Vocal winner Makayla Heath, quest president Adelene Erskine, adjudicator Hamish Tait and instrumental winner Anthony Bethe. Photo: Supplied.
Emerging young artists Anthony Bethe and Makayla Heath have won the instrumental and vocal categories respectively of a major young musician talent quest in Griffith.
The Nancy Blumer OS Butler Memorial Quest, which took place on Friday 6 September at Griffith Regional Theatre, is a musical talent contest for those aged between 12 and 18 and residing within a 168-km radius of Griffith. Participants performed in front of a live audience and were judged by special guest adjudicator Hamish Tate, the director of Wagga’s Riverina Conservatorium of Music.
Flautist Anthony Bethe, who came third in the same category last year, this time took out the top prize for his performance of 3rd Etude by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. He’s known for his love of classical music and distaste for rock and other popular genres.
Makayla Heath sang Show Off by North American composers Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison.
Bethany Piva, the 2022 vocals winner, performed strongly again, taking out the people’s choice award and highly commended prizes for her rendition of Gravity, a song by American artist Sara Bareilles.
“Before I get on the stage, I’m really really nervous, but once I’m up there I really enjoy it and it all comes to me,” she said.
“I’ve always been into music; I started playing the piano when I was young and I realised I could sing in primary school, when I started doing musicals. I got the main part in a show called Olivia. I got lessons from Micheline Nehme; she’s a great singer and teacher.”
Bethany is in Year 12 and plans to go to university next year to study nursing.
“I don’t want to let my music die, so I’d like to make sure I can continue doing that … I love singing to myself and doing karaoke.”
The complete group of entrants. Photo: Supplied.
The musical quest is named after Griffith music icons Nancy Blumer and OS Butler. Nancy Butler moved to Griffith in 1922, where she formed the Girl Guides Association in Griffith and helped establish the Griffith branch of the Federated Music Club of Australia and the Arts Council of Australia. Her great-granddaughter Ruby Blumer is a marketing and promotions coordinator who helps organise the quest. OS Butler funded an award for young vocalists in Griffith in 1978.
“The event went really well and we had some incredible young musicians perform. There was a great range of instrumentals with piano, bass guitar, electric guitar and the flute, which won the instrumental section. The vocals were exceptional too,” Ruby said.
FULL LIST OF AWARD RECIPIENTS
Vocals:
1st – Makayla Heath
2nd – Maria Piccolo
3rd – Josephine Furore
Highly commended – Bethany Piva
Amateur accompanist – Julius Torresan
Instrumental:
1st – Anthony Bethe
2nd – Keira Villarias
3rd – Nicolas Minato
Highly commended – Lauren Minato
First timer – Julius Torresan
People’s choice: Bethany Piva and Keira Villarias (sponsored by Griffith Musicians Club).
Loading ...
