Biography

Tania de Jong is the inspiration, co-founder and artistic director of Pot-Pourri and of Music Theatre Australia one stop entertainment and event production company. A graduate of the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Law with Honours and the Victorian College of the Arts, Tania is considered one of Australia's most talented sopranos. She has performed with the Victoria State Opera and as a soloist with a number of orchestras and has performed in over 40 countries and released 7 CDs.

IIn 2006 Tania received the Ernst and Young Australian Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award for her work in founding The Song Room. The Song Room has provided access to creative learning for over 200,000 disadvantaged Australian children. Tania's other awards include the "Outstanding Individual Contribution to Australian Culture", Churchill Fellowship and the Accessibility Award in The Melbourne Awards. She was a finalist in the Telstra Business Women's Awards and has recently been inducted into the AGSE Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame at Swinburne University. Tania was named Brainlink Woman of Achievement 2009.

Tania is on the Board of Child Abuse Prevention and Research Australia. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June 2008 for service to the arts as a performer and entrepreneur and through the establishment and development of music and arts enrichment programs for schools and communities. She has recently founded Creativity Australia and Creative Universe to bring greater wellbeing, engagement and innovation into organisations through creative thinking and leadership programs. She works with a number of disadvantaged migrants and communities, as well as developing and presenting unique leadership programs for organisations including BHP, Telstra, ANZ, La Trobe and Melbourne universities.

Tania is working on a number of creative projects including “The Pianist and The Diva” with Stefan Cassomenos, ECHO a new music theatre work, “Soundsations” combining Indian mantra and improvised operatic voice with ex-Buddhist monk Dorje and the inaugural Creative Innovation Conference 2010.

“Very talented soprano with clear, golden tones and outstanding dramatic flair…Moved me to tears.”

 The Press, Christchurch

Awards

Awarded Ernst & Young Australian Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 Click here to read article in Entrepreneur of the Year Magazine 2006.
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch presenting award to Tania de Jong	Tania de Jong & Michael Gudinski
Inducted into the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame 2007 Click here to read more on the AGSE site.
Hall of Fame Awardees	Tania de Jong with her award
Honoured with the Accessibility Award in The Melbourne Awards 2005 Click here to read more on the City of Melbourne site.
Awarded Outstanding Individual Contribution to Australian Culture 1998

Memberships