Our prestigious adjudicators or “judges” will listen and evaluate the performances. They will be looking for stage presence, accuracy, musical proficiency, interpretation and other musical technicalities.
Amelia Farrugia
Amelia Farrugia is regarded as one of the brightest stars of opera in Australia. Amelia has had a highly successful and varied Australian & International career in Opera, Music Theatre, Symphony Concert, Recital, Corporate Events, Large-Scale Outdoor Events, Recording & Television
Amelia’s auspicious debut solo recording, Joie de vivre! was released by Universal Music Australia 2005 and released UK 2006. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London with BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Alexander Briger, Joie de vivre! was nominated for a Classical Aria Award. The first Australian solo artist to record on the prestigious Decca label since Dame Joan Sutherland in 1959, Amelia was featured on mainstream media & 2MBS FM CD of the month.
Amelia Farrugia was invited to sing for Pope Benedict XVI in WYD 2008 and regularly performs in recital & corporate events, giving of her time to help raise funds for a number of foundations & charities. She performed for King Frederik X & Her Majesty Queen Mary of Denmark at a fundraiser for Victor Chang Institute. Most recently, she sang for The Australian Museum and for Governor-General, Her Excellency, the Honourable Ms. Sam Mostyn AC at Admiralty House.
Amelia Farrugia runs her own business, Sydney Sings Pty Ltd, teaching singing in her elite studio, sponsored by the S,B&W Foundation in Neutral Bay. Sydney Sings was founded in 2015, since that time, three of Amelia’s high achieving HSC students have graduated from university degrees in New York; The Juilliard School of Music, Parsons the New School & NYU. She is vocal tutor at The University of Sydney & Sydney Conservatorium of Music High School.
Amelia is delighted to be adjudicating YVA for the second year.
For more information or to enquire about Masterclasses and workshops: www.sydney-sings.com.au
Gregory van der Struik
Greg van der Struik holds the position of Principal Trombone and Section Leader in the Opera Australia Orchestra. Greg received his first big break in 1984 when he received the opportunity to perform with Opera Australia. In addition to the trombone, Greg also plays the piano, the piano accordion and the bass trumpet amongst others. In his spare time Greg enjoys composing and the challenge of writing for a variety of ensembles.
Greg studied trombone with Geoffrey Bailey and Arthur Hubbard at the Sydney Conservatorium High School and graduated as an Associate of the State Conservatorium of Music (A.S.C.M.). Prior to his appointment as Principal Trombone, he undertook extensive freelance engagements with professional orchestras as well as holding Principal positions in the A.B.C. Sinfonia (which he conducted in the Opera House), the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Sydney Youth Orchestra.
As a soloist, Greg has released and been featured on a number of CDs which emanate from the Trombonis Australis Project, initiated in 1990 to develop and present an Australian contribution to international brass repertoire. He has performed in Australia, Europe and Asia with the most prestigious European ensembles. Greg has been active as an adjudicator at many competitions and has been described by international trombonist and composer John Kenny “as one of the most interesting trombonists pushing for increased recognition of the trombone anywhere”. This is Greg’s second year as a YVA adjudicator.
Bernadette Harvey
Bernadette Harvey’s career as a pianist commenced early when she won her first medal in the Sydney Eisteddfod at the age of two and a half. She went on to win the ABC ‘Young Performer of the Year’ and performed in recitals and as a soloist with all the Australian Symphony Orchestras, presenting eight different piano concertos. In 2000, Bernadette was awarded a Centenary Medal by the then Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, for her contributions to Australian Music. She joins her husband, Peter Rejto, as joint Artistic Director of the Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival in the US and is Senior Lecturer in piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Peter Rejto
American and Australian cellist, Peter Rejto, has performed internationally since winning the 1972 international Young Concert Artists, Inc. award (New York). He has concertised as soloist throughout North America, Europe and South America with such orchestras as the St. Louis Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Filarmonica de Caracas, Venezuela, the California Chamber Symphony on tour in Hong Kong, and the Rio de Janeiro Symphony, Brazil. In 1992 he presented the world premiere of Gerard Schurmann’s cello concerto “The Gardens of Exile” with the Bournemouth Symphony, England, broadcast live over the BBC. Rejto has recently appeared as guest artist with the Tokyo, Bartok, Colorado, American, Orion, St. Petersburg, and Miro Quartets. In July 2003 he was invited to be a juror for the 4th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition in Australia, and the following summer was invited to return as “visiting artist in residence” at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. In 2004 Rejto performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto in Tejon, Korea, performed at Kumho Hall in Seoul, and gave solo recitals at Peking University, Beijing, China and in Dalian, China. He performed at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Townsville, in 2006.
Steven Hillinger
Steven is a versatile conductor and educator who is widely recognised for his work in both the orchestral and symphonic band fields. He has taught conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music High School and at the University of NSW and has adjudicated at various eisteddfods and competitions, including the 2MBS-FM Young Virtuoso Award which he has adjudicated since 2011.
Steven has guest conducted many orchestras including the Willoughby, Penrith and Mosman Symphony Orchestras, the Ku-ring-gai and East-West Philharmonic Orchestras, the Cove Chamber Orchestra, The Occasional Performing Sinfonia, the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Wind Symphony and the NSW Youth Orchestra and Medical Students’ Orchestra. Steven has also worked with the Australian Youth Orchestra and was shortlisted to audition for the position of Assistant Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Steven has worked extensively with the Sydney Youth Orchestra’s Association and was Musical Director of the City of Sydney Wind Ensemble (2001-2006), Musical Director of the University of NSW Wind Symphony (2006-2012), Associate Conductor of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Wind Symphony (2013-2014) and from 2016 to 2018, held the position of Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra. Steven has also worked as Assistant Conductor with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
As well as a large amount of guest conducting, at present, Steven holds the position of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the North Sydney Symphony Orchestra, as well as conducting the Chatswood High School Wind Orchestra and the North Sydney Girls High School Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra. Steven is also Conductor of the University of NSW Symphony Orchestra.
Evgeny Sorkin
Dr. Evgeny Sorkin is a Lecturer in Violin at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, NSW Vice-Chancellor’s Committee Representative to AMEB Board (NSW) and current Vice-President of the AUSTA NSW Chapter.
Evgeny is the first person in the history of University of Sydney to be conferred a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He has previously studied with Alice Waten at ANAM and is a Cum Laude graduate of the Moscow State Conservatorium where he studied with Professors Kravchenko and Kuschnir. Evgeny further had lessons with Professors Zakhar Bron, Boris Kuschnir and others. Evgeny began his performing career as a child prodigy receiving encouragement from Isaac Stern and Sir Yehudi Menuhin.
He performs worldwide as a soloist and a member of Brevis Trio and Hartley Trio. He is Medal recipient from the Union of Russian Composers for promotion of contemporary music, and was a scholarship holder of the Berlinsky fund of the famous Borodin Quartet. Evgeny has recorded a critically acclaimed CD of complete violin works of avantgarde Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya. He is a prize-winner of Togliatti International Violin Competition, Caltanissetta International Chamber Music Competition, Taneyev International, Competition and Gisborne International Music Competition.
A regular presenter at Violin Pedagogy Conferences, Evgeny’s research is in the fields of movement, violin technique development, violin pedagogy, injury prevention and recovery from injury. Evgeny’s students include winners of the NSW Secondary Schools Concerto competition, National Youth Concerto Competition, Animato International Violin Competition, New Talent British International Competition. Former students have been awarded scholarships for further study to Juilliard, New England Conservatory of Music, Colburn School of Music, Perlman Music Program, Meadowmount School of Music and work professionally in Australia and Internationally.