Thanks you so much for your support for these wonderful emerging musicians. Unfortunately, due to the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19, we have had to postpone the live-to-air broadcast of The Talent Winners Recital.

We will inform you of a new date for the recital as soon as possible.

Meet our performers

Rachael Joyce (Soprano) – Winner of The Talent Season 2, 2019

Photo: Daniel Spellman

Rachael is currently studying for her Honours in Music at Monash University, after completing a Bachelor of Arts/Music majoring in French language and Classical Voice in 2019. She has experience performing in competitions including Boroondara Eisteddfod, Eisteddfod by the Bay and the National Liederfest, as well as 3MBS’ The Talent. Rachael has also sung for St Carthage’s Visiting Artists program, and at official Monash functions. She has performed for the Robert Stolz Viennese Music Society twice, at the Seniors Concert in 2018 and at the Austrian Club lunchtime concert in 2019. In 2018 Rachael was the recipient of the Hedy Holt & Roger Prochazka Memorial Award ‘for a young female singer showing great potential in the refined art of Lieder performance’ at the National Liederfest.  Rachael has a great love of travelling, having spent six months living in Paris participating in a university exchange at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, and completed a two week intensive course on music performance and the history of music in Italy at the Monash University campus in Prato, Italy. When she is not singing, Rachael works at an escape room in Fitzroy, and loves spending time with her dog.

Harrison Steele-Holmes (tenor trombonist) – Finalist The Talent Season 2, 2019

Photo: Daniel Spellman

Harrison Steele-Holmes is a passionate classical Tenor Trombone player with the goal to play professionally in a Symphony Orchestra and travel around the world. He has been learning the Tenor Trombone since the age of 8. He is currently in year 11 at Christian College Geelong and has been a core member of his School’s Wind Symphony and Senior Stage Band for 5 years. In 2019 he took part in the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp in Adelaide for the first time and was honoured to be conducted by guest artist Giordano Bellincampi. He returned for AYO’s National Music Camp in 2020. Harrison holds the title of the Australian Junior Brass Champion of Champions. He is currently being mentored by accomplished Australian trombonist Michael Bertoncello, former Trombone player of the MSO.

Leanne McGowan (violinist) – Finalist The Talent Season 2, 2019

Photo: Joseph Byford

Leanne McGowan is 18 years old and grew up in Brisbane studying violin with Spiros Rantos and Yuri Djachenko. She is currently in her second year at ANAM, learning from Dr Robin Wilson.

Leanne aspires to be an all-round musician and to devote her time playing as much chamber, solo and orchestral music as she can. One of her most memorable solo performances was in late 2018, when she performed the Paganini Violin Concerto with the Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as concerto soloist with the Queensland Youth Symphony including for their international tour to Germany and China. Leanne has also performed as soloist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra as winner of the QSO Young Instrumentalist Prize. In 2019 she was as a soloist with the Preston Symphony as a finalist in their Youth Concerto Competition and with the South Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in their September season concert. Recently she was a semi-finalist in the 2019 Gisborne International Music Competition and was awarded the “Most Promising Player Award.” In 2019 she was also a semi-finalist in the  ANAM concerto competition, a prize winner in the Melbourne Recital Centre Bach Competition and a finalist in the 3MBS “The Talent.” She has been awarded many other prizes over the years, including 2^nd prize at the Animato International Violin Competition, recitalist for the National Youth Concerto Competition and semi-finalist at the Ilona Feher International Violin Competition in Budapest.

However, some of Leanne’s most thrilling experiences have been whilst playing with orchestras, which has been an integral part of her life from a very young age. In 2018 she was appointed concertmaster of the Queensland Youth Symphony, and also led the Bishop Orchestra at the 2019 Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) National Music Camp. She also went on AYO’s international tour to China and Europe last year. Leanne is an avid chamber musician, and is excited to be one of the Australian Chamber Orchestra emerging artists this year. She has thoroughly enjoyed chamber music at ANAM so far, her quartet at ANAM being in the semi-finals of the 2019 ANAM Chamber Competition and participating in a masterclass with Gabor Tackas-Nagy late last year. Leanne has also had a masterclass with Vadim Gluzman.