Noteworthy Archives
Perry Hart Memorial Prize
The Balmain Sinfonia is very proud to have had its Concerto Competition chosen as the vehicle for the awarding of the Perry Hart Memorial Prize during the years 2001-2009.
The Prize consisted of the loan, for a period of two years, of the wonderful A.E. Smith violin which belonged to the late Perry Hart, the widely esteemed Australian violinist. The violin was valued at over $50,000 and its extended loan was a wonderful opportunity for a young player. This Prize was made possible by the generosity of Perry Hart's son, David La Fontaine.
The Concerto Competition adjudicators awarded the loan of the violin to the finest player in the competition who, in their opinion, would benefit the most from the use of such an instrument. It was not necessarily awarded to the overall winner of the competition or even to a finalist.Niki Vassilakis was the recipient of the award in 2001 and in 2003.
Victoria Jacono was the recipient of the award in 2005.
In 2007 and 2009 the prize was awarded to Emily Sun.
Unfortunately, the prize is now terminated as the violin is no longer available for this purpose.