2020 Bel Canto Award Recipients Announced
Due to Covid-19 the Bel Canto Award was reinvented this year. Applications closed on 10 October, the date of Dame Joan's passing and were announced in celebration of her 94th Birthday on 7 November.
$71,000 was awarded to 12 Australian singers who had lost professional engagements due to Covid-19. The judges were Richard Bonynge AC CBE, mezzo soprano Bernadette Cullen and the Vice President of Classics & Jazz at Universal Music Australia, Cyrus Meher-Homji OAM.
2020 GRANT RECIPENTS
SAMANTHA CLARKE (29) Perth soprano based in the UK, will sing Tytania at Grange Park Festival in 2021. $10,000 grant.
KIANDRA HOWARTH (30) Qld soprano will sing Micaëla for Covent Garden and Agathe in Hannover in 2021 . $10,000 grant.
SAMUEL SAKKER (35) Qld tenor will sing Des Grieux for Grange Park Festival and Laca in Montréal. $8,000 grant.
ASHLYN TYMMS (32) Perth mezzo soprano recently sang Dorabella for West Australian Opera. $8,000 grant.
ALEXANDRA FLOOD (30) Melbourne soprano will sing Nanetta in Malmö in 2020. $8,000 grant.
ZOE DRUMMOND (28) Sydney soprano will sing Woglinde for Birmingham City Opera in 2021. $6,000 grant.
STEPHEN MARSH (29) Melbourne bass baritone will sing Marcello at the 2021 Verbier Festival in Switzerland. $6,000 grant.
MORGAN BALFOUR (28) Qld soprano based in San Francisco is a Resident Artist for Lyric Opera of Kansas. $5,000 grant.
NICHOLAS JONES (32) Melbourne tenor will sing Tamino for Opera Australia in 2021. $4,000 grant.
JEREMY KLEEMAN (29) Melbourne bass baritone was invited by the London Handel Players as bass soloist. $3,000 grant.
GEORGIA WILKINSON (27) Melbourne soprano is the recipient of the Sydney Savage Club Encouragement Award $2,000.
BRYONY DWYER (34) Sydney soprano will sing Gilda in Klagenfurt in 2021. $1,000 Wagner Society of NSW Award.
We would like to thank the following people and organisations who assisted in providing funding for this year's awards.
Chalet Monet Book Project
Packer Family Faoundation
Mrs Shaneen Crouch
ClubsNSW
Mr Kerry Stokes AC
Mr Alasdair Kent
Winning Appliances
Hancock Prospecting
Sydney Savage Club
Wagner Society of NSW