Help us deliver world-class training today and shape the opera greats of tomorrow. Together, we’re building a precious pathway for the next generation.
MAKE A DONATION
To make a tax-deductible donation please choose a payment option below.
Donations to Melba Opera Trust are made to the Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust (ABN 96424 419 725) a registered charity with DGR endorsement. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
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Gifts made by credit card will incur an additional service fee.
Please feel free to contact us directly (03) 9944 2100 to avoid additional fees and for donations more than $2,000.
Donations are processed via the trusted GiveNow service. You may elect the direction of your gift (for example, to support The Amelia Joscelyne Memorial Scholarship or the Alastair Jackson International Opera Award) in the third step of the form below.
Give Now is an Australian donation platform that facilitates secure online donations. You may access a record of all your donations through this form by establishing an account on their website. However, this is not required, and we encourage you to contact us directly for any donation questions or requests.
If you prefer to speak to us about alternative payment options, we encourage you to download our Donation Form here and contact us directly:
info@melbaoperatrust.com.au, +61 3 9944 2100.
LEAVING A LEGACY
A legacy gift to Melba Opera Trust represents a timeless gesture of support. It is a commitment to sustaining world-class training and precious pathways for exceptional young opera singers. It is also an investment in the future of opera in Australia and internationally, enriching the opportunities and experiences for artists and opera audiences alike.
There are many ways you can support Melba Opera Trust with a gift in your will and every gift is precious to us. All bequestors are treasured members of the Melba community and are invited to join Melba’s Will Bequest Circle.
To learn more read our Melba’s Will brochure.
Contact our Philanthropy Manager Joelle Kross on 03 9944 2100 to request a hard copy brochure or to start a conversation.
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT
The freedom to plan ahead is made possible thanks to our regular givers. Indicating an annual gift or pledging an annual donation for a set number of years has an enormous impact on our artistic planning. Donors may indicate a preference to align their gifts with Melba Opera Trust programs, or alternatively a scholarship or program of interest.
Please contact our office on (03) 9944 2100 for further information on pledging an annual donation.
“Nothing will give us greater joy than to follow these singers along, watch their progress and go to their concerts.” – John Wright-Smith, John & Elizabeth Wright-Smith Scholarship
Named Endowments provide perpetual support for a scholarship or one of our vital development programs.
Please contact our office on (03) 9944 2100 for further information on establishing your own named endowment.
Should you wish to find out more about personally supporting Melba Opera Trust, please contact (03) 9944 2100.
We have a number of dedicated scholarships that are awarded annually to opera singers and repetiteurs of outstanding merit. You may request a preference for your gift to contribute to one of these established scholarships.
Dame Nellie Melba Scholarship
The Dame Nellie Melba Scholarship was established in 1931 via Dame Nellie’s will, which bequeathed to the Albert Street Conservatorium the sum of £8,000 or the equivalent $1million in 2019 dollars. Dame Nellie’s largesse resulted in The Albert Street Conservatorium being later renamed The Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music, which in 2018 became the Melba Opera Trust.
Melba directed through her will that the annual income from the fund be used to support the vocal and professional development of a young, female, opera singer “so that another Melba may arise”.
The Scholarship has been awarded for nearly 80 years and the inaugural recipient under the Melba Opera Trust was soprano Stephanie Gibson in 2009.
Since 2010, the Patrick & Vivian Gordon Award has been awarded in conjunction with the Dame Nellie Melba Scholarship. The inaugural recipient of the Dame Nellie Melba Scholarship and Patrick & Vivian Gordon ward was Jacqueline Porter.
Annie McFarling Opera Scholarship
Annie McFarling was steeped from a young age in the important role of philanthropy. Her mother, Dame Patricia Mackinnon DBE was a substantial supporter of Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital among others. It was Annie’s childhood friendship with our Founding Patron, Mary-Jane Joscelyne OAM, that drew her to the work of the Melba Opera Trust. Annie, now retired from a career in public relations, established the scholarship in late 2017.
The inaugural recipient was mezzo-soprano Fleuranne Brockway in 2018.
John & Elizabeth Wright-Smith Scholarship
One of the early public performances by the new Melba Opera Trust was at Domain Chandon in September 2009. One audience member was especially engaged, exclaiming “Bravo” after the performances. General Manager Amy Black introduced herself to this man—John Wright-Smith. John professed his love of opera and introduced Amy to his wife, Elizabeth. Following many decades as a GP and Gerontologist, John and Liz, a nurse, retired to the Yarra Valley, to pursue their equestrian passion. John and Liz were ‘early adopters’ of the Trust’s vision. As passionate advocates for music and the arts, John and Liz endowed what was the first scholarship with the newly established Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust.
