Boroondara Eisteddfod

The Boroondara Eisteddfod is a music competition held annually in the City of Boroondara, Melbourne, Australia.

Boroondara Eisteddfod
Status	Active
Frequency	Annually
Venue	Hawthorn Arts Centre, Hawthorn
Location(s)	Melbourne, Australia
Inaugurated	1991
Organised by	City of Boroondara
Website	www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/our-city/arts-culture/eisteddfod

History

The first Eisteddfod was held in 1992 as the Camberwell Eisteddfod, under the auspices of the then-City of Camberwell. It was established by Council in December 1991 to provide a musical competition for the area, following the closure of the Hartwell Eisteddfod.[1][2] Venues included the City of Camberwell Ballroom and Balwyn Community Centre.[3]

In the events surrounding the sacking of the Camberwell Council in 1993, the Victorian Government's investigation into the council examined the circumstances under which the event was established. It found that the expenditure on the 1992 Eisteddfod "likely...was illegal" due to its failure to be properly authorised.[4] Nevertheless, the Eisteddfod continued.

Following council amalgamations in 1994, Camberwell became part of the new City of Boroondara and the Eisteddfod was renamed to account for this change.[1]

Hawthorn Town Hall redevelopment

During the redevelopment of the Hawthorn Town Hall into a regional arts centre, the Eisteddfod's main venues became unavailable. This necessitated moving events to other venues across Boroondara, including the Methodist Ladies' College, Camberwell Town Hall and Kew Court House.[5] The Eisteddfod moved back to the newly-refurbished Hawthorn Arts Centre in 2015.

Sections

In 2016, the Eisteddfod ran 39 separate sections, catering for solo and group performers.

Category	Section[6]
Pianoforte	Piano Solo (8 years and under) Piano Solo (10 years and under) Piano Solo (12 years and under) Piano Solo (14 years and under) Piano Solo (16 years and under) Piano Solo (18 years and under) Piano Solo (Open) Piano Concerto Award
Vocal	Classical Vocal (18 years and under) Songs from Musical Theatre or Operetta (Open) Art Song (including Lieder) (Open) Oratorio/Cantana (Open) Robert Salzer Vocal Championship Award Herman Schildberger Memorial Award Contemporary Vocal Solo (14 years and under) Contemporary Vocal Solo (18 years and under)
Instrumental	Strings Solo (12 years and under) Strings Solo (16 years and under) Strings Solo (Open) Guitar Solo All Styles (16 years and under) Guitar Solo All Styles (Open) Woodwind Solo (12 years and under) Woodwind Solo (16 years and under) Woodwind Solo (Open) Brass Solo (14 years and under) Brass Solo (16 years and under) Brass Solo (18 years and under) Brass Solo (Open)
Senior Ensemble	ADMIS Senior Chamber Ensemble (Years 7-12) - Piano with other instruments ADMIS Senior Chamber Ensemble (Years 7-12) - Strings, wind and other combinations (not including piano) Chamber Music Award (Open)
Junior Ensemble	Junior Small Ensemble (Year 6 and below) Junior Large Ensemble (Year 6 and below)
Choral	Primary School Choir Novice (Year 6 and below) Primary School Choir Regular (Year 6 and below) Secondary School Choir (Years 7-9) Secondary School Choir (Years 7-12) A Capella Choir (18 years and under) A Capella Choir (Open)

Awards

Certificates for first, second and third places, as well as honourable mentions, are awarded in each section.

Supporter awards

A number of other awards, mostly donated from individual benefactors or community groups, are also open to competitors in particular sections.

Award	Eligible section(s)	Description[6]
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Instrumental Award	Any instrumental	Presented to two performers in any section in the Instrumental Category who the adjudicator considers to have the most promise and is worthy of encouragement.
Tony Dorembus Memorial Original Composition Awards	Piano Solo (14 years and under) Piano Solo (16 years and under)	Eligible for entrants who perform their own original composition. One prize for each section.
Robert Stolz Viennese Music Society Award	Songs from Musical Theatre or Operetta	Awarded for the best performance of a selection from Viennese Operetta.
Herman Schildberger Memorial Award	Classical Vocal (18 years and under) Songs from Musical Theatre or Operetta (Open) Art Song (including Lieder) (Open) Oratorio/Cantana (Open) Robert Salzer Vocal Championship Award	Made to a singer aged between 18 and 25 who is considered by the adjudicator to have demonstrated the most promise and is worthy of encouragement.
Boroondara City Lions Club Encouragement Awards	Strings Solo (16 years and under) Guitar Solo All Styles (16 years and under)	Awarded to promising entrants.
Don Cowell Memorial Trust Award	Woodwind solo (16 years and under)	Awarded by the adjudicator to competitors playing recorder who is considered to have demonstrated the most promise and is worthy of encouragement.

Notable competitors

• Elena Xanthoudakis (soprano singer)[7][8][9]

References

1. "Minutes of the Boroondara Services Special Committee 18 July 2011" (PDF). City of Boroondara. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
2. "Boroondara Council Meeting Agenda 26 April 2016". City of Boroondara. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
3. "Live Theatre Directory". The Age. 25 June 1993. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
4. "Investigation into Camberwell Council" (PDF). Parliament of Victoria. Office of Local Government. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
5. "Come along to the Eisteddfod". City of Boroondara. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
6. "2016 Boroondara Eisteddfod Handbook" (PDF). City of Boroondara. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
7. Xanthoudakis, Elena. "Competitions, Eisteddfodau, Scholarships and Awards". Elena Xanthoudakis. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
8. Noble, Sarah (15 March 2014). "Elena Xanthoudakis: Rising star of the bel canto". Limelight. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
9. Porter, Liz (19 March 2012). "A stellar singer's tale of journey to the stars". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 June 2016.

External links

• Boroondara Eisteddfod website