Australian tenor who is to sing at the Royal Opera House in their Jette Parker Young Artist Programme from September 2014, who sang Lehar’s classic, Dein is mein ganzes Herz and the Australian National Anthem all a capella. He has the most thrilling voice with the richest/warmest tone. Adam Szabo, Tait Awardee 2013, played some selections from JS Bach’s cello suites…incredibly beautifully.

TMT Awardees 2013, Calvin Richardson & Sophie Moffatt with Miss Leanne Benjamin OBE and Tait Friend, Mrs Sue Lloyd
TMT Awardees 2013, Calvin Richardson & Sophie Moffatt with Miss Leanne Benjamin OBE and Tait Friend, Mrs Sue Lloyd

 Tait Friends

We launched our new Friends scheme which includes a new initiative called, Adopt a Performer. The scheme would link a donor, or a group of donors, to one awardee for three years ( the length of the typical undergraduate degree or course) For a minimum subscription of £75 Tait Friends receive discounts to Tait events and an invitation to an annual reception. The greatest benefit to all donors is the knowledge that they are making a tangible difference to the life of a young Australian performing artist. More information about our new Friends scheme can be found here

 Julian Gavin, new Tait Patron

Our new Patron, Australian international tenor, Julian Gavin was introduced to our Friends and has agreed to join our Music Board (the selection process for the 2014/15 awards begins soon. Applications for music awards close on Monday 31st March. More info here

The Leanne Benjamin Awards

Isla Baring OAM with Leanne Benjamin OBE
Isla Baring OAM with Leanne Benjamin OBE

An honoured guest was Australian principal ballerina, Leanne Benjamin OBE. Recently retired from The Royal Ballet after a 21 year first class career with the company, Miss Benjamin has agreed to join us to create a new award(s) in her name which will help fund the studies of young Australian dancers in the UK. Called The Leanne Benjamin Awards the Trust are producing a gala reception with a masterclass taken by Miss Benjamin and Australian senior teacher at the school, Mark Annear, at The Royal Ballet School, Floral Street, Covent Garden. This fundraising event will be held in the Linden Studio at The Royal Ballet School on Thursday 12th June. We are very grateful to the staff and students at the school for allowing us to use this excellent venue for our event.

 

 

Tickets to this special Tait event are available here

 

Tait Patron, Julian Gavin with Tait Committee member, Jan Gowrie-Smith and Tait Trustee, Susie Thornton
Tait Patron, Julian Gavin with Tait Committee member, Jan Gowrie-Smith and Tait Trustee, Susie Thornton
Adam Szabo, Cello. Awardee 2013 playing at the Tait Friends event
Adam Szabo, Cello. Awardee 2013 playing at the Tait Friends event
Tenor, Sakker with TMT Executive Director, James Hancock and the Queensland Agent General, Ken Smith OBE
Tenor, Sakker with TMT Executive Director, James Hancock and the Queensland Agent General, Ken Smith OBE
TaitFriends_Stoke_Lodge_180314_PamelaleCouter_GretaBradman_ShirleyBarr
Tait Friend, Mrs Pamela le Couter; TMT Awardee 2013, Greta Bradman and Tait Trustee, Mrs Shirley Barr
Group shot of Awardees with Isla Baring OAM, Julian Gavin, Sam Sakker and Leanne Benjamin OBE
Group shot of Awardees with Isla Baring OAM, Julian Gavin, Sam Sakker and Leanne Benjamin OBE

XENIA DEVIATKINA-LOH, Violinist – to begin her Masters at the Royal Academy of Music

Xenia is a 2013 Tait Memorial Trust Awardee, She is due to begin a Masters degree in Violin at the Royal Academy of Music. The Trust are delighted to be supporting Xenia and wish her the very best for the 2013/2014 academic year.

Xenia
Xenia Deviatkina-Loh, Violinist

Xenia Deviatkina-Loh studies violin with Alice Waten. She has performed with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, the South Melbourne Orchestra, the Kuringai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed in Beleura House and Gardens, Melba Festival – Yarra Grange and Federation Square – Exhibition Centre. She’s been aired live on 3MBsFM, ABC radio, and Radio New Zealand. Xenia was the Junior Finalist and the Senior Winner of the Kuringai Philharmonic Concerto Competition in 2005 and 2008 respectively. She was the 2009 String Finalist of ABC Young Performer’s Award, and the 2009 winner of the Gisborne International Music Competition.

Xenia has had masterclasses and private lessons with The Brentano String Quartet, Trio Dali, Tasmin Little, Lina Bahn, Oleh Krysa, Charles Castleman, Kolja Blacher, Julian Rachlin, Zakhar Bron, Boris Kuschnir, Felix Andrievsky and Edward Dusinberre (Takács Quartet). She gained a full tuition scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music London. She will start her Masters degree in London later this year.

Xenia’s award from the Trust and her participation in the London Masterclasses is kindly supported by the Thornton Foundation