Professor Jack Richards - Foundation Patron
Posted on 3 July 2012
Following a meeting with Dame Kiri last year Professor Jack Richards responded to her invitation to support the Foundation on an ongoing basis. He was subsequently named Associate Patron in recognition of this commitment. As a Foundation Patron Professor Richards takes great interest and pride in the Foundation’s activites and featured in the recently produced DVD. Aria asked him why he is such an enthusiastic supporter. He told us...
“As a sponsor of a number of ventures in music and the arts, I often get requests for support from young singers who are seeking to further their studies abroad. In the past I have had to make decisions about who to offer support to and for what purposes - decisions that are difficult for me to make without proper advice. I was therefore delighted when Dame Kiri invited me to work with her through her Foundation, since I can leave the Foundation to make decisions about the kind of support best suited to emerging opera singers' needs.
Singers who receive the Foundation's support can not only count on Dame Kiri's mentoring and advice, but also benefit from guidance from other world-class singers and voice coaches - an experience I was able to witness first-hand when I recently had the chance to spend a day watching a number of young singers working with Dame Kiri and some of her colleagues. So by contributing to the Dame Kiri Foundation I am able to provide support that has a much greater impact than anything I could offer on my own.”