Featured Collaborator: Eliza Shephard
Eliza Shephard is a graduate of the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours in Flute Performance studying under Virginia Taylor.
At the age of 12, Eliza was awarded first place at the International Flute Festival 12 Years and under competition, and she received the John Rosengren Scholarship in 2008. She also received the Riverina Conservatorium of Music’s Major Woodwind Scholarship in 2007-09, and the Dr Ray King Scholarship in 2008 – the highest scholarship awarded through the Riverina Conservatorium of Music. In 2010 Eliza moved to Canberra to study at Canberra Girls Grammar School, where she was awarded the Gabriel Foundation Boarding Scholarship and the Vivien Gough Memorial Performing Arts Scholarship for both Music and Dance. Eliza attained her Associate of Music in 2010, and was a finalist in the 2MBS-FM Radio Young Performer Award in 2010 and 2011. In 2014, Eliza received her Licentiate of Music, and was accepted into Honours at ANU, where she also received the Peter Karmel Honours scholarship for Music. In 2015, Eliza was chosen as a representative for the Australian Capital Territory for the Fine Music Network Young Virtuoso Award. Later in 2015, she studied in New York City as the only Australian accepted into the semester-long intensive flute course studying with American flautist Robert Dick.
Eliza has partaken in numerous music camps across the years, most recently with the Australian Youth Orchestra Australian Tour. She first participated in an AYO program in 2010, and has since progressed to be a member of the AYO each year since. In 2016, Eliza was accepted into the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) Professional Performance Program, and in 2017 was awarded Outstanding Program in a Solo Recital at ANAM, and the ANAM Volunteer’s Prize. In 2018, Eliza was awarded the International Woodwind Player Award at the Gisborne International Music Competition, supported by Professor Jack Richards. Also in 2018, she was awarded the Director's Prize at ANAM, as well as the Ursula Hoff Institute Prize for Most Outstanding Performance in a Solo Recital for her 'The Storyteller' recital.