Henry Justo Wins 2023 Freedman Classical Fellowship

28-year-old violist Henry Justo, 28, who hails from Queensland, was named winner of The Music Trust's esteemed $21,000 2023 Freedman Classical Fellowship. 

 

Justo succeeded in the finals with an outstanding performance before a packed house at The Neilson, Pier 2/3 ACO, against the other finalists, violinists Courtneay Cleary (29, Queensland) and flautist Jonty Coy (27, Western Australia). This year's esteemed judging panel consisted of Professor Kim Cunio (Head of ANU School of Music), Lamorna Nightingale (member of one of Australia's leading ensembles, Ensemble Offspring), and Simon Tedeschi (pianist and author).

 

They said “This year's classical Freedman Finalists were distinctively different, containing historically informed performance practice, chamber music, interdisciplinary projects and commissioned new Australian music. The thrilling concert showcased the high caliber of Australian musicians in action. As judges, we were impressed by all three finalists and after a lengthy deliberation – we decided that with the prize, violist Henry Justo and his project would make the greatest impact on progressing Australian new music and contemporary classical”.

 

“Violist Henry Justo is a wonderful virtuoso on his instrument but also creates music via computer and planned a project that encompassed all that plus parallel computer-generated imagery” says Dr Richard Letts, director of The Music Trust.

 

The violist has a diverse appetite for performing a wide range of music, with a very high level of sophistication. He is inspired by the infinite possibilities of human interaction with sound and can execute creative multi-disciplinary projects with flair and passion. He is an acting musician with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and a Master of Music student with Volker Jacobsen at HMTM Hannover. Justo has performed with numerous ensembles including Sydney Chamber Opera, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne, Tasmanian and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.

 

Henry's Freedman win will enable him to pursue his proposed project Connect, a curated installation piece reflecting on how we all connect with place and ourselves. Working with composer Cathy Milliken and media artist Mike Daly in a collaborative process, the trio will together explore the human need for connection in relation to where we are in the world.

 

The Fellowship are one of Australia's most prestigious music awards. They begin with leading figures from across the industry nominating 16 musicians under 35, who then must dream big and envision a project of significant scale to the value of $21, 000. These visionary artists propose career-defining projects, ranging from multidisciplinary concerts and large ensemble commissions to international professional development and innovative recording projects. 

 

Since 2001, The Freedman Fellowship has successfully identified the future leaders of new music & contemporary classical music. Past Fellows include renowned names such as; Genevieve Lacey (2001), Karin Schaupp (2002), William Barton (2003), Claire Edwardes (2005), Joseph Tawadros (2006), Aviva Endean (2015), and Rohan Dasika (2019). In 2022, Melbourne-based Brisbane-born violist Katie Yap secured the coveted Fellowship.

 

ABOUT THE FREEDMAN CLASSICAL FELLOWSHIP

The Freedman Classical Fellowship is funded by The Freedman Foundation, a philanthropic foundation centred on assisting young Australians in music and visual arts, as well as providing support to medical and scientific programs - chaired by Laurence Freedman AM and Kathy Freedman AM. The Fellowships are managed by The Music Trust and administered by SIMA.

 

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