Concert for Amy

Bel Canto Young Opera, in conjunction with the Amy Sherwin Fund, presents - 
Concert For Amy - a fundraising concert celebrating the life and music of Tasmania’s own Amy Sherwin, “The Tasmanian Nightingale”

Suzanne Ortuso, Artistic director of Bel Canto Young Opera, has curated another of her stunning programs of operatic arias, to be performed by Tasmanian singers, several of whom are established professionals in mainland opera companies, while others are emerging local stars. The concert will include a narration telling of the humble beginnings and dream-like success of a Tasmanian singer of much earlier times, Amy Sherwin, “a child of the bush”. You will also hear from Dr Bob Brown, president of the Amy Sherwin Fund, about the long overdue project of creating a permanent memorial to Amy Sherwin's extraordinary life and achievements.  All profits from ticket sales will be donated to the Amy Sherwin fund – see below. 

Performers will include: singers Sharon Prero, Carmen Young, Allison Farrow, Andrew Short, Lily Ward, Anastasia Gall, Isobel Latimer, Josephine Waugh, Bryn Holloway, Hannah Cowie, Avalon Teirney, Mia Pavlides, Coco Pavlides, Angelique Nuttman and Sheng Zhang Vajra; with Roy Classey as Narrator and Jennifer Marten-Smith on piano.

Who was Amy Sherwin?

If you haven’t heard of Amy Sherwin before today, you are definitely not alone. As her nickname “the Tasmanian Nightingale” suggests, Amy was a renowned opera singer of the late 1800’s, and was in fact the first Australian woman to achieve international success in the Arts. You may be further surprised to learn that she grew up in a modest earthen-floored home on the shores of the Huon River, near Judbury, in Tasmania’s south.

Amy’s story reads like a fairy tale. She made her professional debut in 1878, at the age of 23, with an Italian Opera company, the director of which had somehow come to hear of her extraordinary voice during their season in residence at the Theatre Royal in Hobart. With Amy’s participation, local crowds flocked to the opera performances, and she quickly rose to fame, going on to delight audiences across Australia and New Zealand, the UK, Europe, America and many other parts of the world over the following years.

It is clear that Tasmania remained dear to her, however successful she became in distant places, and also clear that she continued to be much beloved by her home audience. On one visit to Hobart, after many years touring abroad, she was greeted by an estimated four thousand locals who lined the streets cheering, accompanied by fireworks and the joyful pealing of church bells, as she made her way by carriage from the railway station to the Town Hall for her official welcome. Can you imagine it?

A lasting memorial – the Amy Sherwin Fund

Sadly, Amy’s extraordinary achievements have largely faded from view, overtaken by other great singers, and many tumultuous world events, since she retired early last century. However, her star is set to shine in the light of public awareness once again!

Since early 2024, a small committee of volunteers - headed by Dr Bob Brown, with patrons Emeritus Professor Kate Warner AC and Pulitzer Prize winning author Geraldine Brooks - has been working towards the creation of a life-sized statue, which is to be carved of Carrera marble by Melbourne sculptor, Peter Schipperheyn. The fundraising target is a hefty $250,000, which includes a portion being put aside for a Scholarship fund to assist a future aspiring young singer to undertake study overseas. 

Once completed, the statue will grace a prominent location in Hobart’s Arts precinct, providing a lasting tribute to the memory of Tasmania’s very first Prima Donna, Amy Sherwin, and inspiring all who dare, as she did, to dream big.

For more information on Amy Sherwin, and how you can help to support this unique project, visit amysherwinfund.au