Albert Dadon
Albert Dadon AM (pronounced Al-BEAR Da-DON) (born 1957) is an Australian businessman, philanthropist and musician. He was born in Morocco of Moroccan-Jewish background,[1] and lives in Melbourne, Australia. He is prominent in promoting cultural and business links between Australia and Israel. He undertakes a range of activities covering international affairs, Zionism, political activism and cultural activities within Australia and overseas exchange programs. He is executive chairman of Ubertas Group, a diversified funds management and property development company.
From 1991 to 1993 Dadon was chairman of the French Chamber of Commerce in Australia (Victorian Chapter). He established “Le Concours des Vins du Victoria”, a wine competition in Australia.
From 1994 to 1996, he was director of the Australia French Foundation, an appointment made by Senator Gareth Evans, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia. This foundation was initiated by the then prime minister, Bob Hawke, as a gift to France for the bicentennial of the French Revolution.
In 2001 Dadon was chairman of the United Israel Appeal in Victoria. He founded in 2002 and then chaired the Australian Israel Cultural Exchange, an organization launched through a Joint Declaration between the Australian and Israeli Governments. A joint declaration announcing and supporting the establishment of AICE by Alexander Downer MP, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Binyamin Netanyahu MK, Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs, took place simultaneously in Parliament House, Canberra and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem. It was the first time that such a joint declaration has been made between the two countries. Dadon also publishes a quarterly magazine for AICE titled Rhapsody. Since its inception, AICE has bankrolled and curated visits to Israel by delegations of Australian and British politicians and journalists.
From 2003 to 2005 Dadon was chairman of the Melbourne Jazz Festival. In 2005 he brought to Melbourne the Umbria Jazz Festival, which was named “Umbria Jazz Melbourne 05”. The festival in 2005 attracted 135,000 visitors under the artistic direction of Carlo Pagnotta. The festival is mainly funded by the Victorian government through Victoria Major Event Company and Arts Victoria. In 2006 the organisation appointed Dadon to become the new director of the festival and take the artistic lead.
The appointment of Dadon as artistic director resulted in a change of name of the festival to Melbourne Jazz, and the 2007 edition of the festival enjoyed the presence of more than 200 artists from the world around, performing in ten venues in 112 concerts during its ten days. Some of the artists who played at the festival were Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Gary Burton and McCoy Tyner.[2]
In 2003 Dadon founded the Australian Jazz Bell Awards (named after Australian legend and patron of the event Graeme Bell, AO). Dadon chairs the board of The Australian Jazz Awards Limited (a not-for-profit arts organisation) that governs the awards. The Bells are the only form of formal recognition system entirely devoted to the jazz art form in Australia. They recognise the achievements of young and established Australian jazz performers and composers.
In 2008 Dadon received an Order of Australia (AM) for service to the arts, particularly through the Melbourne Jazz Festival, through philanthropic support for cultural and charitable organisations, and to business.[3]
Under his stage name "Albare", Dadon is a jazz guitarist and composer. He has recorded two albums with Festival Records in Australia and produced A History of Standard Time, Joe Chindamo’s first solo recording and featuring Ray Brown. His latest albums are Midnight Blues (2007), After the Rain (2009) and Travel Diary (2010). Dadon is currently signed to Enja Records.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's partner, Tim Mathieson, commenced employment with Dadon's Ubertas Group in January 2010.[4] He had previously been employed as a salesman of hair products.[5] In a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald in 2010, former Australia ambassador to Israel, Ross Burns, asserted that Australia's policy on Israel and Palestine was compromised by virtue of Mathieson's employment with Ubertas Group given its links to Dadon.[6]
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