WAYJO’s Artistic Director, Mace Francis, was one of four finalists nominated for the 2010 Freedman Fellowship who performed at the Sydney Opera House earlier this month.

While Mace was unsuccessful in winning the Fellowship, he said that the experience was incredible. Mace performed his own compositions with the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra which were well received by the judges and audience members.

“The standard of all performances was exceptional. It is an honour to be selected as one of the four finalists and Mace is a hugely talented composer,” Freedman Fellowship judge, David Theak said. Dick Letts, Director of the MCA described Mace as a “driving force”. “The thing that was most striking about the Freedmans this year was the diversity among the candidates,” he said.

The 2010 Fellowship was awarded to Melbourne-based jazz guitarist, Ben Hauptmann. The other finalists were vocalist Gian Slater (Melbourne) and pianist Jackson Harrison (Sydney).  

An initiative of the Music Council of Australia, The Freedman Fellowship aims to assist performers up to 36 years of age to further their careers and develop their jazz talent. Nominees must put forward a specific project demonstrating how it will allow them to meet their career goals. As well as assessment of their proposed project, nominees also perform at a public concert at the Sydney Opera House.

Mace’s application involved him travelling to New York, Austria and Norway to study with a number of leading big band composers and performers.

The prize money for the Fellowship, inaugurated in 2001, is $15,000 cash and consultations to assist with non-musical aspects of career-building, as well as active support from Music Council personnel during the Fellowship period.

Established in 1998 by Laurence and Kathy Freedman, The Freedman Foundation also supports visual artists, Australian youth projects, and scientific and medical research.  The Music Council of Australia is a national music organisation representing the entire breadth of music in Australia.