The inaugural recipient was Baritone Nathan Lay in 2011.
Ryman Healthcare Opera Scholarship
Ryman Healthcare was founded in 1984 in New Zealand by a man seeking a retirement home for his mother. After visiting a number of facilities, he was inspired to establish a better way of looking after people, and one where the care offered would be “good enough for mum”. More than 30 years later, Ryman Healthcare has grown to become the largest retirement village operator in New Zealand and a significant operator in Victoria. Ryman Healthcare names their villages after significant individuals and then engaging in philanthropic, community activities related to that individual. Ryman approached the Melba Opera Trust in 2018 to in relation to naming their latest facility in Brandon, Victoria in honour of Dame Nellie Melba.
In keeping with the company’s philanthropic values, Ryman Healthcare established an endowed scholarship in 2018, and Baritone Samuel Piper is the inaugural recipient in 2019.
Amelia Joscelyne Memorial Scholarship
Amelia Joscelyne was a promising voice student at the Melba Memorial Conservatorium in the late 1980s. Her tragic death while a student at the Conservatorium motivated the Joscelyne family and wide circle of friends to establish the Amelia Joscelyne Memorial Scholarship in 1989. Amelia cherished her short time at The Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music and, above all else, loved to sing. This scholarship provides opportunities to other young female singers, in Amelia’s memory.
The “Amelia” has been awarded for 30 years, and the inaugural recipient under Melba Opera Trust was Siobhan Stagg in 2009.
Joseph Sambrook Opera Scholarship
After major international careers in biological research, Professors Joseph Sambrook and Mary-Jane Gething retired to Melbourne, the place of Mary-Jane’s birth. Joe, in particular, has had a lifelong love of opera, having sung as a boy chorister in the UK for the likes of Benjamin Britten. Joe and Mary-Jane approached the Trust in 2012 to explore the establishment of a bequest. As they learned more about the work the Trust, their own experiences with young researchers cultivated a deep appreciation for the value of mentorship for young singers.
Joe and Mary-Jane endowed the Scholarship in 2013 and bass-baritone Jeremy Kleeman was the inaugural recipient of this award, in 2014.
Paulette Bisley Opera Scholarship
Paulette and Warwick Bisley retired to the Yarra Valley following decades of living overseas for Warwick’s career in the international energy and minerals industry. Warwick and Paulette have nurtured life-long passions for music and the arts, and Paulette’s mother was an accomplished singer. They were introduced the Trust by another Yarra Valley resident and long-time Melba supporter, Jenny Sutherland, who is Dame Nellie’s grand-niece. Warwick and Paulette had already established an engineering scholarship at Melbourne University in Warwick’s name, so when they decided to endow a scholarship with the Melba in 2014, they did so under Paulette’s name and in so doing honoured Paulette’s mother, an accomplished singer.
The inaugural recipient of this award was Daniel Carison in 2015.
Eleanor Blakemore Opera Society Scholarship
Lead by its Chair, Valma Allaway, the Opera Society first established a scholarship through Melba Opera Trust in 2013. The society has a membership of over 300 opera enthusiasts and funds underpinning the scholarship are raised annually through member lunches, social activities and fundraising initiatives. They are passionate about helping young opera singers access the development opportunities their talent deserves.
Eleanor Blakemore was a long-standing member of Opera Society and, through her estate, bequeathed a generous fund to grow the Opera Society’s support for this scholarship.
The inaugural recipient was Robert Barbaro in 2013.
Ruskin Opera Scholarship
In 2004 Jeremy Ruskin and Roz Zalewski instituted the Alfred Ruskin Recital Award through the Melba Conservatorium of Music. The Award was initially made in memory of Jeremy’s late father, Alfred Ruskin AM who was Chair of the Conservatorium from 1972 until 1996.
When the Melba Opera Trust was established, the Award transitioned to the Ruskin Opera Scholarship and continues to be supported by a loyal syndicate of Roz and Jeremy’s family and friends. Roz Zalewski-Ruskin was Chair of Melba Opera Trust from 2016 until 2021.
The inaugural recipient of the Ruskin Opera Scholarship was Stacey Alleaume in 2012.
Margaret Schofield Opera Scholarship
Margaret Schofield was one of Australia’s leading pianists of the 20th century. Her distinguished career included performances as a soloist, accompanist and an active piano teacher for almost 60 years. Margaret lectured at the Melba Conservatorium of Music in addition to examining for the AMEB and adjudicating many of Victoria’s preeminent eisteddfods and musical competitions. In 1988 Margaret Schofield was awarded the OAM for her services to music and to the community. She continued to teach and play until almost 80 years of age.
