The country’s best young operatic performers battled to prove they have what it takes to take out Australia’s premier opera competition in Ballarat over the weekend.
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Their characteristic sounds echoed through Ballarat’s Her Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday night with five performers edging out the seven other impressive semi-finalists.
Victoria’s Raphael Wong and Douglas Kelly, New South Wales’ Bronwyn Douglass and Jessica Harper, and Panayiota Kalatzis of Sunnybank Hills, Queensland were named finalists and will now perform live on stage at Melbourne’s Art Centre for the 2016 title of Australia’s best emerging opera singer.
Royal South Street chairman Peter Zala said Saturday night’s audience was mesmorised by this year’s talented semi-finalists.
“It was a massive night,” he said.
“The adjudicators picked (the finalists) out for being the creme de la creme.”
More than $60,000 is up for grabs with the winner taking home a cheque for $15,000 and $22,000 scholarship for overseas tuition and travel.
The final will be held in the Melbourne Art Centre’s Hamer Hall on October 26 at 7.30pm.
One of the biggest events of the Royal South Street Eisteddford and widely known as Australia’s most prestigious competition for emerging talent, the 92nd Herald Sun Aria has helped launch the international careers of many well-known singers, including Dame Malvina Major, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Jonathon Summers and Judith Henley.
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will return to the place it began, Her Majesty’s Theatre, this October for what could be a last opportunity to see one of the world’s greatest opera singers live in concert.
Royal South Street competitions also continue this October at Her Majesty’s Theatre with the calisthenic competitions.
Competitions run between October 2-29.
