THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 15

THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

TALENT IN NEW ZEALAND. t it ELLINGTON, January 31. In the course of time it may be'found practicable to establish in New Zealand a school similar to the State Conscrvatormm and thus develop to the fullest extent the capabilities of its gifted yotin"’ people. This remark was made to-day by Mr Roland Fester, of the State Conservatorium of Music, Sydney, who is just comniencing a world tour via the United States and Great Britain,. and who is a passenger with Mr s Foster on the Maunganui. Mr Foster will combine business with pleasure, having a number of engagements for lectures and broadcasting reclta'H al L d . to the success ot Miss Ethel Osborn in London, he has leeeiicd a number of invitations to teach there and will do so during Mav, June and July. “In the course of the Wellington cornpetitions, which I was privileged to judge,” said Mr lostcr, “I heard a number of performers whose work displayed promise ot an unusual degree, and on the occasion ot my la.'t visit I advised one of the winners, Miss Maide Miller, of Lyttelton to come over to the State Conscrvatorium with a view to embracing a professional career. 'lbis young mdy’s remarkable success as a student has fully justified expectations, and there is no doubt that if sba perseveres she ought to go as far in the musical world a 3 the celebrated New Zealand singer has done.’’ Miss Miller went to Mr Fester as a contralto. but her voice has extended upwards until she now sings dramatic mezzosoprano roles, and in Mr Foster’s opinion and that of Dame Clara Butt, will finally become a dramatic soprano. At the end of the year’s work Miss Miller was entered for the highest grade examination in singing, which represents ordinarily three years’ study. Not only did she pass with honours, but in the advanced pianoforte section came out at the top of the list, beating all the students who were taking the pianoforte as their chief study. In other musical and theoretical subjects Miss, Miller also took honours. This indicates the possession of -musical gifts and attainments of exceptional merit. Although Miss Miller is specially mentioned. Mr Foster added that she was a representative example of the talent possessed by New Zealand, and he fee's assured that manv others brought under public notice at the competitions would meet with equal success if it were within their power to pursue an intensive course of study at an institution like the State C'onservatoriuni.

“Perhaps in the course cf time it maybe found practicable to establi-h in New Zealand a school similar to lhe Slate C'onservatorium, and thus develop to the fullest extent the capabilities of its gifted young people,” said Mr Foster. Mr and Mrs Foster will travel about 25,000 miles in the course of their tour, which will last about nine months.