As a 19-year-old
Finalist in the
inaugural (1982)
‘Mathy’ competition,
it brought me to
immediate national
attention, and with
my subsequent win
the following year,
‘The Mathy’ provided
me with the funds
and contacts to
launch my career
nationally and since
internationally.
I would whole-
heartedly support
the endeavours
(of the ASC) in
identifying young
outstanding
Australian talent
and nurturing it
to full fruition. 
Jeffrey BLack
Qld Baritone,
1983 Mathy winner
I sincerely hope
that the sponsors
of the ASC are aware
how far-reaching
their actions are.
From my personal
point of view their
support was
essential in gaining
the necessary
overseas training
and experience
without which
it is impossible
to launch an inter-
national career.
Alexandra Sherman
Vic Soprano,
1997 Mathy winner
The ASC has
provided me with
amazing oppor-
tunities and support.
Since winning the
competition I have
been able to study
German in Berlin,
work with
international
coaches in London,
as well as perform
with the SSO and
Richard Bonynge.
The Australian
Singing Competition
has given me the
means and
opportunities to do
everything I possibly
can to achieve the
dream and reality of
becominga world
class professional
singer.
Anita Watson
NSW Soprano,
2005 Mathy winner
2011 semi-finalists
Claire Candy,
23
Soprano, Qld
Claire completed a Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium, and in the final semester of her Bachelor degree was accepted for an exchange programme at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
Claire returned to Australia to complete her Diploma of Opera at the Queensland Conservatorium in December 2010. While there, she performed the role of Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. She also performed in the Royal Northern College of Music’s production of La Belle Hélène and most recently, as Cendrillon at the Queensland Conservatorium.
- Queensland Symphony Orchestra Award
- Running Bare Prize
topCaitlin Cassidy,
23
Mezzo Soprano, WA
Caitlin completed a Bachelor of Music and a Graduate Diploma at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Edith Cowan University.
Caitlin is currently completing a Master of Creative Arts and concurrently performing in the chorus of The Tales of Hoffmann with WA Opera. She is engaged as the Alto soloist with the Perth Undergraduate Choral Society in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
- Tinkler Encouragement Award
- West Australian Opera Award
- West Australian Symphony Orchestra Award
- Running Bare Prize
Olivia Cranwell,
23
Soprano, VIC
Olivia graduated with a Bachelor or Music Performance from the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne in 2009 and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne in 2010.
Olivia has performed with Victorian Opera, In Good Company, More Than Opera (MTO), and with the dance company, Chunky Move.
- Victorian Opera Prize
- Running Bare Prize
Naomi Johns,
25
Soprano, NSW
Naomi studied Music Theatre at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Edith Cowan University, before moving to Sydney in 2004.
Naomi's concert performances include Haydn's Die Schöpfung, broadcast on ABC Classic FM, Mozart's Requiem, J.S. Bach's Magnificat and Haydn's Missa in tempore belli. In 2010 Naomi was a guest soloist for Christmas at St Mary’s Cathedral, broadcast on ABC1. In 2011 she performed with Opera Australia in Macbeth, Lakme, La Boheme, The Pearl Fishers.
- Ingrid Davidson Award
- Parszos Prize
- Running Bare Prize
Emma Moore,
23
Soprano, NSW
Emma is currently completing her postgraduate studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, having been awarded a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours in 2009.
In late 2011 Emma will take up a position at the University of the Arts in Berlin in their Master of Opera Course. Her experience as a performer ranges across the Art Song, Operatic and Oratorio repertoire. Recent operatic roles include Dido in Dido & Aeneas; Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw and Eurydice in Les Malheurs d’Orphée. This September she will perform Sandrina in La Finta Giardinera for the Sydney Conservatorium Opera Studio.
- Running Bare Prize
- Sally Lee Prize
Joanna Norman,
21
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Soprano, WA
Joanna is currently completing a Bachelor of Music Performance (Honours) and Arts, with Majors in Italian and German at the University of Western Australia.
