Vocalist Deanna Jerman was last night named BSSC Musician of the Year for 2016 at the Ulumbarra Theatre.
Deanna gave a stunning performance of ‘I’m Not Afraid’ from the stage show Songs for a New World and impressed this year’s guest judge, internationally renowned musician and composer Daryl McKenzie.
Mr McKenzie is Head of Contemporary Popular Studies at the Australian Institute of Music and has had a stellar career as a musical director on Australian TV and a composor for cinema. He was musical director on both Dancing with the Stars and Australia’s Got Talent.
Mr McKenzie also presented Excellence Awards to classical singer Megan Kane Griffin, guitarist Abby Sloss, flautist Tara Glozier, and vocalist Jess Chalmers who closed the show with a beautiful rendition of Katie Noonan’s ‘Love’s My Song for You’.
Megan Kane Griffin wowed the audience with her performance of ‘Die Forelle’ by Franz Schubert to take out this year’s Audience Choice Award.
Amazing performances by the College Choir and Stage Band bookended a memorable evening at Ulumbarra.
BSSC Music coordinator Matt Pankhurst said he couldn’t have been prouder of his students.
“It was about much more than an awards tonight,” he said. “There were so many students who gave their finest performances on the Ulumbarra stage. The audience wouldn’t realise it, but these musicians have come such a long way.
“I congratulate Deanna, Megan, all the other award winners, and every student who stepped on the stage tonight and gave such extraordinary performances.”
Deanna, who has been singing and performing for eleven years, recently took out first place in BSSC’s Got Talent.