Melbourne Opera’s Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme is pleased to announce programme members for 2022 – 2023

Helping emerging singers make the transition to professional performance careers.

Oliva Federow Yemm

Alex Byrne

Esther Gresswell

The Richard Divall Programme is pleased to welcome back so many of our members for extended support in 2022 to 2023.  Sopranos Jordan Kahler and Teresa Ingrilli, mezzo-soprano Naomi Flatman and tenor Alastair Cooper Golec are all receiving a further twelve months support. We have also extended support for soprano Amelia Wawrzon, until her departure for the Royal Academy London and  welcome back baritone Adam Jon from Italy, where he completed the young artists programme at the Accademia del Maggio Musicale in Florence. Eleanor Greenwood, soprano, will now move into our Associate Artists programme.

New emerging artist programme members are mezzo sopranos Olivia Federow-Yemm and Esther Gresswell (previously a developing artist), along with our first emerging repetiteur – Alex Byrne.

We have also extended our Developing Artists Programme and are supporting Shania Elliassen (soprano), Leah Phillips (soprano), Syrah Torii (mezzo soprano), Finn Gilheanny & James Park (tenors) and Andrew Alesi (baritone) is returning for a second year as a developing artist.

The Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme was created to honour the memory of one of Australia’s most lauded conductors, Maestro Richard Divall, supported by a generous bequest made by Melbourne born international soprano, Sylvia Fisher. Upon her death, Sylvia Fisher made this bequest to ensure the continuing support of the development of new artists of operatic excellence in her hometown, Melbourne. Before Maestro Divall’s death in early 2017, he was closely involved in the planning and creation of this program in collaboration with Melbourne Opera.

Managed by a committee of professional opera artists through Melbourne Opera, The Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme aims to develop singers of great potential to a performance-ready standard. It will focus on providing opportunities for emerging opera singers to experience the pressure of intensive role preparation, rehearsal and performance in a professional setting whilst continuing artistic development with tailored high quality coaching, workshops, master classes and mentoring.

RDEAP Provides:

  • Financial assistance with artistic development expenses.
  • Opportunities to perform and understudy main stage roles in a professional environment.
  • High level coaching for roles being performed and understudied as well as general repertoire.
  • Professional rehearsal conditions.
  • Exclusive opportunities to participate in master classes with visiting artists, conductors and directors.
  • Weekly language classes (Italian at IIC, German at Goethe Institute).
  • Specific instruction in role preparation, & stagecraft (16th street actors studio & guest professionals).
  • Professional practice instruction.
  • Mentoring from senior colleagues.
  • Performance opportunities.

Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme Auditions 2023

Key Dates

  • Stage One applications for 2023 to 2024 are now open. Applications close on Friday May 12th 2023 at 5pm.

Eligibility

  • This is an open age programme.
  • Singers selected for The Richard Divall Emerging Artist Programme must be full time residents of the state of Victoria throughout the programme as it is intensive and runs throughout the whole year.
  • No relocation or interstate travel costs are provided.
  • The programme runs part-time over one year and applicants are welcome to reapply.

NB. The programme is flexible enough to accommodate a successful candidate’s other work commitments (within reason). It is hoped the successful candidates will be able to commence the programme immediately, in certain circumstances late commencement will be considered.

Stage One – Written Application

Applications are to be made only on the application form provided by the programme director. Please request an application form by email to: suzanne@melbourneopera.com.

The form requires the following information:

  • Full Name
  • Voice type
  • Phone Number/s
  • Email address
  • Address
  • Date of Birth
  • Biography (300 words maximum)
  • Outline of how you will benefit from the programme & career goals
    (350 words maximum)
  • Details of availability and any other programmes you are part of OR are applying for
  • Provision of two Youtube, or Vimeo  recording links of you singing opera arias in original languages.

Candidates will be advised whether they will be proceeding to Stage Two, the live audition, via email by May 19th 2023.

Stage Two – Live Audition

Live auditions will be held in Melbourne in late May/early June. 

Those selected for live audition will be required to have two (with an optional third) arias prepared and performed from memory. There will also be an interview as part of this audition.