Joanna has performed with WA Opera as the 1st Bridesmaid in Le nozze di Figaro, Edith in scenes from Picnic at Hanging Rock, in the Chorus in Le nozze di Figaro and The Pearl Fishers, and is soon to perform in the Tales of Hoffman.
- West Australian Opera Award
- West Australian Symphony Orchestra Award
- Running Bare Prize
Morgan Pearse,
22
bass baritone, NSW
Morgan has just completed his Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney.
Morgan’s opera credits include Dr. Cajus in Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor; Garibaldo in Rodelindal; Mr. Gedge in Albert Herring; Merlin in King Arthur; Papageno in Die Zauberflöte; and Underground Man in Notes from Underground. Morgan has also worked as a soloist with various orchestras and choirs.
- Running Bare Prize
Gérard Schneider,
23
tenor, WA
Gérard completed his musical studies at John Curtin College of the Arts.
Gérard sang Rodolfo in Co-Opera’s national tour of La Boheme, Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte and Don Basilio and Curzio in the Marriage of Figaro.
In 2012, Gérard will make his international debut in the role of Don Basilio in the Wiesbaden Festipiele production of The Marriage of Figaro.
- West Australian Opera Award
- West Australian Symphony Orchestra Award
- Running Bare Prize
Erika Simons,
23
Soprano, NSW
Erika has a Bachelor of Music in performance and an Advanced Diploma of Opera, both from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney.
Erika has performed as a soloist with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Orchestra and with the SSO, as Herd Girl in Peer Gynt. She also performed as a Soprano soloist in Stabat Mater, Pergolesi, Alma Redemptoris Mater, Chartentier, and recently as the Soprano Soloist in the Creation, Haydn at Macquarie University.
- Lisa Gasteen Opera Summer School Prize
- Radzyminski Family Prize
- Running Bare Prize
Bryony Williams,
22
Soprano, New zealand
Bryony graduated from the Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Performance and is currently completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Performance and Voice.
Bryony’s performances include guest soloist in The Seven Last Words of Christ, Haydn for the Dubois Society at St Andrew’s, Wellington. Bryony has performed 1st Soloist in Alfred Hill’s Life, a quintet for pianoforte, strings, and eight voices recorded for Naxos.
- New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Award
- Running Bare Prize
All participants received
- A wine pack courtesy of Huntington Estate Wines
- Flowers courtesy of The Flowering Estates
In addition the audience received sweets courtesy of Rowies Cakes
PAST semi-finalists
2010 Semi-Finalists 
Rachel Bate
soprano, nsw
has a BMus (Performance), Sydney Conservatorium of Music and is currently studying the Advanced Diploma of Opera. Rachel was exposed to a vast array of musical experiences from a very young age from old popular musicals, to jazz, to Led Zeppelin. It was her grandmother who introduced her to operatic music. Recent roles were Nancy in Britten’s Albert Herring for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Frau Fluth in Otto Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor.
Simon Gilkes
tenor, NSW
began singing at age nine in choirs and vocal ensembles and is proficient in numerous instruments; piano, violin, clarinet and French horn. In 2008 he completed a BMus at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Recent operatic roles included Bajazet in Händel’s Tamerlano for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and both Prologue and Peter Quint in Benjamin Britten’s Turn of the Screw for the Cleveland St Theatre Redfern.
Sarah Guilmartin
Soprano, WA
from Western Australia via Dublin, Sarah is undertaking post-graduate studies in Music Performance at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). In 2008 Sarah was accepted into the Young Artists Programme with Opera Fringe Northern Ireland. Some of Sarah’s opera credits include; Pisana in I due Foscari, Butterfly’s Cousin in Madama Butterfly and Susanna’s Bridesmaid in
Le nozze di Figaro. In 2009 Sarah performed on
The Priests world tour at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
Kiandra Howarth
Soprano, Qld
this year’s youngest Semi-Finalist is currently completing her third year of study at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Joseph Ward OBE. She is one of Opera Queensland’s Developing Artists for 2010, recently made her debut in Jonathan Henderson’s youth opera Dirty Apple and
in September 2010 will perform the title role in the Queensland Conservatorium’s production of
Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon directed by
Anna Sweeny.
