2025 COMPETITION - 29-30 August 2025 Applications available online NOW. Click Apply Now above. Please read the Rules & Criteria before applying. Entries close: Friday 2 May, 2025
HEATS Brisbane: 17 May London: 6 June 10-1pm Sydney: 10-11 July Melbourne: 13 July Perth: 15 July
Final: 29,30 August, 2025 Sydney Conservatorium of Music
CRITERIA Age limit: 32 as of 30 Sept 2025. Open to all Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents. Singers must perform a Mozart or Handel aria and have 4 other contrasting opera arias. Oratorio is accepted. Entrants must perform arias in at least two foreign languages other than English and one of those must be in Italian.
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, Cyrus Meher-Homji OAM, Emma Matthews AM 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 30 September 2025.
Prizes: All finalists will receive a cash prize. Previous first prize winners from 2011-2019, 2022-2024 are unable to enter. Grants recipients are eligible to enter.
2024 WINNERS ANNOUNCED 1st: Eliza Boom - soprano (New Zealand)
2nd: Madison Horman - soprano (New Zealand)
3rd: Melissa Gregory - mezzo soprano (Australia)
4th: Eden Shifroni - soprano (Australia)
5th: Syrah Torii - mezzo soprano (Australia)
Finalists Prizes: Lachlann Lawton - baritone and Bella Marslen - soprano (Australia)
Accompanied by: Kate Johnson
Compere: Dr Robert Mitchell
Judges: Cyrus Meher-Homji OAM, Bernadette Cullen, Glenn Winslade, Fiona Janes, Emma Matthews AM.
2023 Bel Canto Award Winners
Rebecca Gulinello - soprano
1st: JSRB Bel Canto Award $30,000 + trophy + a place in the 2024 Solti Accademia di Bel Canto in Italy. Audience Prize: $1,000 voted by the audience, donated by Mrs Helen Meddings. James Young - bass baritone
2nd: Richard Bonynge Award $10,000 donated by Richard Bonynge AC CBE and Best Mozart Aria $5,000 donated by Nigel & Dorine Tolley. Felicity Tomkins - soprano 3rd Prize: $7,000 donated by Helen Johnstone
Alfred Fonoti-Fuimaono - bass baritone, 4th Prize Donor Patrons' Award: $6,000 donated by the Donor Patrons + Stimme Leib und Seele Prize Matthew Avery - bass baritone
John Wegner Award: $5,000 donated by Mignon Wegner
Bella Marslen - Megan Evans OAM Encouragement Award: $1,000
2022 Bel Canto Award Winners
Fleuranne Brockway - mezzo soprano
1st: JSRB Bel Canto Award $30,000 + trophy + a place in the 2023 Solti Accademia di Bel Canto in Italy. Cash prize donated by the Packer Family Foundation.
Best Mozart or Handel Aria: $5,000 donated by Mr & Mrs Nigel Tolley.
Audience Prize: $1,000 voted by the audience. Jeremy Boulton - baritone
2nd: Richard Bonynge Award $10,000 donated by Richard Bonynge AC CBE.
Malcolm Donnelly Award: $2,500 donated by Dolores Donnelly.
Tait Memorial Trust Prize
Matthew Avery - bass baritone
3rd Prize: $7,000 donated by Helen Johnstone
Chloe Lankshear - soprano
Decca Award: $5,000 donated by Universal Music Australia
Lachlann Lawson - baritone
John Wegner Award: $5,000 donated by Mignon Wegner
Jake Bigwood - bass- baritone
Friends of the Foundation Award: $4,000 Gemma Nha - soprano
Margreta Elkins Encouragement Award: $1,000
Due to the worldwide pandemic in 2021 the Foundation awarded grants to eleven Australian singers.
The total prize money awarded was $64,500
Fleuranne Brockway - mezzo soprano $10,000 grant James Young - baritone $10,000 grant inclusive of the $5,000 John Wegner Award Damian Arnold - tenor $8,000 grant Amelia Wawrzon - soprano $8,000 grant Melissa Gregory - mezzo soprano $7,000 grant Cleo Lee-McGowan - soprano $6,000 grant sponsored by Mr & Mrs N Tolley Nathan Bryon - tenor $6,000 grant Younji Yi - soprano $5,000 grant Daniel Carison - baritone $2,500 Malcolm Donnelly Award Indyana Schneider - mezzo soprano $1,000 Margreta Elkins Award sponsored by the Noosa Federation of Arts Georgia Melville - soprano $1,000 Megan Evans OAM Encouragement Award sponsored by the Sydney Savage Club
Due to the worldwide pandemic in 2020 the Foundation awarded grants to twelve Australian singers.
