ABC Launches National Competition for Young Performing Artists: Quest '95

Strategic Insights -

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has revitalized a national televised youth talent quest, Quest '95, to discover and showcase exceptional young instrumentalists, dancers, and singers. The competition, launched by ABC Managing Director, Mr. David Hill, will revive the spirit of the 1970s' national youth talent quests. The program aims to identify and support emerging talent, with a new prize, the Percy Grainger Award, to be awarded to the overall winner. Quest '95 will be held concurrently with the Young Performer Awards and the Young Conductors Workshops.

Key Takeaways:

  • Quest '95 is a national competition for young performing artists, launched by the ABC Managing Director, Mr. David Hill, aiming to discover and showcase exceptional talent.
  • The competition is a revival of the national televised youth talent quests staged by the ABC in the 1970s, which stopped in 1978 due to a lack of talent.
  • The six categories in the competition are: classical singing, keyboard, instrumental, musical theatre singing, dance, and acoustic ensemble.
  • Nationwide auditions will be followed by public concerts with the ABC orchestras in each state, with performances taking place in February, March, and April, and the finals at the Melbourne Concert Hall.
  • The overall winner will receive the Percy Grainger Award, and excerpts from the concerts will be broadcast nationally on ABC-FM and ABC TV.
  • Viewers can select a finalist by phone and postal vote, with the upper age limit for competitors being 25, except for classical singing, where the age limit is 30.
  • Entrants will need to submit a program of two different works, between four and eight minutes long, suitable for performance with an orchestra.

Statistics:

  • The competition will be held in six categories: classical singing, keyboard, instrumental, musical theatre singing, dance, and acoustic ensemble.
  • Nationwide auditions will be followed by public concerts with the ABC orchestras in each state, with performances taking place in February, March, and April.
  • The finals will be held at the Melbourne Concert Hall.
  • Excerpts from the concerts will be broadcast nationally on ABC-FM and ABC TV from April next year.
  • The overall winner will receive the Percy Grainger Award.
  • The upper age limit for competitors in all categories is 25, except for classical singing, where the age limit is 30.
  • Entrants will need to submit a program of two different works, between four and eight minutes long, suitable for performance with an orchestra.

Sources:

  • ABC launches new competition to find young performing arts talent (Source: ABC, reference not specified)
  • Quest '95: ABC announces new national competition for young performers (Source: ABC, reference not specified)
  • ABC's Quest '95 to discover new talent (Source: The Age, Melbourne, 24 October 1995)