She’s only 16 years old, but already young Townsville-Gurambilbarra musician Gabrielle Penaluna is highly skilled in Clarinet, Piano and Saxophone. The 16-year-old student at The Cathedral School also boasts a Music Scholarship at the school, has taken the Young Virtuoso Award since 2018, was awarded the Outstanding Service to Music for seven consecutive years and won the Maestro Award for Junior (2020) and Middle School (2023). This year, she started learning Bass Guitar!
It’s no wonder then, that this talented, passionate and committed young musician has been awarded the prestigious Australian Festival of Chamber Music’s (AFCM) 2024 Theodore Kuchar Scholarship for Excellence in Music. It is the second year in a row that a student from The Cathedral School has taken the award.
The AFCM’s 2024 Theodore Kuchar Scholarship for Excellence in Music awards a Year Ten student with $4,000, to be used to pay for instrumental tuition and/or professional development, paid at $2,000 per year during Years Eleven and Twelve. Initiated in 1990 in honour of Theodore Kuchar, founding Artistic Director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM), the Scholarship is funded in partnership with the Townsville City Council and aims to support young emerging artists in the local community by increasing opportunities for creative growth and skill development at an advanced level.
Cr Liam Mooney from the Townsville City Council, a woodwind player also, was excited to see a fellow Clarinet player take out the scholarship. “Townsville City Council is incredibly proud to be supporting the next generation of artists from Townsville through initiatives like the Theodore Kuchar Scholarship. Gabrielle is an extraordinarily talented musician and I’m sure we’ll see her go on to perform on some of the world’s biggest stages. Well done Gabrielle on this remarkable achievement.”
Gabrielle said the Scholarship would allow her to take part in the Pacific Honours Ensemble Program (PHEP) and the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) Program, as well as enable her to continue to enter Eisteddfods, competitions and attend Master Classes and Workshops throughout 2025 and 2026. “The Scholarship means I can further enhance opportunities to study music at a tertiary level – I really want to study music at Griffith Conservatorium when I finish high school, and I’d love to bring knowledge and experience back to North Queensland with the aim of further developing music education in Townsville,” said Gabielle.
AFCM Executive Director Ricardo Peach commented, “The Theodore Kuchar Scholarship is very important to young, aspiring musicians in our region, and part of the AFCM’s overall Pathways Program. Through this scholarship, and AFCM Pathways initiatives such as the AFCM International Masterclasses and AFCM Outreach programs, we are able to support young and emerging musicians and help them develop careers. We are very grateful for Townsville City Council’s continued support of this important initiative.”
ABOUT THE AFCM:
The Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) in Townsville-Gurambilbarra is one of the world’s best celebrations of chamber music, and record-breaking figures from this year’s 10-day event can reveal that the music performed is more than wonderful sounds, it is a powerhouse lure for tourists from around the country and across the globe. Independent research shows the event, which was held from 26 July to 4 August, generated a total spending in Queensland by all attendees of $19.98million, up 114% from $9.32million in 2023. Overall, the direct and incremental expenditure generated by the Festival was estimated at $3.79 million, up 18%, with 91% of the spending in the Townsville region. The total attendance of 22,106 across all events, was an increase of 31% on 2023, with interstate or overseas visitors increasing by 16%.
The AFCM has called Townsville-Gurambilbarra its home for 34 years. Each year the event, now under the Artistic Directorship of famed international violinist Jack Liebeck, attracts musicians from around the world to perform across 10 days in July and August. This year, more than 35 artists including 10 international artists, 20 Australian artists and 5 ensembles, took part, with 14 artists making their AFCM debut. Two world premieres were performed with Liebeck welcoming superstar artists like Stephen Johnson, Piers Lane, Roderick Williams, Lotte Betts-Dean, Brett Dean and Umberto Clerici, across a program that took chamber music well beyond concert halls. Next year, 12 international artists will perform alongside Australian musicians over 9 days of exquisite music making, including two stellar concerts on Orpheus Island and Magnetic Island and the return of the AFCM Festival Garden.
Australian Festival of Chamber Music 2025
25 July – 2 August 2025
Tickets on sale 3 March 2025
3 February for AFCM Friends
AFCM principal partners include Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Arts Queensland, and Townsville City Council. AFCM is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland, and features on the It’s Live! In Queensland events calendar.
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