Naomi Johns
Soprano, NSW
completed a year of Music Theatre at WAAPA before moving to Sydney in 2004. Naomi’s concert performances include Joseph Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, broadcast on ABC Classic FM, Mozart’s Requiem, JS Bach’s Magnificat and Joseph Haydn’s Missa in tempora belli. In 2008 she was a finalist for the Young Performer of the Year Award. In 2009 she made
her film debut as part of the featured ensemble of Jonathan Mills opera-film, Eternity Man.
Most recently she won the Fremantle Operatic
Aria Competition.
Eleanor Lyons
Soprano, NSW
the black sheep of a scientific and political family — her ancestors were Joseph and Enid Lyons — holds a BMus (Performance) Sydney Conservatorium of Music as well as having attended the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatoire in St Petersburg, Russia. Eleanor has performed in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Opera Production of Francis Poulenc’s Le Mamelles de Tirésias and is currently touring the schools of Victoria in the role of Mimi in La Bohème.
Erin Patrick
Soprano, Qld
came late to singing having been an accomplished musician for most of her life. In 2005 she played
with the Australian Youth Orchestra, in 2007 she graduated with a BMus (Hons) in violin at the Australian National University and in the same year played with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. However, when Erin became a finalist in the
2009-2010 Fremantle Eisteddfod Open
Operatic Aria competition her focus changed
from strings to voice.
Morgan Pearse
bass baritone, NSW
has been accepted into Honours in Classical Singing at the University of Sydney (Conservatorium of Music) and this year completes his BMus (Performance) majoring in Classical Voice. Morgan recently performed as a soloist in Händel’s Messiah with the National Trust Foundation Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Dr Paul Paviour OAM and as soloist in the role of Müller in Robert Schumann’s Die Rose Pilgerfahrt, conducted by Scott Curry.
Ryan Sharp
bass baritone, WA
holds a B Mus (Voice) from WAAPA where he won the Helen Court Scholarship and where he is currently completing a post-graduate performance diploma.
He is currently rehearsing for Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, has a small solo in Luisa Miller’s Un Contadino and is looking forward to singing the Bass Solo in WAAPA’s production of Child of Our Time by Sir Michael Tippet at St Mary’s Cathedral.
Kang Wang
tenor, NT
is the first Semi-Finalist from the Northern Territory. Born in Harbin, China from parents who are both opera singers, Kang has been studying in Queensland since 2009. Recently he was invited to perform Nessun dorma from Turandot at the Graduation ceremony held by Charles Darwin University and Una furtiva lagrima from L’elisir d’amore and La donna e mobile from Rigoletto during the banquet celebrating the partnership of Charles Darwin University and Northern Territory Government.
2009 semi-finalists
Hadleigh Adams
baritone, nz
Stacey Alleaume
soprano, VIC
Angela Edwards
soprano, NSW
Louise Fenbury
mezzo soprano, WA
Panayiota Kalatzis
mezzo soprano, Qld
Stuart Laing
tenor, WA
Jade Moffat
mezzo soprano, Qld
Sam Roberts-Smith
baritone, NSW
Samuel Sakker
tenor, NSW
Lachlan Scott
bass, SA
2008 semi-finalists
Jennifer Barrington
soprano, WA
Nicole Car
soprano, VIC
Angela Edwards
soprano, NSW
Sky Ingram
soprano, WA
Celeste Haworth
mezzo soprano, NSW
Michael Lampard
baritone, TAS
Eleanor Lyons
soprano, NSW
Sam Roberts-Smith
baritone, NSW
Sitiveni Talei
baritone, aCT
Thomas Wood
tenor, WA
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