# Australian Singing Competition

The Australian Singing Competition (ASC) evolved from the Marianne Mathy Scholarship, established in 1982 through a bequest made in the will of Marianne Mathy-Frisdane, a coloratura soprano opera singer and distinguished teacher of opera and classical singing.
The ASC rules and repertoire requirements are designed for young opera and classical singers, under 26 years of age. The competition is now recognised as one of the longest-running events of its kind, offering a range of scholarships, prizes, career and network opportunities, which also make the competition one of the richest in terms of financial and career opportunities available to recipients. Since 1982 the premier award of the competition has been the Marianne Mathy Scholarship, known by its participants and within its industry as "The Mathy".
Since 1998 the final concert of the competition has taken place in various capital cities around Australia, featuring many prominent conductors and some of Australia's leading orchestras.
The competition has had the patronage of several Governors-General of Australia, most recently David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). In 2014 the ASC formally welcomed Haruhisa Handa as patron of the renamed IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition in recognition of his ongoing sponsorship and support, both personally and as chairman of the International Foundation for Arts and Culture (IFAC).
The winner of the Opera Awards (Australia) is acknowledged and invited to perform as a guest artist at the finals concert of the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition.
The competition is widely regarded as the most prestigious opera competition in the Australasian region and is recognised within the opera community in Australia and internationally. Many finalists have successfully established their careers, with several going on to become influential artists both in Australia and abroad.

## Marianne Mathy Scholarship winners ("The Mathy")

| Year | Scholarship winners | Category | National adjudicator |
| 1982 | Nicola Waite | soprano | Stefan Haag |
| 1983 | Jeffrey Black | baritone | Stefan Haag |
| 1984 | Miriam Gormley | soprano | Nance Grant |
| 1985 | David Lemke | baritone | Douglas Craig |
| 1986 | Fiona Janes | soprano | Jenifer Eddy |
| 1987 | Paul Whelan | bass | Elizabeth Fretwell |
| 1988 | Joanna Cole | soprano | Ronald Maconaghie / Margreta Elkins |
| 1989 | Clare Gormley | soprano | Margreta Elkins |
| 1990 | Christina Wilson | mezzo-soprano | Joseph Ward |
| 1991 | Stuart Skelton | tenor | Loh Siew-Tuan |
| 1992 | Jason Barry-Smith | baritone | Joseph Ward |
| 1993 | Amelia Farrugia | soprano | Myer Fredman |
| 1994 | David Quah | tenor | Joseph Ward |
| 1995 | Natalie Christie | soprano | Sharolyn Kimmorley |
| 1996 | Rebecca Nash | soprano | Patricia Price |
| 1997 | Alexandra Sherman | soprano | Eilene Hannan |
| 1998 | Goknur Shanal | soprano | Geoffrey Chard |
| 1999 | Janette Zilioli | soprano | Patricia Price |
| 2000 | Rachelle Durkin | soprano | Joseph Ward |
| 2001 | Rejielle Paulo | soprano | Robert Gard |
| 2002 | Katharine Tier | mezzo-soprano | Gregory Yurisich |
| 2003 | Jessica Pratt | soprano | Marilyn Richardson |
| 2004 | Emma Pearson | soprano | Glenys Fowles |
| 2005 | Anita Watson | soprano | Glenn Winslade |
| 2006 | Duncan Rock | baritone | Fiona Janes |
| 2007 | Emily Blanch | soprano | Anson Austin |
| 2008 | Sitiveni Talei | baritone | Deborah Riedel |
| 2009 | Sam Roberts-Smith | baritone | Donald Shanks |
| 2010 | Rachel Bate | soprano | Lisa Gasteen |
| 2011 | Emma Moore | soprano | Bernadette Cullen |
| 2012 | Anna Dowsley | mezzo-soprano | Jeffrey Black |
| 2013 | Jade Moffat | soprano | Emma Matthews |
| 2014 | Isabella Moore | soprano | Jeffrey Black |
| 2015 | Maximilian Riebl | countertenor | Linnhe Robertson |
| 2016 | Nicholas Tolput | countertenor | Lyndon Terracini |
| 2017 | Filipe Manu | tenor | Catrin Johnsson |
| 2018 | Zoe Drummond | soprano | Linnhe Robertson |
| 2019 | Manase Latu | tenor | Noëmi Nadelmann |
| 2020 | The regular competition was replaced for the year 2020 by ASC@Home in which singers submitted entries that had been recorded at home. The judges selected winners in four categories: classical and opera, musical theatre, contemporary (rock and pop), and jazz. Winners received a prize of US$1000. | The regular competition was replaced for the year 2020 by ASC@Home in which singers submitted entries that had been recorded at home. The judges selected winners in four categories: classical and opera, musical theatre, contemporary (rock and pop), and jazz. Winners received a prize of US$1000. | The regular competition was replaced for the year 2020 by ASC@Home in which singers submitted entries that had been recorded at home. The judges selected winners in four categories: classical and opera, musical theatre, contemporary (rock and pop), and jazz. Winners received a prize of US$1000. |
| 2021 | not held | not held | not held |
| 2022 | Jeremy Boulton | baritone | Graham Pushee |
| 2023 | Emmanuel Fonoti-Fumaono (New Zealand) | tenor | Patrick Togher |
| 2024 | Eden Shifroni | soprano | Natalie Aroyan |
The IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition is managed by Music & Opera Singers Trust Limited.