The total prize money awarded was $71,000
Samantha Clark - soprano $10,000 Kiandra Howarth - soprano $10,000 Sam Sakker - tenor $8,000 Alexandra Flood - soprano $8,000 Ashlyn Tymms - mezzo soprano $8,000 Zoe Drummond - soprano $6,000 Stephen Marsh - bass baritone $6,000 Morgan Balfour - soprano $5,000 Nicholas Jones - tenor $4,000 Jeremy Kleeman - bass baritone - $3,000 Georgia Wilkinson - soprano $2,000 sponsored by the Sydney Savage Club Bryony Dwyer - soprano $1,000 sponsored by the NSW Wagner Society
2019 JSRB Bel Canto Award winner Kiandra Howarth
Kiandra Howarth: Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award, Audience Prize & Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Prize
Eliza Boom (NZ): Richard Bonynge Award, Solti Accademia Prize and Best Mozart Aria
Michelle Ryan: DECCA Prize, Tait Memorial Trust Prize
Cleo Lee-McGowan: Sanderson Award, Hawaii Performing Arts Prize
Zoe Drummond: JSRB Foundation Award
Damian Arnold: Friends of the Foundation Award
Megan Evans OAM Encouragement Award: Katherine Allen
Margreta Elkins Encouragement Award: Louise Keast
2019 JSRB Bel Canto Award winner Kiandra Howarth
Benson Wilson (NZ): Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award, Georg Solti Accademia Prize, People’s Choice Award & Tait Memorial Trust Prize
Livia Brash: Richard Bonynge Award, Georg Solti Prize and Sydney Philharmonia Prize
Filipe Manu: DECCA Prize, Tait Memorial Trust Prize, Universal Prize
Jessie Wilson: Sanderson Award, Hawaii Performing Arts Prize
Andrew Williams: JSRB Foundation Award, Universal Prize
Olivia Cranwell: Kinnon Award, Universal Prize
Megan Evans: OAM Encouragement Award: Shikara Ringdahl
Margreta Elkins: Encouragement Award: Madison Nonoa
JSRB Foundation Encouragement Awards: Daniela Leska, Michelle Ryan
Benson Wilson 2018 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award Winner
Bronwyn Douglass: Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award, Georg Solti Accademia Prize, Mozart Prize, People’s Choice Award & Tait Memorial Trust Prize
Werther! Werther …..Ces lettres! from Werther by Massenet
Ô ma lyre immortelle from Sapho by Gounod
Paull-Anthony Keithley: Richard Bonynge Award and Universal Music Prize
Livia Brash: DECCA Award & Hawaii Performing Arts Festival Prize
Brenton Spiteri: Sanderson Award & Sydney Philharmonia Choir Prize
Oliver Boyd: Deborah Riedel Award
Fiona McArdle: Kinnon Award
Jessica Harper: Margreta Elkins Encouragement Award
Jessie Wilson: Megan Evans OAM Encouragement Award
Shikara Ringdahl, Joanna Norman, Imogen-Faith Malfitano: Encouragement Awards 3 x $500
Bronwyn Douglass – 2017 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award Winner
Alasdair Kent: Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award Winner, Georg Solti Accademia Prize, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Prize
Si, ritrovarla, io giuro from La Cenerentola by Rossini – Alasdair Kent
Plus blanche que la blanche hermine from Les Huguenots by Meyerbeer – Alasdair Kent
Emma Moore:2nd Prize Richard Bonynge Award, Tait Memorial Trust Prize
Bronwyn Douglass: 3rd Prize DECCA Award, Universal Prize and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Prize
Alexandra Flood: Deborah Riedel Award, Melbourne Opera Prize
James Olds: Greg & Elizabeth Sanderson Award, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival Prize
Tabatha McFadyen: Kinnon Award
Zoe Drummond:Megan Evans OAM Encouragement Award: Damian Arnold, Imogen-Faith Malfitano, Timothy Newton: Additional encouragement prizes
2016 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Award Winner Alasdair Kent
2015 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award
Winner, soprano Isabella Moore from New Zealand
2014 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award
Winner, soprano Marlena Devoe from New Zealand
2013 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award
Winner, soprano Naomi Johns with Richard Bonynge.
2012 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award
Won by tenor Darren Pene Pati from New Zealand.
Below: Naomi Johns (3rd) Dame Marie Bashir, Pene Pati, Richard Bonynge, Emma Moore (2nd).
2011 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award
The inaugural award was won by tenor John Longmuir
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