Sunday 9 October, 11.30am

Hailed as one of the great soprano voices in the world today, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is giving an exclusive public masterclass, The Art of Voice, working with leading singers from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Having set up the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation in New Zealand to help talented young singers to achieve their dreams, she is highly regarded as a coach and mentor. This is a unique opportunity to observe Dame Kiri sharing her extensive knowledge and artistry.

Public lecture: Thursday 6 October, 5pm – 6pm

German artist Andreas Exner is hosted by the School of Art next month as part of the Simplot International Masterclass Series. He will conduct a masterclass in Sculpture and Spatial Practice, exhibit his work alongside Melbourne-based artist Rose Nolan in The Solo Projects as a part of the Melbourne Festival, and present his work in a public lecture at Federation Hall. Exner's practice focuses attention on everyday objects: clothing, cars, wardrobes, curtains; short-circuiting their usual function and often, quite  literally, filling the gap that we use to inhabit these objects.

Tuesday 27 September

The Creative Construct forum will explore the emerging interest in utilising and recycling 'creative spaces' for urban renewal, creative enterprise and cultural innovation; also the changing role of artist hubs within cities and local neighbourhoods. The forum is directed towards senior managers in local government and for others working across place management, mainstreet initiatives, community development, infrastructure development and urban renewal and commercial developments. Register here.

Friday 23 & Sunday 25 September

Later this month six of Australia’s finest young violinists will compete for the Melbourne Conservatorium’s Dorcas McLean Travelling Scholarships. The country’s richest prize for violinists, offering $80,000 in prize money to support the winners’ musical careers, culminates in two highly contested days of free public performances in Melba Hall. After a day of recitals on Friday 23rd, the panel of judges will select three finalists to battle it out in the final round on Sunday 25th, where they will perform their chosen concerto with a full symphony orchestra. 
Full concert details.

A national graduate opera program to train performers for the world stage will commence next year as the result of collaboration between the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and Victorian Opera, with financial support from Arts Victoria. The program is an intensive, two-year course that covers all aspects of opera and includes opportunities to work as a practising singer within Victorian Opera. Graduates will receive a Master of Music (Opera Performance) degree from the University of Melbourne. Read news article.

Director Daniel Schlusser, having completed his Master of Dramatic Art (by research) at the VCA last year, is staging a new adaptation of Ibsen’s classic play The Dollhouse at Melbourne’s fortyfivedownstairs this month. VCA acting alumni Nikki Shiels, Edwina Wren, Josh Price and Kade Greenland will transport audiences into a “contemporary domestic horror” in what promises to be another intrepid piece of theatre from Schlusser. Read news article.

Internationally acclaimed Australian Indigenous soprano, Deborah Cheetham, has been appointed Head of the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts which supports Australian Indigenous students at the VCA and the Melbourne Conservatorium. Ms Cheetham has forged an international career as an operatic singer, actor and author of the acclaimed play, White Baptist Abba Fan, and more recently as the composer and director of Australia’s first Indigenous opera – Pecan Summer . Read news article.

We’re hosting several events in October for prospective graduate students.

VCA Art: GradForum includes an opportunity to speak with the School of Art’s graduate lecturers and view work by Andreas Exner & Rose Nolan in The Solo Projects exhibition.
 

VCA Writing : GradForum presents information about the VCA’s two new writing programs: the Master of Writing for Performance and Master of Screenwriting.
 

Master of Music (Performance Teaching): Professor Gary McPherson will present evidence-based approaches to music performance teaching as well as an overview of the new program.

By Barry Dickins, directed by Julian Meyrick in association with Melbourne Festival. In the intimate surrounds of fortyfivedownstairs, the capricious genius of Brett Whiteley will burst into incandescent life in an hallucinatory exploration of his life and art, interwoven with a free-jazz performance, featuring Neil Pigot with the Howley, Calvert and George Trio.

For your chance to win a double pass to Whiteley’s Incredible Blue on Saturday 15 October at 10pm, email vcam-enews@unimelb.edu.au .

13 - 23 October
fortyfivedownstairs.com

Where else can you see Joss Stone, Mavis Staples, Emmanuel Jal, Paul Dempsey, Rickie-Lee Jones, The Black Arm Band and more come together for a night of extraordinary musical collaborations? notes from the hard road and beyond is the closing night concert of the 2011 Melbourne Festival. Students can see this one-off performance for only $25.

For your chance to win a double pass for Saturday 22 October at 8pm (Gates 1 & 2 open at 6.30pm) Sidney Myer Music Bowl email vcam-enews@unimelb.edu.au.

Cinemas Nova presents the National Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors, captured live from London in high definition. Richard Bean’s English version of Carlo Goldoni's classic Italian comedy (The Servant of Two Masters) about sex, food and money. 

For your chance to win 1 of 5 double passes to a preview screening on Tuesday 27 September at 6.30pm email win@cinemanova.com.au with ‘NT Live’ in the subject box.

Screening from 8 October
www.cinemanova.com.au

Vienna: Art & Design, now showing at NGV International, is open until 9pm Wednesdays for art after dark. Enjoy food, drink and free entertainment as the NGV comes alive with a series of performers representing the spirit of early 20th century Vienna. Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, Martin Martini, Mojo Juju and Rapskallion will each take the stage over the coming months. Students can see the exhibition for $15 on Tuesdays.

For your chance to win 1 of 2 double passes to Vienna: Art & Design email vcam-enews@unimelb.edu.au.

Until 9 October
ngv.vic.gov.au