In her honour, her children, Andrew and Fiona Cochrane, established the Margaret Schofield Opera Scholarship, initially offered through Melba Conservatorium and more recently offered through Melba Opera Trust. Over the years the scholarship has been awarded in support of concert pianists, opera singers and currently, Melba Opera Trust’s repetiteur scholarship.
The inaugural recipient of the Margaret Schofield was Sophie Yelland in 2010 with Simon Bruckard and Jonathan Wilson sharing the 2016 award with its renewed focus on Repetiteur Scholars.
Mel & Nina Waters Award
Emeritus Professor Mel Waters was the director of The Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music for over a decade and guided the transition from The Conservatorium to Melba Opera Trust. In 2010 the Chairman and Board decided to establish the Mel & Nina Waters Award in recognition of their dedication to The Conservatorium and more recently, Melba Opera Trust.
The inaugural recipient of the Mel & Nina Waters award was Nathan Lay in 2011.
John Wegner AO Opera Scholarship
It is an honour to have a newly announced scholarship, the John Wegner AO Opera Scholarship, in the Melba Program. John’s wife, Mignon Wegner, recently established the scholarship in John’s memory and 2024 is its inaugural year.
John Wegner was born in West Germany and moved to Melbourne with his family at a young age. Over the course of a 33-year career, John made his name as a magnificent singer-actor, not only in Australia – where he began his career as a principal artist with the then Australian Opera – but in Europe, singing in major opera houses, such as Bayreuth, Covent Garden, Vienna Staatsoper and La Scala. After his death in 2019, he was described as an ‘audience favourite’ as well as ‘an idol to many of his colleagues and an inspiration’.
The inaugural recipient is Aidan Hodder.
Southey Shelmerdine Repetiteur Scholarship
Lady Southey is a philanthropist and a long-term supporter of Melba Opera Trust. Marigold Merlyn Baillieu Southey is the youngest daughter and fourth child of the late Sidney Myer and Dame Merlyn Myer DBE. She has been an active leader for more than fifty years in philanthropy and continues to support many arts, medical research and health organisations. Kate Shelmerdine has been Chair of Melba Opera Trust since 2022 and prior to that was Deputy Chair for four years. Kate’s mother studied piano at The Melbourne University Conservatorium of Music, and Kate’s own piano teacher taught at the Melba Conservatorium.
Both Lady Southey and Kate are passionate about all aspects of a musical career. They appreciate the importance of the niche but indispensable nature of the work of a repetiteur.
The inaugural recipient is Stacey Yang.
Jo Horgan & Peter Wetenhall Opera Scholarship
Jo Horgan and Peter Wetenhall are inspiring business leaders, as founders of Mecca they have redefined the beauty landscape in Australia and New Zealand. While Jo and Peter are committed co-Chief Executives of Mecca, they are equally committed to philanthropy and are making a very real social impact. Jo is a staunch advocate for women’s empowerment and strongly believes in education, seen through the meaningful work of Mecca M-Power.
Combining their passion for developing women’s careers, the arts and education, Jo and Peter have created a sponsorship to nurture talented female artists through the Melba Program.
The inaugural recipient is Chloe James.
PATRONS
PATRONS IN CHIEF
HER EXCELLENCY PROFESSOR THE HONOURABLE MARGARET GARDNER AC, THE GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA
We were honoured to receive news in October 2023 that HE Professor The Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria accepted the appointment of Patron-in-Chief during her term of office.
FOUNDING PATRONS
THE LATE PAMELA, LADY VESTEY
Granddaughter to Dame Nellie Melba
“As Patron of The Melba Memorial Conservatorium since 1995, and as a Founding Patron of Melba Opera Trust, I am gratified that the Board has seen fit to preserve for the future the legacy and special vision for the Melba that was so close to my grandmother’s heart.”
MARY-JANE JOSCELYNE OAM
“It is a great thrill for me to be a Founding Patron of Melba Opera Trust, and an honour that I share with my family, friends and supporters of the Amelia Joscelyne Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship has kept alive Amelia’s memory and the joy of singing in the hearts and lives of so many Melba students over the last eighteen years, and we are all delighted that it will continue to be a centre piece of Melba’s new future.”
HONOURARY PATRON
THE HONOURABLE SAFFRON FOSTER
Great-great-granddaughter to Dame Nellie Melba
“My grandmother would have been so happy that Melba Opera Trust asked me to be patron. I feel very honoured to be carrying on. I do hope that I will be of some use and, with my planned trips to Australia, I hope we can do more and more at Coombe Cottage for much-needed fundraising.”
