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Maxwell Foster has won the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year Award 2008.  Maxwell along with the other finalists played to a capacity crowd at Hamer Hall, Victorian Arts Centre on Friday 19 September.

Sixteen year old Maxwell received a $20,000 cash prize, a professionally-produced CD of their winning performance, the Sir Charles Moses Trophy and concert engagements with major Australian symphony orchestras, as well as their own recital in the Sydney Opera House’s Utzon Room.  He was also presented with the 2008 David Paul Landa Scholarship, which is awarded biennially to the winning pianist, and which is administered by Musica Viva.

Rebecca Chan (Vic) played the Korngold Violin Concerto, Jessica Foot (Vic) the Strauss Oboe Concerto, and Maxwell Foster (Qld) finished the competition with Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1. Paul Fitzsimon, the Symphony Australia MSO Assistant Conductor, conducted J Strauss Jnr's Die Fledermaus overture while the adjudicators came to a decision.

The evening was hosted by Alan Brough and Emma Ayres and the grand finalists performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arvo Volmer.

The adjudicators for the grand final were:  Huw Humphreys, Director of Artistic Planning at the MSO; Arvo Volmer, conductor; Tania Frazer, oboist; Michele Walsh, Head of Strings at Queensland Conservatorium; and Clemens Leske, pianist.

Rebecca, Jessica and Maxwell first auditioned in December 2007 along with 170 other hopeful young instrumentalists. Stage II auditions were held in February 2008, when the category finalists were selected.
 
The Strings Final was held on 19 June at the Adelaide Town Hall, the Keyboard Final was held on 13 June at the Conservatorium Theatre, Brisbane, and the Other Instruments Final was held on 26 June at the Adelaide Town Hall.

'Each of the grand finalists played beautifully, but on the evening Maxwell was just outstanding.  Each of them have worked hard to get to the grand final, and I wish to congratulate them all for making it this far.  This has been a long process, from December 2007, until now and the competitors have been professional and gracious throughout the competition, says Justine Bashford, Artist Development Manager, Symphony Australia. 

Now in its 65th year, the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards is unique among Australian classical music competitions in that all finalists have the opportunity to perform with a full symphony orchestra.

The Grand Final will be broadcast live on ABC Classic FM, and highlights of the Grand Final will be broadcast on ABC TV's Sunday Arts on the 23 November at 5pm on ABC1 and 7:30pm on ABC2, there is also a dedicated YPA website at www.abc.net.au/ypa