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2024 JOAN SUTHERLAND & RICHARD BONYNGE AWARD  

2024 COMPETITION
Full details and application forms will be available in March. 
Final: 7 & 8 September, 2024
Sydney
Independent Theatre, Nth Sydney
Held in conjunction with the Sydney International Song Prize.
Auditions will be held in
Sydney: 26 & 27 July
Melbourne: 20 July - Wesley Church
Brisbane: 24 July 
Perth: 18 July - WAO
Auckland: 22 July - NZ Opera
London: 17 June - St John's Waterloo
CRITERIA
Age limit: 32 as of 30 Sept 2024.
Open to all Australian and New Zealand singers.
Singers must have a Mozart or Handel aria and 4 other contrasting opera arias. Oratorio is accepted. 
Entrants must perform pieces in at least two foreign languages other than English. 

Established in 2011, the Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award is one of Australia's leading operatic singing competitions. Its aim is to promote the bel canto style of singing and repertoire synonymous with Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge. Since inception, over $1.2million in scholarships has been awarded. 

Previous judges throughout the competition have included Richard Bonynge, Simone Young, Dame Anne Evans, Christa Ludwig, Ruth Falcon, Dame Ann Murray, James Morris, Deborah Polaski, Jane Eaglen, Bernadette Cullen, Simon O'Neill ONZM, Glenn Winslade, Marilyn Richardson, Nance Grant, Brenda Hurley, Lisa Gasteen, Patricia Price, Margaret Russell, Anson Austin, John Pringle, Jennifer McGregor, Michael Lewis, Ghillian Sullivan and Fiona Janes.

Click on the Rules & Criteria button above.
 
OPEN TO ALL AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF ALL VOICE TYPES AGED 20-32 as of 1 NOVEMBER 2023.

Prizes: All finalists will receive a cash prize. 
Previous first prize winners from 2011-2019, 2022-2023 are unable to enter. Grants recipients are eligible to enter. 

Enquiries: belcantoaward@jsrbfoundation.com

Bel Canto Award on YouTube

Previous Winners