SUPPORTERS
IMPRESARIO
($500,000 and above)
Ryman Healthcare
Warwick & Paulette Bisley
Mary-Jane Gething AO & the late Joseph Sambrook
Nance Grant AM MBE & Ian Harris
Peter Reilly OAM & Linton Soderholm
Mignon Wegner & the late John Wegner AO
The late John & Elizabeth Wright-Smith
PATRON CIRCLE
($250,000-$499,999)
Charles Allen AO & Jocelyn Allen
A/Prof Andrew Cochrane AM
Dr Fiona Cochrane OAM
The late Joseph Diflo
Peter Griffin AM & Terry Swann Foundation
Dr Alastair Jackson AM
Peter Laver AM & the late Anne Laver
Kate Shelmerdine & Stephen Shelmerdine AM
Andrew Sisson AO
Lady Southey AC
Roz Zalewski OAM & Jeremy Ruskin KC
GRAND CIRCLE
($100,000 – $249,999)
Janet Calvert-Jones AO & John Calvert-Jones AM
Diana Gibson AO
The late Lady April Hamer OAM
The late Ann & Ian McFarling
DRESS CIRCLE
($50,000 – $99,999)
Judith & the late James Beattie
Dr Bruce Caldwell
Ernest Dawes OBE OAM & Nola Dawes
Ian Dickson AM & Reg Holloway
Andrew & Victoria Fox-Smith
Louise M Gourlay AM
Peter Hansen OAM & Neroli Hansen
Jo Horgan & Peter Wetenhall
The late Ian & Dale Johnson
Lady Potter AC CMRI
GALLERY CIRCLE
($25,000 – $49,999)
Jan & Peter Clark
Carolyn & Stephen Coffey OAM
Kevin & Margaret Collecutt
Val Diamond & John Funder AC
Rose Downer AM & John Downer AM
Frank & Judith Firkin
Peter & Elizabeth Goodman
The Hansen Little Foundation
Bill Hayward OAM
David Jones
Suzanne Kirkham
Elizabeth Lithgow
Patricia McKenzie
The Family of the late Jack McLeish
The Hon John Middleton AM KC & Mrs Middleton
Tom & Ruth O’Dea
Graeme Parncutt
John E Smith
James & Clytie Williams
BALCONY CIRCLE
($10,000 – $24,999)
Jim Allen OAM
The late Judy Allen
The late Betty Amsden AO
Chris Arnold AM & Margot Costanzo
Philip Bacon AO
The Hon Justice David Beach & Marea Beach
Lewis & Sally Bell
The late Marc Besen AC & the late Eva Besen AO
Dr Di Bresciani OAM & Lino Bresciani OAM, Youth Music Foundation of Australia
Elizabeth Brown
Rowena & Victoria Cole on behalf of the late Ann Cole
The Hon Alex Chernov AC KC & Elizabeth Chernov
Dr Mitchell Chipman
Sandy Clark AO & Marie McDonald
Jim Cousins AO & Libby Cousins AM
Rosie Cunningham
Ros & John Dowling
George & Laila Embelton
The late Dr Helen M Ferguson
Fleur Gibbs
John & Jo Grigg
Peter & Melissa Hebbard
Sally Heerey & the late Peter Heerey
Jane Hemstritch AO
The Henkell Family Fund
Linda Herd
Margaret & Trevor Holborow
Christine Hughes
Penelope Hughes
Gill & Giles Hunt
William M.P. Jones
Bryan Keon-Cohen AM KC & June Keon-Cohen
Kathryn Kings
Valerie Le Maitre
Julie Lidgett
Robert G Logie-Smith AM & Sue Logie-Smith AM
Suzanne Maple-Brown
Mary-Ruth & Peter McLennan
Margot Melzak OAM
Margaret & the late Patrick Mills
Susan Morgan OAM
Diane & Tim Morris
Miki Oikawa
Pierce Armstrong Foundation
The Greatorex Fund
Helen Paterson
Kenneth Reed AM
Judith Robinson & the late Michael Robinson AO
Margot & Warwick Ross
Aubrey Schrader
Phillip & Susan Schudmak
The Hon Justice Melanie Sloss SC
Siobhan Stagg
Lyn Stephenson
Jennifer & The late David Sutherland
The Swindel-Hurst Family Trust
Robert Thomas AO & Sam Meers AO
Dr Michael Troy
Caroline Vaillant
Jon & Marian Weaving in memory of Margaret Nisbett MBE
Lorraine Weiner & Geoffrey Blick
The Hon Justice Michael Wheelahan KC & Cathryn Wheelahan
Anonymous (1)
MAESTRO CIRCLE
($5,000 – $9,999)
Robbie S. Barker
Judy Begg
Margaret Billson
A/Prof Tony Buzzard AM & Dr Pamela Craig
J S Chambers Foundation
