Soprano Louise Page is the inaugural (1995) winner of the Mietta’s Song Recital Award. She graduated with distinction from the Canberra School of Music, and after winning the vocal grand final of the ABC Young Performer of the Year Award and the Robert Stolz/Apex Scholarship to Vienna, furthered her studies in Europe. Here she won the Belgian Radio and Television Opera en Bel Canto ‘City of Ghent Prize’, and performed in recitals, operas, operettas and broadcasts in Austria, Germany and Belgium, as well as being a young artist at the Vienna State Opera where she performed several roles. Returning to Australia in 1991, Louise has been fortunate to combine family life and a satisfying career as a performer, teacher, choral conductor, adjudicator, recording artist and arts administrator. Her activities culminated in her being awarded an Order of Australia medal for services to the performing arts in 2013. As well as being a versatile and sought after recitalist known for innovative and engaging programming, Louise has performed with the Sydney, Queensland, Canberra and Central Coast Symphony Orchestras and the National Capital Orchestra. Based in Canberra, she tours for Music Viva, broadcasts for the ABC, and appears for such groups as the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, the Canberra International Music Festival, the Port Fairy Spring Festival, the Mackay Region Festival of Arts, Art Song Canberra, the Royal Military College Band, Canberra Choral Society and the Wesley Music Centre. She frequently performs in various regional music centres and for groups in Sydney and Melbourne. In 2007 Louise received a Canberra Critics Circle Award for music, and was named the Canberra Times Artist of the Year. Until 2013 she also taught voice at the Australian National University School of Music. She has recorded 8 CDs , mostly with long time accompanist Phillipa Candy. These include Louise Page sings Richard Strauss, Eternity: The Song Cycles of Erich Korngold, Looking to the Light- Songs of Christmas Harp in the Highlands-The music of Ann Carr-Boyd Through her love of art song she has become a highly sought after recitalist, giving many premiere performances of songs in Australia. Since 2001 she has been a committee member of Art Song Canberra, an award winning group bringing art song to the Canberra region. She has given eighteen annual recitals for this group, all on different themes, which have introduced a wide variety of songs from all musical periods and in many languages, to the community.
