Tania de Jong

Tania Karen de Jong is an Australian soprano, social entrepreneur, businesswoman, motivational speaker, and event producer. She is the founder of Creative Innovation Global, Creative Universe, Creativity Australia, Dimension5, Music Theatre Australia, Pot-Pourri, and the Song Room, and co-founder of Mind Medicine Australia. De Jong was named one of the "100 Most Influential People in Psychedelics" globally by Psychedelic Invest in 2021.

Early life Her maternal grandmother Slawa Duldig kept her folding umbrella secret until she had secured a patent.

De Jong was born in Arnhem, the Netherlands, to her Dutch father and Austrian mother, both of whom escaped the Holocaust. Her parents met at the 1961 Maccabiah Games in Israel. De Jong's mother Eva de Jong-Duldig was a Dutch national tennis champion, a Federation Cup player for Australia, and a three-time quarter-finalist at the Wimbledon Championships. She also won gold medals at the 1957 Maccabiah Games and the 1961 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

De Jong's maternal grandfather, Karl Duldig, a Polish refugee living in Vienna who escaped the Holocaust with his family, ultimately landing in Australia, was a Vienna-trained sculptor. Her maternal grandmother, Slawa Duldig, also trained as a sculptor in Vienna, and notably invented a type of folding umbrella which she then patented.

De Jong and her parents moved from the Netherlands to Melbourne, Australia, when de Jong was one year old.

Academic life De Jong graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Law (Honours). She then graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Graduate Diploma in Opera and Music Theatre, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Music (Opera and Voice). She also attended college in the United States for a year, on a tennis scholarship.

Career Soprano Aged 14, de Jong was advised by a friend not to undertake singing lessons. She nevertheless auditioned for the chorus of her school's performance of Oklahoma at age 17, and was cast in the lead role.

Tania won numerous singing competitions and was awarded various music scholarships to further her vocal studies including a Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Grant for advanced vocal training in San Francisco, U.S.A. with Campell Dickson Titus III and Scott Gilmore. She Studied singing and Italian with Antonio Moretti Pananti in Florence on an Italian Government Scholarship and Ian Potter Foundation Grant. She was awarded the Dame Roma Mitchell Winston Churchill Fellowship for overseas study with Eric Vietheer in London. She continued her vocal studies with a number of leading vocal teachers and coaches globally including acclaimed vocal coaches Peter Locke and David Harper in London and Australia, Australian conductor Richard Divall, singing teachers Anna Connolly, Gary May and Bettine McCaughan.

She obtained an Associate Diploma of Arts (Opera/Music Theatre) and Postgraduate Diploma (Opera/Voice), from the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. She completed the Diploma of Acting and Movement for Singers at the National Theatre Drama School. including at the Sydney Opera House, Seoul Arts Centre, and Opera under the Stars.

In May 2022, de Jong produced a musical named Driftwood, based on her mother's memoir of her family. It premiered in Melbourne.

Business career De Jong is the Founder of Creative Innovation Global, Creative Universe (transformational leadership programs to inspire people to find their voice, and to bring greater wellbeing, engagement, and innovation into organisations), Creativity Australia, Dimension5, Music Theatre Australia, Pot-Pourri, and The Song Room (which has provided access to creative learning for 250,000 disadvantaged Australian children), and co-founder of Mind Medicine Australia. De Jong is known to encourage creative innovation whilst highlighting the interests of marginalised and disadvantaged Australians through her various enterprises.

Event producer

As an event producer, de Jong has hosted nine events focused on "Creative Innovation" in Melbourne, Australia. She is known for advocating for policy change and unity across the business, education, industry, community, and creative sectors during times of anticipated social disruption and change known otherwise as disruptive innovation.

Discography

1995: Rhythm of Life – Pot-Pourri 1997: Something Familiar!, Something Peculiar – Pot-Pourri 1999: This is the Moment – Pot-Pourri 2001: Friends for Life – Pot-Pourri 2006: Nella Fantasia – Pot-Pourri 2017: Flying Free – Tania de Jong 2020: Solitary Harmony – Tania de Jong and Anthony Barnhill She was named in The Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence awards in the Arts, Culture and Sport category in 2018. She was also named in Richtopia's list of Top 100 Most Influential Australian Entrepreneurs.

Awards

1996: Churchill Fellowship 1998: "Outstanding Individual Contribution to Australian Culture" award 2005: Accessibility Award in The Melbourne Awards 2007: Member of the Order of Australia 2009: Brainlink Woman of Achievement 2009. 2012: Top Social Innovators 2013: Top Social Innovators Creativity Australia 2013–2016: Anthill Top Social Innovations 'Creativity Australia and the With One Voice program 2016 Melbourne Award for contribution to the community – Creativity Australia 2016: Impact 25 Awards for the social sector's most influential people and positive impact 2017: Ethical Enterprise Award 2017 2018: Finalist, Third Sector Awards Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2018: Number 33 of the Top Most Influential Australian Entrepreneurs 2019: Named in the 100 Most Influential Women in Australia 2021: "100 Most Influential People in Psychedelics" globally by Psychedelic Invest in 2021.