Julie & Terry Clarke
Pauline Cleary
Alexandra Clemens
Catherine & Mark Clisby
Jillian Cobcroft
David Curtain AM KC & Sally Curtain
Jill D’Arcy
Joan Darling
Hilary Day & the late Arthur Day AM
Cav. Maria Castellano
Val Dyke
Terry & Linda Elliott
Catherine & the late Roger Freeman
Dr R & Ms K H Grinberg
Barbara Hutchinson & the late Darvell Hutchinson AM
Alison Hyams
Mary-Jane Joscelyne OAM & the late Bill Joscelyne
John Kiely & the late Lorraine Elliott
Peter A Kingsbury
Peter Mander & Walter van Nieuwkuyk OAM
Margaret Mayers
Ian & Julie McDonald
Dr Sue McNicol AM KC
Leanne Menegazzo
The late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE
Liz Nield
The late Geoffrey Norris
Rosalind O’Connor
Jocelyn & the late John O’Neil
Sir Andrew & Lady Fairley Foundation
Bruce Parncutt AO
Sarah Patterson
The late Nancy Petersen and daughter, Dale
Roger Poole OAM & Catherine Poole
Tony & Elizabeth Rayward
Achim Leistner & Janice Roberts
Rosemary Roche & the late Alexander Roche
Paul & Gay Rosen
The late Graham Sellars-Jones
Lindy Shelmerdine
Sue Stanley & the late Richard Stanley KC
Jo Strutt
Hugh Taylor AC and Elizabeth Dax AM
Maggie Toomey
The late Lord & Lady Vestey
Prof Mel & Nina Waters
Cameron Wenck
Grant Johnson & Steven Wharton
Anonymous (6)
MELBA CIRCLE
($1,000 – $4,999)
John & Cecily Adams
Flossie Ager
Valma Allaway OAM
C A Alston
Dr Patricia Armstrong-Grant OBE
Michael & Margaret Arnott
The Beale Family
Elizabeth Beischer OAM
Dr Jennifer Coghlan-Bell & Dr Simon Bell
Joseph Bertolini & Bernadette Kelly
Kenneth Betts
Amy & Clayton Black
Ann Blainey
Christopher Blanden KC & Rosemary Blanden
Jenny Brash
Jonathan & Anne Breadmore
H & J Burger
The Hon Justice David Byrne & Jenni Harris
Nicholas Callinan AO & Libby Callinan
Adrienne & The late Ross Cameron
Janet Clark & the late John Clark AM
Libby Colenso
Caroline & Glenn Crane
John Craven
Gretchen & the late Noel Crosling
Shaneen Crouch & the late Michael J Crouch AO
Cara Cunningham
Charles Curran AC & Eva Curran
Marie Dalziel
Marie-Angela David
Pat Davis
Jens & Kate Dowling
William Downey
Margaret Dunn
Rodger Eade & Margot Milne
Jack & Vivian Fajgenbaum
Cluny Ferguson & Rowan Skinner
The late Diana Fisher OAM
Barbara Fleischer
Shirley Fong
William J Forrest AM
The Hon Saffron Foster
Dennis Freeman
Jenny Fullard
Bunny Gardiner-Hill
Peter Garnick
The Gebhardt Family
Leona Geeves
The late Annie Gibson
G. Gillam
Tim Glanville
Michael Gleeson-White AO
Dr Deborah Golvan and Colin Golvan AM KC
Alexandra Grimwade
Anthony Gross & Victoria Taylor
Elisabeth Guinness
Dr Geoffrey Hall AM & Nonie Hall
Hugh Hallard
Chris Hamer
The Hon Hartley Hansen AM KC & Mrs Rosalind Hansen
Cathy Henry
Dr Martin & Jacqui Higgs
Robin & Peter Hone
Robert Hook
Peter Hordern
D.G. & R. Houseman
Dr Sam Howes & the late Margaret Howes
Anne Inall & the late Neil Inall OAM
The late Cynthia Jackson AM
Barry & the late Prue Johnson
Lewis & Paula Johnson
Grace & the late George Kass
Julia King
Anthony Knight OAM & Beverly Knight
David & Margaret Knight
Barbara and the late Peter Kolliner
Lynne Landy & the late John Landy AC MBE
Joy Laurence
Deirdre & The late Hon Justice Leo Lazarus
Tony & Helen Lewis
John & Erin Lidgerwood
Janet Limb AO
Norma Lithgow
Dr Bruce & the late Dianne Livett
Marga Macdonald
Carissima MacDonald
Ian Mackay & the late Jacki Mackay
Donald Magarey OAM & Kathryn Magarey
Probus Club of Melbourne Inc.