Please note: no feedback will be given.

RDEAP News

Programme Members

ALASTAIR COOPER-GOLEC
Tenor

NAOMI FLATMAN
Mezzo-soprano

ELEANOR GREENWOOD
Soprano

TERESA INGRILLI
Soprano

ADAM JON
Baritone

JORDAN KAHLER
Soprano

AMELIA WAWRZON
Soprano

2021-2022: Alastair Cooper-Golec (tenor), Naomi Flatman (mezzo-soprano). Eleanor Greenwood (soprano),Teresa Ingrilli (soprano), Adam Jon (baritone), Jordan Kahler (soprano), Amelia Wawrzon (soprano).

2020-21: Eleanor Greenwood (soprano), Jane Magao (soprano), Darcy Carroll (bass-baritone), Louise Keast (soprano), Michael Dimovski (tenor), Georgia Wilkinson (soprano).

2019-20: Louise Keast (soprano), Jane Magão (soprano), Shakira Dugan (mezzo soprano), Chloe Harris (mezzo soprano), Michael Dimovski (tenor), Louis Hurley (tenor), Darcy Carroll (baritone) and Associate Artists,  Rebecca Rashleigh (soprano)  and Stephen Marsh (baritone).

2018-19: Rebecca Rashleigh (soprano), Alison McIntosh-Deszcz (soprano), Shakira Dugan (mezzo soprano), Michael Dimovski (tenor), Michael Lampard (baritone), Darcy Carroll (baritone)and Stephen Marsh (baritone).

Programme Director

Suzanne Chaundy: suzanne@melbourneopera.com

Programme Committee

Raymond Lawrence (Head of Music), Greg Hocking AM, Margaret Haggart, Geoffrey Harris and Roger Howell.

 

Supporters

The Richard Divall Emerging Artists are extremely grateful to their supporters: The Ian Potter Foundation, Friends Of Melbourne Opera, Allan Myers AC and Maria Myers AC and the Sylvia Fisher Fund.

Partners

16th Street Actors Studio
Italian Institute of Culture
Goethe Institut Melbourne

Associate Artists

Stephen Marsh

Stephen Marsh

Baritone

Shakira Dugan

Shakira Dugan

Mezzo-soprano

Louis Hurley

Louis Hurley

Tenor

Chloe Harris

Chloe Harris

Mezzo-soprano

Rebecca Rashleigh

Rebecca Rashleigh

Soprano

Georgia Wilkinson

Georgia Wilkinson

Soprano

Jane Magao

Jane Magao

Soprano

Louise Keast

Louise Keast

Soprano

Michael Dimovski

Michael Dimovski

Tenor

Darcy Carroll

Darcy Carroll

Baritone

German Exchange Scholarship

The Richard Divall Programme in association with Rotary Central Melbourne through the New Generations Service Exchange, Rotary International; offers an annual German scholarship  (July to September, with some flexibility) providing travel, accommodation and living expenses in Germany for three months allowing singers to pursue their own development interests in a supported environment.

This is opportunity is exclusively open to current and past members of the Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme.  Recipients to date are Michael Dimovski and Louise Keast.

Applications for 2022 exchange will be open in October.

Due to Rotary rules applicants must be under 30 years of age.

Stop Press

Our programme members present and past have had a wonderful year.

2021 Herald Sun Aria

Four of the six finalists in the prestigious Herald Sun Aria 2021 were from our programme, with current programme members Naomi Flatman winning the overall competition. Alastair Cooper-Golec winning the John Fulford Prize. Associate artists Jane Magao won the Richard Divall Award and Darcy Carroll was a finalist.

2021 the Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Award Bel Canto Award
Amelia Wawrzon has won a 2021 the Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Award Bel Canto Award.

2021 Australian Liederfest Award
Naomi Flatman won the 2021 Australian Liederfest Award with Alastair Cooper-Golec was runner up.

2022 Michael Stubbs and Malcolm Roberts Opera Prize
Associate Artists Michael Dimovksi and Shakira Dugan are joint winners of the 2022 Michael Stubbs and Malcolm Roberts Opera Prize