Ceberano takes over Cabaret festival

Ceberano, whose 25-year career has spanned soul, jazz, pop and musical theatre, succeeds fellow Australian singer David Campbell, who will present his third and final Cabaret Festival program next June.

"It is the spirit of the festival that has enticed me,'' Ceberano said.

"My predecessors ... have created a festival that has this amazing energy to it.''

Ceberano said cabaret was a difficult genre to define.

"Through the course of my career, I've been difficult to define as well, and I think maybe that has been part of my success.''

Festival Centre chief executive Douglas Gautier said the festival woould continue to have different artistic directors to keep the event "fresh and robust from a creative point of view''.

"Kate is an award-winning singer and songwriter. She has been a leading star of Australia's music industry for more than 25 years. She has won multiple ARIA and Mo awards, a Logie Award, five platinum and five gold albums and she's sold more than one  million albums in Australia alone,'' Mr Gautier said.

``She will bring a terrific creative energy and experienced creative energy to this great event,'' Mr Gautier said.

David Campbell, who was rehearsing to host next week's Helpmann Awards in Sydney yesterday, said he could not have "a more fabulous successor'' than Ceberano.

"She is a dear friend, an exceptional performer and I am looking forward to seeing what she does with the 2012 festival,'' Campbell said.

Mr Gautier said there was a possibility that Campbell and his wife Lisa could return to direct future Cabaret Festivals.

"We have, on the basis of that great job that they're doing, opened the door for discussions about David and Lisa coming back and doing Cabaret Festivals in the future,'' Mr Gautier said.
 
The Premier, Mr Rann, also announced that the Cabaret Festival would receive an additional $500,000 each year, taking total annual funding to $1.2 million.

The OzAsia Festival, which will be held from September 17 to October 2, also has been given its first funding of $250,000 a year.