The Richard Divall  Program

2023 alumni Caitlin Weal and Melbourne Opera Orchestra conducted by Raymond Lawrence. Mozart by Moonlight.
Photo by Zac Krause

  The Richard Divall Program focuses 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.

Applications open 15 March 2024.

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2023-2024 Emerging  Artists Program Members

OLIVIA FEDEROW-YEMM
Mezzo-Soprano

RACHAEL JOYCE
Soprano

ASHER REICHMAN
Tenor

HENRY SHAW
Bass

EMILY SZABO
Soprano

CAITLIN WEAL
Soprano

AMANDA WINDRED
Soprano

JORDAN KAHLER
Soprano

The Richard Divall Artists Program 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 Program 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.

The program 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.

2022-2023 Emerging Artists: Alastair Cooper-Golec (tenor), Naomi Flatman (mezzo-soprano). Olivia Federow-Yemm (mezzo soprano), Esther Gresswell (mezzo-soprano), Teresa Ingrilli (soprano), Adam Jon (baritone), Jordan Kahler (soprano), Amelia Wawrzon (soprano), Alex Byrne (repetiteur). Developing Artists: Andrew Alesi (baritone), Shania Eliassen (soprano), Finn Gilheanny (tenor), James Park (tenor), Syrah Torii (mezzo-soprano), Leah Phillips (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@nullmelbourneopera.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 Sylvia Fisher Fund, The Ian Potter Foundation, Friends Of Melbourne Opera, Allan Myers AC and Maria Myers AC and the Mietta Foundation.

Partners

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

RDEAP News

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,Louise Keast and Olivia Federow-Yemm.

Applications for 2023 exchange will be open in October.

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

Stop Press

News about  programme members present and past.

2022 – 2023 NEWS

Eleanor Greenwood won the 2023 Opera Award.

Stephen Marsh won the 2023 Deutsche Oper Berlin Award.

Chloe Harris won the Lady Galleghan London Award.

Naomi Flatman won the 2022 Acclaim Award and participated in the OpernFest Prague in June/July 2023.

Amelia Wawrzon – has graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, London in 2023 and won the  Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Prize in the 2022 Herald Sun Aria Competition.
Jordan Kahler received the Richard-Wagner-Stipendienstiftung with the support of the Victorian Wagner Society
Alastair Cooper-Golec -. was nominated for a Green Room Award as outstanding supporting artist for one of his role in Melbourne Opera’s Lucrezia Borgia. He, along with 2022 developing artist Syrah Torii shared  the Victorian Opera Emerging Artist Prize.

Olivia Federow-Yemm  won the Rotary New Generation Exchange scholarship in 2023.

Shania Eliassen won the 2022 Welsh Male Choir Singer of the 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