Winners

​1st prize - Peter Leech

Peter Leech is a graduate of the Elder Conservatorium (Adelaide) and Victorian College of the Arts (Melbourne University).

He won the Henry Krips Conducting Scholarship in 1994 whilst working as conductor of New Holland Baroque (Adelaide), Ensemble Esterhaza (Melbourne) and the Tudor Choristers (Melbourne).

He was Director of Music at St.Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide, from 1993-94 and a regular guest conductor with the Melbourne International Festival of Organ and Harpsichord from 1991 to 1995. In 1996 Peter was guest director of The Song Company (Sydney) for their award-winning CD recording "Quito".

Since 1996 Peter has been based in the United Kingdom, where he has directed numerous choral and orchestral ensembles, including the Cathedral Singers of Christ Church, Oxford (1997-99), Chandos Chamber Choir (2000-02), Frideswide Ensemble (1999-) and Esterhazy Chamber Choir and Orchestra (2000).

Peter was appointed Musical Director of the City of Oxford Choir in 1998 and Bristol Bach Choir in 1999.

In 2002 and early 2003 he was guest Chorus Master with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, preparing major choral works for concerts conducted by Walter Weller and Frederic Chaslin and a world-premiere CD recording of Edward Collins "Hymn to the Earth", conducted by Marin Alsop.

​3rd prize - Virginia Bono

Argentinian born Virginia Bono currently serves as the Music Director of the "Egelsbach Gesangverein" and the "Next Generation" choirs in Egelsbach, Germany, and the "Ars Nova" choir in her native city of Santa Fe, Argentina.

Virginia Bono is the holder of a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship to study at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt.

With her choirs she won various prizes in international competitions and was designated "Best Conductor" at the 2nd Mercosur Competition for Choral Interpretation, 2000.

She was invited on numerous occasions as a guest conductor as well as to give courses and seminars. She has participated in courses and workshops under such maestros as A. Russo, N. Andrenacci, J. Prats, W. Pfaff, F. Bernius, E. Ericson, H. Rilling among others.

She graduated in Choral Conducting and Music Education at the Instituto Superior de Musica de la Universidad Nacional del Litoral in Santa Fe, Argentina.