Opera singers to raise funds for Foundation

VICTORIA Opera Emerging Artist Prize Winners will be putting on a show this Mother’s Day at Loreto’s Abbey Theatre.

Alastair Cooper-Golec and Syrah Torii along with the Ballarat Choral Society will be performing music from a range of operas at part of the Mother’s Day Soiree.

All money raised will go towards the Ballarat Arts Foundation and there will be an option for attendees to have high tea before the concert.

“We are a community funded organisation, so our main funds are philanthropic funds from our local community and businesses who are passionate about the arts,” said Ballarat Arts Foundation chair Paula Nicholson.

“We provide cash grants to emerging artists that have a connection to Ballarat, and we’ve been in operation since 2000.

“We’ve supported over 400 artists and its continuing to grow every year.

Funds raised from this concert will go towards grant recipients, with the first round of this years applications opening in June.

“This is an opportunity for the community to come out and support the foundation and have a beautiful Mother’s Day afternoon,” said Ms Nicholson.

This concert is part of a longstanding relationship between the Victorian Opera and Ballarat after locals Malcolm Roberts and Michael Stubbs decided to make a yearly donation to the organisation.

“When they decided they wanted to support opera they wanted there to be a performance in Ballarat which would directly benefit the Ballarat Arts Foundation,” said Ms Nicholson.

“It was seen as an opportunity to bring a Melbourne based opera company to the region, so it worked our really well.

“They’ve chosen to support opera, but they wanted to make sure there was a payback to Ballarat.”

For tickets to the concert visit ballaratartsfoundation.org.au.