Marin Charitable Trust
David & Jane Martin
Stuart Maunder AM
Denys & Ingeborg McCullough
The Hon. Justice Timothy McEvoy & Elizabeth Maynard
Richard McLeish
Ross McPherson AM
Dr Bryan Mendelson & Debora Mendelson
Fiona Menzies
James Mighell KC
James Moffat
Michael & the late Judy Morrison
Kristin Moses
Dr Kenneth Muirden AO & Lesley Muirden
Merrilyn Murnane
Annabel and Rupert Myer
Milton & Margie Myers
Kris Neill
Margaret Nevett
Rosemary Norbury
Barry Novy OAM
Stephen O’Meara KC & Kate Galvin
Diana-Rose Orr
Moffatt Oxenbould AM & Graeme Ewer AM
John Parncutt
Joan Pigdon
Georgia Bassingthwaighte & Andrew Powell
Clare & David Pullar
Greg Reinhardt AM
Julie Robertson
The late Bill & the late Joan Robinson
Elizabeth & Tom Romanowski
Peter Rose
Margaret S Ross AM
Nick Ruskin & Dr Annette Shiell
Judge Aileen Ryan KC
Mary Ryan
Susan Santoro
Schiavello Group Charitable Foundation
Graham Schmidt
Penelope Seidler AM
Jennifer Shaw
Jenny Shelmerdine
Carol Smallwood & the late Richard Smallwood AO
Smedley Family
Emma Stephenson & Joanne Smith
Russell & Margaret Smith
Barbara Soulie
Gail Stewart
Bill & Rae Szuch
Norman Taylor
Leslie C Thiess
Rob & Ruth Thomas
Dr George Tippett AM
Irene Trethowan
Simon & Mary Ann Trumble
Sylvia Urbach
Marian Uren
Dr JCL & Mrs MM Viggers
Georgina Ward
Geoffrey Webb
Alexander G. White
Christine Williams
Lyn Williams AM
Gay & John Woods
Helen Woods & Lewis Rowell
Renn Wortley
Diana Yeldham
Barbara Yeoh AM
Judy Zuk
Anonymous (32)
FRIENDS OF THE MELBA
(All gifts up to $999)
Richard Allen
Julia & Warwick Anderson
Rosie Baer
Phillippa Baker
Meredith & the late John Baldwin
Donna Balson
Geraldine Barnes & Donald Buckett
Rosetta Baron
Michael & Mim Bartlett
Fran Batrouney
Gemma Baxter
Jim & Tui Beggs
Margie & the late Robert Beggs
David & Sinead Berry
Fiona Bisko
Diana Boehme
Helen Bogdan
Wendy Borthwick
Greta Bradman AM & Didier Elzinger
Tina Brandon-Cooper
Gary Brill & Paola Battengo
Judy Brodribb
David Brown
Suzie Brown OAM & the late Harvey Brown
Jane Brownfield
Kate Burke & Russel Howcroft
Joan Butler
Dorothy Button
Lucy & Frank Calabria
Ron & Ruth Cameron
James & Jenny Campbell
R. Campbell & B. Parncutt
Sarah Campbell
Bernard Capicchiano
Margaret Carlin
Colin Carter
Judy Casey
Prof Lynette Casey-Brereton
Maggie Cash
Elaine & Adrian Castellini
Annabella Chang
Jennifer Chen
Louisa Christie
Anthony Cianflone MP
Mary Ryllis Clark
Christine Clough
Rosie Cocklin
Anne Collins
B Collison
C.Cooke
Bill Cowan AM
The late Rosemary Creswell
W E Cromby
Jan Croucher
Madeleine Culbert
Lyn Cummings
Cherrie Cunningham
Mary Ann & Alf D’Souza
Hannah Dahlenburg
Diana & Ian Daly
Jan & James Davies
Janice & Richard Davies
Lucas de Jong ACMM
Charles De Long
Allen & Maxine Rozario
Bernard & Sarah Depasquale
Angus Dixon & Val Armstrong
Des & Margaret Dodds
Rosemary Dowling
Marion Downe
Elizabeth Duffield
Robert Dugdale
Stephanie Dundas
TM Dyke
Eric Easton
Jenifer Eddy OAM
Dr John & Maggie Faulkner
Garry A Fehring
Anne Fenner
Dr Peter Field & Mrs Heather-Anne Field
Helen & Paul Finn
Fiona, David & Marie Forrest
Lucinda Forwood
Diane Francis
Anne Frankenberg & Adrian McEniery
A/Prof Jane & Jim Freemantle AO
Mr Glenn Fryer
Paula Fulton
Pamela Furnell & Lester W Johnson
Richard & Waylin Galbraith
Liz Gaynor
