Philip Loubser Foundation - 1/2
The Philip Loubser Foundation was founded in The Netherlands in 1997 by Michael Loubser, named in honour of his father who died in 1984. The objective of the Foundation is to create Fellowships for Ballet, Opera, Music and Theatre.
In partnership with major Cultural Institutions, the Foundation participates in the career development of exceptional talent from across the arts spectrum. Its Fellowships are unique and prestigious, each commemorating a great artist, and each awarded by the Partnership Institutions. Recipients range from young emerging talents to mature established artists.
Philip Loubser Foundation - 2/2
The scope of the Foundation is international. Fellows to date hail from countries such as Mexico, Hungary, USA, UK, Ukraine, South Korea, China, Russia, Norway, India, Serbia, Italy, Germany and Ireland.
Each summer this family of past and incumbent Fellows meet at a Gathering where creative ideas are discussed, and experiences shared. Previous guest speakers include Ivo van Hove, Edward Gardner and Janis Susskind.
The PLF Gathering is a highlight of the calendar. A cross-disciplinary powerhouse. The PLF has also launched a Signature Fund, designed to provide financial support to Fellows who wish to embark on an approved career-enhancing project.
PLF Projects & ArtefacTs
PLF Projects & Artefacts was founded in 2023 by the Philip Loubser Foundation. Its purpose is to preserve, and archive completed Glenn Gould Bach Fellowship projects; to curate and present projects supported by the Philip Loubser Foundation’s Signature Fund; and to make available work done as part of the Glenn Gould Research Project. Each year, following a rigorous curational process, new projects and artefacts are added to the collection.
Glenn Gould
Bach Fellowship - 1/2
The Glenn Gould Bach Fellowship is awarded by the City of Weimar every two years. The Fellowship is supported by the Philip Loubser Foundation and managed by the Thuringia Bach Festival. It honours the name of one of the world’s most influential and iconic pianists.
Famed for both his legendary performances of Bach and for his ground-breaking engagement with film and recording technology, the Fellowship seeks to emulate and celebrate these same qualities by helping a mature, established artist to recreate the music of the Baroque for the 21st Century.
Glenn Gould
Bach Fellowship - 2/2
Using the most up-to-date technology, each Glenn Gould Bach Fellow creates over the course of the Fellowship an artistic artefact or series of artefacts that captures a unique vision. Each two-year Fellowship thus enables an outstanding musician to realise an artistic vision of stature and in the process make a statement about the music of the Baroque that endures.
PLF Signature Fund
Collaboration and partnership are at the heart of the Philip Loubser Foundation. In 2020 the Foundation launched the PLF Signature Fund for specific projects to enable PLF Fellows to further fulfil their professional and creative potential.
The Fund is only available to PLF Fellows after completion of their tenure at their relevant institutions.
Glenn Gould
Research Project
Alongside the Glenn Gould Bach Fellowship, the Philip Loubser Foundation has developed the Glenn Gould Research Project.
Launched in 2023, this enables Glenn Gould Bach Fellows to further research the work of Glenn Gould – and to develop insights into the archival material contained in the National Archives housed in Ottawa, Canada and elsewhere.
Nadia Nerina Scholarship
The Nadia Nerina Scholarship is named in honour of one of the most gifted ballerinas of the last century, who lighted up the Royal Ballet in London during her 25-year career.
The Scholarship is awarded by Chris Powney, Artistic Director provides three years training at the Royal Ballet School for an exceptional young dancer leading to a career with one of the great international ballet companies.
Charles Mackerras Conducting Fellowship
The Charles Mackerras Conducting Fellowship is awarded by the English National Opera to an exceptional emerging conductor. A structured two-year programme is designed to develop the Fellow’s personal skills. The Fellow – mentored by the Music Director, the Music Team and Guest Conductors – is embedded in the Company, which provides training and advice, and a deeper understanding of professional areas such as casting, grant applications, media handling and strategy.
Benjamin Britten Piano Fellowship
The Benjamin Britten Piano Fellowship is named in honour of Britain’s great composer of the last century who studied piano at the Royal College of Music between 1930 and 1932 under Arthur Benjamin. The College awards this fellowship every two years to an outstanding pianist embarking on the Artist Diploma course to prepare for a career as an international soloist.
In addition, the Britten Fellow has the opportunity to complete a project to launch their international career. Previous Fellows have produced critically acclaimed CD recordings, as well as a Music and Dance film.
Ibsen Artist in Residence
The Ibsen Artist in Residence honours the name of one of the world’s greatest and most influential dramatists. It is awarded by Internationaal Theatre Amsterdam (if the International Ibsen Fellowship is not awarded) to an experienced Theatre Director who is already emerging as a world talent in the field. The Ibsen Artist in Residence gives an opportunity to be embedded in the ITA under the close mentorship of Ivo van Hove, enabling the Fellow to work with the theatre ensemble, and to make two mainstream productions on the Company’s main stage.