Philip Loubser Foundation inaugural Fellowship weekend

Gergely Madaras (Photo ©GARAS-Kálmán)

You may not have heard of the Philip Loubser Foundation (PLF) which was formed in the Netherlands in 1997, but it is responsible for helping to establish four major awards supporting young artists, the Royal Ballet School Nadia Nerina Scholarship, English National Opera Mackerras Conducting Fellowship, Royal College of Music Benjamin Britten Piano Fellowship and Toneelgroep Amsterdam International Ibsen Fellowship. 

For the weekend of 1 and 2 September 2017, the foundation is holding its inaugural Fellowship weekend when past and present holders of these fellowships will be able to come together. The foundation's founder Michael Loubser believes these opportunities for interaction between artists of different disciplines offer invaluable enhancement to their professional development.

Matthew Kofi Waldren

So far the foundation has helped to launch the careers of 12 artists in 10 countries, and the intention is to create a family of fellows past and present, to allow younger artists to draw on the experience of their predecessors.

There are five current fellows, the ballet dancer Yu Hang; conductors Toby Purser and Matthew Kofi Waldren; pianist Alexander Ullman; and director Maren Bjørseth, and past recipients include the conductor Gergely Madaras, the first recipient of the ENO Mackerras Conducting Fellowship and now Music Director of Orchestre Dijon Bourgogne and Chief Conductor of Savaria Symphony Orchestra, Hungary.

Current recipients and alumni of Philip Loubser Foundation projects:

Toby Purser

RBS Nadia Nerina Scholarship
Yu Hang - 2016-2018
Joonhyuk Jun - 2014-2017
Hannah Bettes - 2013-2015
Esteban Hernandez - 2010-2013

ENO Mackerras Conducting Fellowship

Toby Purser - 2016-2018
Matthew Kofi Waldren - 2016-2018
Fergus Macleod - 2014-2016
Gergely Madaras - 2012-2014

RCM Benjamin Britten Piano Fellowship
Alexander Ullman - 2016-2017
Pavel Kolesnikov - 2015-2016
Dinara Klinton - 2014-2015

TGA International Ibsen Fellowship
Maren Bjørseth - 2016-2019