David Gee
Prof. Jennifer George & Rev. Canon Matthew Williams
Charles Gibson
Giglia Family
Ross Gillies KC
Sir Archibald Glenn OBE & Lady Glenn
Dr Fiona Glover
Catherine Ann Godony
John Goldberg
Gove Family
Tony & Sue Graham
Lady Marsha Grimwade & the late Sir Andrew Grimwade
Suzanne Grogan
Colin & Judy Gronn
Sarah Guthrie
Sue & Roger Haldane
Patricia Hale
John & Susie Hall
Stuart & Sue Hamilton
Tim Hannah
Shona & Richard Harding
Amanda Hardy-Lai
Elaine & Bob Hayes
Jacqueline & James Hayes
Kate Hayward
Mark Higginbotham
Dr John Higgins
Michael & Margaret Hilditch
Wendy Hill & the late Sinclair Hill AM OBE
Helen Hiscock
Roxane Hislop
David Hobson
Jack & Ella Hodgson (nee Banner)
Pauline Hook
Judy Hooper
Henning Horn
Peter & Penelope Inge
Ian & Prue Ingham
Barbara Inglis
Inglis Family
Robyn Jarvis
Comvision Victoria
Christine Johnston
Kay & Greg Jopson
Matthew Joscelyne
Kevin & Barbara Kane
Veronica & Walter Kastelan
Michael & Claire Kearins
Peter & Wendy Keating
Liane Keegan
Lyane Kelynack
Garry Kennedy & Yoshi Omato
K Khoo & Kate Chen
Bob Kingman
Victoria Kosky & the late Tony Kosky OAM
Dr David & Belinda Kram
Juliet & Toby Lawson
Anna Le Deux
Hyonju Lee
Michael Leighton-Jones & A/Prof Jane Halliday
Diana Lempriere
Mrs. Barbara Leser
C. Lethborg
Dr Anne Lierse
Michael Liffman & Virginia Routley
Dr John Lill OAM & Rosemary Lill
Trudy Lindblade
Bill Lloyd
John & Jenny Lorimer
Ian Lowe
Betty Lynch
Capt Hamish & Frances MacGowan
Rosemary Macindoe
Iona Macnab
Sarah Mahon
Judy Manifold
John & Kate Manton
Sally Marshall
Lady Suzanne Martin
Elizabeth Ann Mattingly
Charles Maxwell
Arnold Mayfield & Deborah Bannister
Dr Margaret Mayston AM
Adrian McEniery & Anne Frankenberg
Carolyn McFarlane
Juliet McFarlane
The late Eve McGlashan
Sarah McIntyre
Nicki & Mark McLennan
Christopher McLeod
Deborah & Duncan McNab
Gerard & Roisin Meehan
Grainne Meehan
Ronald Meldrum KC & Margot Meldrum
Jocelyne & the late Peter Mitchell
Grace Mollard & Will Cozean
Susan Molony
Andrew & Alison Monotti
Isobel Morgan OAM & the late John Morgan
Jane K Morris
Dr Peter & Mrs Susie Muller
Lee-ann Nazzari
Lenore Neath
John & Penny Nelson
Stephen & Sandra Nicholas
Peta & Phil Nicholl
Judge Julie Nicholson
The late Margaret Nisbett MBE
Sir Gustav & Lady Nossal
Alexandra & Brian Nugent
John & Gabrielle O’Connor
Maureen O’Rourke
Anne & Murray Oakleigh
Howard & Judy Obst
Renaissance Tours
Roslyn Packer AC
The Hon Justice Tony & Margaret Pagone
Mark Parncutt
Denis & Mrs Parry-Okeden
The Hon David Parsons & Christine Nathan
Sue Paynter
Hieu Pham
Lyn Pike
Tutti Pike
Prof John Poynter AO OBE & Marion Poynter
Yvonne Pun
Jenny Quist
Valerie Rae
Richard & Vivienne Reed
Elizabeth Reid
Cynthia Richards
Eda Ritchie AM
Faye Rodgers
Denise & Victor Rodwell
Sandra Rogerson
Belinda & the late Ian Roper
Johanna Rosenthal
Ruth Roshan
David Ross-Smith & the late Reverend David Hodges AM
Margie Rymill & Richard Vincent
Jan & Graeme Salthouse
Merran Samuel
Libby Saunders & the late Del Bobeff
Glenda Sayers
Idomeneo cast, Opera Australia February 2024
Lynette Schiftan
Catherine & Robert Scott
Sheila Scotter
Simon & Wendy Seward
The late Robin Shand
William Sharpe
Geraldine Shaw
Linda Shoostovian
Alexandra Sidamon
Dilbagh Singh
Nick & Helen Sidoryn
