Violist Stefanie Farrands will use the $20,000 scholarship to commission new works for her instrument.

The Principal Violist of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Stefanie Farrands has won the prestigious Freedman Classical Fellowship 2016 following a performance in the ABC’s Eugene Goossens Hall on Saturday. The $20,000 scholarship will allow her to commission new Australian repertoire for the viola and promote it internationally through recordings and performances.

Competing against two other finalists – percussionist Kaylie Melville and pianist Alex Raineri – Farrands performed a recital, broadcast live on ABC Classic FM, in which she premiered a brand new work by Australian composer Natalie Williams, Talking Points, Miniature Suite for Viola and Piano.

^{Stefanie Farrands, photo © Karen Steains}

“It was an honour to give the world premiere of Natalie Williams’ Talking Points,” Farrands told Limelight. “I felt so lucky to have her write this gorgeous little suite for me. I can’t express how much of an honour it is to bring a new work to the concert stage. She did me such a wonderful favour, so I wanted to play them for her. She is a beautiful composer and her zest for life...