Born in 1890 in Mannheim, Germany to musical Jewish parents, Marianne Mathy emigrated to Australia in 1939 - in one of the last mass exoduses before Hitler made it impossible for Jews to leave. She went on to train many of Australia’s greatest opera singers, taught for three years at NIDA, and for over twelve years at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In 1982, the Australian Singing Competition, which has since become one of the richest prize-winning competitions in the world, was established in her legacy. Australian director Adrian Ussher has filmed the Competition for over twenty years, and weaves this mesmerising footage with interviews with singers influenced by this momentous figure in Australian musical history.