George & Alison Simon
Fay A Simson
Rajini Singh
Kevin Smith
Philip Solomon
Kate & Philip Spanton
Joan Spiller
Ian & Lin Stanway
Jerry Stern
S & M Stern
Benita Stribley
Elizabeth & Ivan Sutherland
Elaine Sutton
Jillian Symons & Ken Forge
Rosemary Tait
Jim Tehan
Linda Thompson
The Hon. Ray Finkelstein & the late Ms Leonie Thompson
Robert Thomson & Hugh Ratten
Colleen Tierney
Paul & Amanda Timmins
John Tracey
Edith Trenerry
Peta Tsindos
Peter Turner & the late Elisabeth Turner
Shirley Vallance
Dana Van de Wiel
Susan Verge
Jasmin Verginis
Rob & Christine Vickery
Voshege Family
Graeme Wall OAM & Margot Cory-Wall OAM
Wani Wall
Georgia Wallis
David & Margaret Walsh
John Walton AM & Carolyn Roberts
Wendy Watson
Liz Weeks
Peter & Geraldine Wegner
Joanna Weir
Emma Welsh
Patricia White
Lynne Willey
Allen & Libby Williams
Julia Wilson
Michael Wright AM KC & Maxine Cooper
Nicole Wyrill
Shu-Cheen Yu
Barbara Yuncken
Anonymous (40)
ALUMNI CIRCLE
Shauntai Abdul-Rahman
Stacey Alleaume
Morgan Balfour
Nathan Breeze
Bronwyn Douglass
Emily Edmonds
Lauren Fagan
Amir Farid
Samantha Hargreaves
Chloe Harris
Louis Hurley
Fiona Jopson
Stephen Marsh
Michael Petruccelli
Georgina Powell
Matthew Reardon
Siobhan Stagg
Stacey Yang
MELBAS WILL BEQUEST CIRCLE
Dr Patricia Armstrong-Grant OBE
Mary -Jane Gething AO
Garry A Fehring
Penelope Hughes
Dr Alastair Jackson AM
The late Ian & Dale Johnson
Mary-Jane Joscelyne OAM & the late Bill Joscelyne
Dr Bruce Livett
Dr Margaret Mayston AM
Diane & Tim Morris
Mario Perrone & Rick Kruse
Rosemary Roche & the late Alexander Roche
David Ross-Smith & the late Reverend David Hodges AM
Mary Ryllis Clark
John E Smith
Lorraine Weiner & Geoffrey Blick
Renn Wortley
Anonymous (3)
ESTATE GIFTS
Michael Bertram
Joan Cowan
Ann McFarling
Margaret Nisbett MBC
Alexander Roche
PROGRAM SUPPORT
MELBA PROGRAM
The Myer Foundation
Opera Society of Victoria
Robert Salzer Foundation
MENTOR PROGRAM
Reilly & Logie-Smith Mentor Endowment
The late John & Elizabeth Wright-Smith
Shelmerdine Southey Repetiteur Scholarship
Margaret Schofield Opera Scholarship
Mel & Nina Waters Award
The Tallis Foundation
SHAROLYN KIMMOREY ARTISTIC ENDOWMENT
Peter Griffin AM & Terry Swann Foundation
Ian Dickson AM & Reg Holloway
ALUMNI GRANTS
Warwick & Paulette Bisley
M J Gething
Opera Society of Victoria
Honor Sambrook
John & Elizabeth Wright-Smith
Recognised Support as of 23 March 2026
PARTNERS & SPONSORS
ORGANISATIONAL PARTNERS
PHILANTHROPY PARTNERS
PROFESSIONAL PARTNERS
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Partnerships provide a valuable contribution and helps Melba Opera Trust to help exceptional young people to fulfil their potential.
Partnering with Melba Opera Trust – financial or in-kind – ultimately supports Melba Artists and connects your brand(s) with our audience. Activation begins with a series of Melba-hosted event throughout the year and is limited only by our collective creativity.
Businesses may be interested to support pillars of the internationally regarded Melba Program, endow a named scholarship in the business name to demonstrate support for young artists in perpetuity or a bespoke opportunity.
To discuss partnership options, please contact Olivia Giglia at ogiglia@melbaoperatrust.com.au or on (03) 9944 2100.