The Grand Final of the ABC Young Performers Awards was broadcast on 4 November 2022 by ABC Classic.

Flautist Eliza Shephard was named the Young Performer of the Year following her impressive performance of Matthew Hindson’s eccentric concerto House Music, accompanied by percussionist Alexander Meagher and pianist Peter de Jager.

As Young Performer of the Year, Eliza was awarded:

• Young Performer of the Year Award ($25,000)
• YMFA Award ($5,000)
• The position of ABC Classic FM Artist in Residence, and;
• A limited-edition Drago Marin Cherina bronze trophy, presented by Music & Opera Singers Trust Ltd.

Eliza also won the following professional engagement opportunities:

• Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Prize
• Melbourne Recital Centre Prize.

Jason was awarded:
• Merenda Scholarship ($15,000)
• Triffit Bequest for Runner Up
• Australian Music Foundation Award, and
• A professional engagement with City Recital Hall, courtesy of the City Recital Hall Prize.

Edward was awarded:
• Australian Friends of Keshet Eilon Scholarship, to fund travel and course fees at the Keshet Eilon
Mastercourse in Israel
• Max Olding Memorial Prize, awarded to the ‘most promising of the six Semi-Finalists,’ and donated by the
Olding family
• Triffit Bequest for Runner Up
• Australian Music Foundation Award
• A professional engagement in the Gottinger Symphonieorchester’s 2022/23 or 2023/24 seasons, courtesy of the
Gottinger Symphonieorchester Prize;and,
• A profesional engagement with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra.

Eliza Shephard is a vibrant performer based in Melbourne and is an advocate for diversity and inclusion within her artform. She developed her project ‘March of the Women’ (2020-22) to celebrate female composers, and as a fervent contemporary musician she challenges audiences’ perception of the flute. She graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Music (Honours Class 1) in Flute Performance studying under Virginia Taylor, and has completed her Master of Music Research through Griffith University Conservatorium. Eliza has studied and performed in Canada and USA and has completed three years in the Professional Performance Program at Australian National Academy of Music.

During her time at ANAM, Eliza received the Outstanding Program in a Solo Recital, the ANAM Volunteer’s Prize, the Ursula Hoff Institute Prize for Most Outstanding Performance in a Solo Recital, and the Director’s Prize. Eliza was awarded the International Woodwind Player Award at the Gisborne International Music Competition, and has guested with Plexus Collective, Arcadia Winds, Rubiks, and Elision Ensemble.
Known for her theatrical performances, Eliza has received many accolades for the boldness and imagination she brings to her projects and is highly sought-after as a solo and chamber musician. She was a Freedman Classical Fellowship finalist in 2021 and now the ABC Young Performer of the Year. She has performed with Opera Australia for their regional touring productions of Madama Butterfly, Carmen and The Barber of Seville. A teaching associate at Monash University and frequent tutor for the Australian Youth Orchestra, Eliza is an enthusiastic and passionate educator and her course ‘The Extended Flute’ has been presented around Australia.

Eliza is known as ‘fiery’ on stage, and captures the audience’s attention throughout her performances. With over twenty years experience on stage, Eliza is a confident and established performer in a wide range of styles. Her recitals are award-winning, and draw from Eliza’s many years in dance and theatre. She has performed in festivals, recital series and touring productions.

As a teacher, Eliza has held positions in primary and high schools, as well as music schools in Canberra and Melbourne. She is enthusiastic about engaging with the students, and sharing with them the joy of making music.
Eliza has a passion for contemporary techniques on the flute, and has established ‘The Extended Flute’, a course aimed at flutists of all ages for them to experience and experiment with extended techniques.

With her passion for contemporary music, Eliza extensively researched the Glissando Headjoint®, a creation of Robert Dick’s as part of her Masters of Music Research at Griffith University. She has looked at expanding the repertoire for this mechanism, and increasing its outreach to flutists around the world.