TEN ELITE SINGERS MAKE THE FINALS OF THE 2010 ACLAIM ITALIAN OPERA FELLOWSHIP.

The Board and Judging Panel of the Acclaim Awards are proud to announce the finalists for the 2010 Acclaim Italian Opera Fellowship to be held on December 11 at the Iwaki Auditorium at 7.30 pm. The competition drew an enormous response from the elite ranks of Australia’s next generation of opera artists, with entries from around Australia and overseas.

The ten singers included seven sopranos Stacey Alleaume (Victoria), Angela Brun (New South Wales), Catriona Bell (Victoria), Michelle-Marie Cook (Spain), Kiandra Howarth (Queensland), Amy Spruce (Victoria), Siobhan Stagg (Victoria), mezzo-soprano Victoria Lambourn (Victoria) and two Bass-Baritones, Christopher Richardson (Tasmania) and Adrian Tamburini (New South Wales).

Bernadette Blair-Slater, Director, Acclaim Awards said,‘The audition panel was delighted by the number and quality of entrants.’
‘The finalists have set an impressive benchmark. Each singer comes to this competition with a wonderful performance background, some with international stage experience. This is a true reflection of the significance and prestige of the Acclaim Italian Opera Fellowship,’ she said.

The illustrious international judging panel includes celebrated sopranos Valeria Esposito (Italy), Cheryl Barker (Australia), Margaret Baker-Genovesi (Italy/ Australia), Artistic Director, Gianni Tangucci (Italy) and National and International Relations at Accademia Teatro alla Scala, Luca Targetti.

Four Australian singers will be awarded the opportunity to study and perform in Italy in 2011. Two singers will be offered performance contracts at the Pergolesi Spontini Baroque Festival and the Pergolesi Spontini Lyric Opera Season in Jesi, the birthplace of the 18th century composer, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. Two other two artists will be offered study grants comprising tuition and coaching in the Italian language and singing classes whilst observing rehearsals and performances at the Teatro Pergolesi Spontini.
The vision of the Acclaim Awards is to raise the profile of Australian artistic talent both nationally and internationally and to create cultural partnerships, which encourage exchange.

THE FINALISTS:

STACEY ALLEAUME, Soprano, Victoria (24) graduated with a Bachelor of Music from The University of Melbourne. In 2010, she was runner-up in the Herald Sun Aria and 3rd placegetter in the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Aria competition.  Her operatic roles include Gossip, Noye's Fludde and Reindeer, Snow Queen (Victorian Youth Opera); Pamina, The Magic Flute, Laetitia, The Old Maid and the Thief, Gretel, Hansel and Gretel  (The Opera School, Melbourne)

ANGELA BRUN, Soprano NSW (26) completed an Advanced Diploma of Opera at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2008). In 2010 she was runner up in the McDonald’s Open Aria and understudied the role of Mabel for Opera Australia’s Pirates of Penzance and Tytania in Midsummer Night’s Dream. As the winner of the Opera Foundation Vienna State Opera Award, Angela will sing with the Vienna State Opera from January - May (2011).

CATRIONA BELL, Soprano, Victoria (25) is currently completing a Masters of Music performance at the Royal Northern College of Music. Most recently, she performed in Der Freischutz for Europa Opera Classica (Germany) and in gala concerts in San Clemente Basilica as part of the Tuscia Opera Festival in Rome and Viterbo.

MICHELLE-MARIE COOK, Soprano, Spain (35) studied at the VCA and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Formazione (Italy). Now based in Spain, the former Acclaim Awards winner has been working at the Gran Teatro del Liceu, Barcelona. Her roles include Prilepa, Pepa (Tiefland) and Die Scheppträgen/4th Maid of Elektra for the opera, Elektra, alongside Debra Polanski with whom she studies.
KIANDRA HOWARTH, Soprano, Queensland (20) was a finalist in the 2010 Australian Singing Competition and was runner up in the Dame Joan Sutherland Awards. In 2009, she made her professional debut creating the role of Josie in Opera Queensland’s production of Dirty Apple. This year, Kiandra is a Developing Artist with Opera Queensland.

VICTORIA LAMBOURN, Mezzo-Soprano, Victoria (29) studied at the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester) before being becoming a 2007 Opera Queensland Young Artist. Lambourn’s recent roles include Hansel (Hansel & Gretel) for the State Opera of South Australia, Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte) for Opera Australia, Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) for Melbourne Opera, and Flora (La Traviata) for OzOpera.

CHRISTOPHER RICHARDSON, Bass Baritone, Tasmania (30) is the 2010 winner of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Aria competition. After completing his associate level (AMEB) in both pianoforte and violoncello, Christopher pursued performance studies in piano and classical voice with Beryl Sedivka and Marilyn Smith. He aspires to be a world-class concert bass baritone specializing in the works of Handel, Mozart and Bach. 

AMY SPRUCE, Soprano Victoria (28) graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the Melba Conservatorium. She received an Australian Music Events Scholarship to perform in Opera in the Alps and Opera in the Market and was the holder of the Maroondah Singers Vocal Scholarship for 2008. She is currently studying with Raymond Connell.

SIOBHÀN STAGG, Soprano Victoria (23) graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Music (Honours). Her recent solo engagements include the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus, La Compania: The Renaissance Band, the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Society and the Consort of Melbourne. 

ADRIAN TAMBURINI, Bass, New South Wales (34) was a 2010 finalist in the Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship, 2008 Winner of the John Tallis Singing Competition and 2007 Winner of the Melbourne Welsh Choir Singer of the Year Competition. His operatic roles include Figaro and Bartolo from the Marriage of Figaro, Il Commmisario from Madama Butterfly and Aeneas from Dido and Aeneas.