MEDIA RELEASE COURTESY OF: Opera Foundation Australia

Opera Foundation Australia is pleased to announce the finalists for the Lady Fairfax 2010 New York Scholarship. Director of OFA, Anna Cleary said: “From my early childhood memories, my mother was always encouraging young talented opera performers in Australia. We would regularly have concerts at our family home, Fairwater. It is wonderful to be now personally involved with Opera Foundation Australia and the Lady Fairfax New York Finals Concert. As a new Director of Opera Foundation Australia, I love being part of an organisation that my mother founded over 47 years ago.

My mother continues to be passionate about giving young Australian operatic performers the opportunities that the Foundation provides. It is a truly special experience to attend the Lady Fairfax New York Finals Concert that Opera Foundation Australia host annually. To see and hear the selected finalists and be part of the finals process is better than Reality TV.”

The winner of this prestigious 2010 Lady Fairfax New York Opera Scholarship will be announced at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, following a public recital by the six finalists on Sunday 1st August 2010 beginning at 4:00pm. The winner will receive $43,000 and the objective of this much valued Scholarship is to provide a talented and strongly motivated young Australian opera singer with the opportunity to study with internationally acclaimed vocal, language & movement coaches.

The Adjudicators of the 2010 Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship are Geoffrey Chard AM, Margaret Baker-Genovesi & Julia de Plater. The evening will feature performances from finalists (see below) Simone Easthope, Naomi Johns, Renée Martin, James Roser, Erika Simons and Adrian Tamburini. Guest Artist is José Carbo, all accompanied by Jennifer Marten-Smith.

Simone Easthope, Soprano: Simone Easthope is a Sydney-based soprano who grew up in the Hunter Valley, NSW. She is a graduate of Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Roles performed include Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring), Tirésias (Les Mamelles de Tirésias), Angélique, Despina (Così Fan Tutte), Valencienne (The Merry Widow), Lola (Gallantry), Fiammetta (Prima Donna) and Ida (Die Fledermaus). Other engagements as soprano soloist include Carmina Burana, Messiah, Nelson Mass (Haydn), Requiem (Mozart), Mass in C minor (Mozart), Exsultate Jubilate (Mozart), Stabat Mater (Pergolesi), Mass in C (Beethoven), and Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 (Villa-Lobos). She has supplemented her vocal training with intensive language study in Italy and Germany, making important contacts for her career

Naomi Johns, Soprano: Born in Perth, Naomi Johns completed a year of Music Theater at W.A.A.P.A before commencing a Bachelor of Music in Sydney. She has been broadcast on ABC Classic FM and 2MBS-FM as a soloist in oratorio and art song. From 2008 until 2009 Naomi toured with Opera Australia’s production of My Fair Lady. 2009 also saw her film debut as part of an opera-film, Eternity Man, for the Sydney Film Festival and her debut as a principle soloist for The Australian Ballet as part of their Body Torque 2.2 season. She was also a finalist of the Sydney Eisteddfod Operatic Aria Award. In August Naomi will sing the role of Anne Page in Sir John in Love as part of the Australian Shakespearean Festival

Renée Martin, Mezzo-Soprano: Began voice studies and completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of Western Australia and also holds Graduate Diploma of Opera from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Recent performances include the title role in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilegesa and performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under Oleg Caetanti. Renée performed the mezzo solos in Melbourne Symphony's Sidney Meyer Music Bowl concert and also performed the role of Annio in La Clemenza di Tito with Graz State Opera and Grieg Orchestral Songs with Graz Philharmonic Orchestra, and Ozias in Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans for Pinchgut Opera. In 2008 she worked at Glyndebourne Festival Opera where she covered the roles of Mercedes in Carmen, Valetto in L’incorinazione di Poppea and Hansel in Hansel und Gretel and performed a recital of Tchaikovsky Lieder. Renée performed Fidalma in Il Matrimonio Segreto (Cimerosa) for Barga Opera Festival (Italy) and also sang the mezzo solo’s from Bach’s St John Passion with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Lipzig Thomanerchor in Australia.

James Roser, Baritone: Born in Sydney, James holds an LMusA in singing and a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours) (UNSW). He recently won the 2010 Mietta Song Recital Award and has been a finalist in the McDonald’s Operatic Aria, Herald Sun Aria, National Operatic Aria, Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship, German Opera Award, Rockend National Opera Studio London Scholarship, 2MBS-FM Young Performer Award and City of Sydney Opera Awards. He has been broadcast on ABC Classic FM, 2MBS-FM and 3MBS-FM and is a member of the Opera Australia chorus. Operatic roles he has performed include Don Giovanni, Owen Wingrave, Dr.Bartolo (Il Barbiere), Mr.Gobineau and Peter in Pacific Opera’s current production of Hansel and Gretel.

Erika Simons, Soprano: Erika Simons was born in Wagga Wagga and grew up in Queanbeyan, south of Canberra. In 2008 she was awarded a Bachelor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she is currently in her final year of the Advanced Diploma of Opera. Erika has performed the roles of Rodelinda from Handel’s Rodelinda, Thérèse from Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tiresias, Serafina from Donizetti’s Il Campanello di Notte and Amphitrite from Purcell’s The Tempest. In May, Erika travelled to Poland where she was awarded a place in the 7th International Stanislaw Moniuszko Competition at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw.

Adrian Tamburini, Bass Baritone: A chorister with Opera Australia, Adrian has performed on the operatic stage since 1997 in productions by Melbourne Opera, Victorian Opera, Eastern Metropolitan Opera, Pacific Opera, OzOpera and Opera Australia, even receiving a Green Room Nomination singing the role of Leporello. Between 2006 and 2008 Adrian was a finalist in the Australian Puccini Foundation Award and the GAOG singing competition, he won the John Tallis Singing Competition, the Lythgo Trust Operatic Aria Award, the MWMVC Singer of the Year and the RMP Oratorio Aria Competition. His oratorio experience includes: Handel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Haydn’s Creation, Berlioz’s l’Enfance du Christ and Bach’s Passions, Ich Habe Genug, Easter Oratorio and Magnificat.

Opera Foundation Australia Scholarships & Awards have provided the springboard for launching the successful international careers of many Australian opera singers over the years. The Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the development and appreciation of the operatic art form in Australia through the awarding of scholarships for study, training and performance to young Australian opera operatic artists.

Sponsors include: Lady Fairfax AC OBE, Romancing the Stone Jewellery and Jansz Sparkling Wine & Hope Estate.

Ticketing information: Please telephone Opera Foundation Australia on 02.8014.8377 or 0414.38.38.48.