You will be amazed at the quality of the eight young semi-finalists that have been selected to perform in the two semi-finals on Monday 17 June, four of them going onto the Grand Final on Tuesday 18 June. These are among the finest young singers in the country and are just at the beginning of what will surely be highly successful careers. We are also delighted that Laura Canning, the new General Director of Opera North, will be presenting the £5000 Seastock Trust Prize and the £1500 Yorkshire Music Future Fund Prize. There will also be a chance for you, the audience, to nominate your pick for the £500 Matthew Wrigley Memorial Prize.
The first finalist steps on stage at 7pm, and we expect the evening to conclude by approximately 9.15pm. There will be a short interval after the fourth finalist, to allow the judges to make their decisions, during which you will be entertained, and the SHED will be open for food and drink following the event. Read on to hear from our wonderful semi-finalists, and follow the links to find out even more!
Florian Stoertz (Bass-Baritone) & Aleksandra Myslek (Piano)
- What persuaded you to join the profession?
My “gateway drug” was choral music. My high school music teacher introduced me to it just as I was nearing my A levels, and Bach’s motets had me hooked immediately. I’d been learning the saxophone and piano before, and never felt quite as at home as in singing. My choral directors always saw the art of song as a perfect way for us singers to explore our own musicality, outside of a choral context. I was lucky enough to work with like-minded, enthusiastic pianists as well as teachers such as Joseph Middleton on this art form from an early stage, and it’s now a central part of my artistic portfolio! - What do you listen to when you are not working?
It’s a mix – my saxophone days have left me with a love of jazz and big band music, and my choral days with a love of vocal ensemble music. - What does being shortlisted for this competition mean to you?
Competitions are great occasions to showcase one’s work at its best – audiences are usually very engaged, given that a lot is at stake for the performers, and the choice of repertoire is usually very free. Regardless of the jury’s verdict, I’m looking forward to presenting what I can bring to the stage as a collaborative artist, and to meeting like-minded, inspiring musicians who are doing the same.
Annabel Kennedy (Mezzo-Soprano) & Daniel Peter Silcock (Piano)
- What persuaded you to join the profession?
I have always wanted to perform – I grew up as a keen dancer. I loved singing in choir at school and watching musicals, and it wasn’t until I started at the Royal College of Music in London and I was exposed to opera performances at the Royal Opera House and English National Opera that I realised opera was exactly what I wanted to do. It has everything! - What do you listen to when you are not working?
I often listen to musical tunes or Spotify’s ‘Feelin’ Good’ playlist to start the day right! I also love an audio book or comedy podcast. - What does being shortlisted for this competition mean to you?
I am absolutely thrilled to be through to the live Semi-Final of the New Voices Competition. To be singing alongside wonderful colleagues and to perform to such a distinguished panel is very exciting. Daniel and I can’t wait!
Lauren Lodge-Campbell (Soprano) & Collin Shay (Harpsichord)
- What persuaded you to join the profession?
I always wanted to do something in music, and I always loved singing. Originally I wanted to study jazz singing but then a singing teacher started at my school who was an opera singer, and it was she who encouraged me to audition for conservatoire and start singing classically! - What do you listen to when you are not working?
Usually whatever I’m preparing for next… but at the moment I like a lot of British female artists like Joy Crookes, Arlo Parks and Pip Millett. - What does being shortlisted for this competition mean to you?
It’s really nice to have been selected, and it’s a great opportunity to prepare a programme with my friend Shay – we are presenting a baroque programme.
Ava Dodd (Soprano) & Firoze Madon (Piano)
- What persuaded you to join the profession?
There was no key moment where I decided to join this profession. Music and singing has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember – it runs in the family! When I started singing lessons at 12 years old it all just progressed naturally from there. I have had great teachers and mentors that have helped to steer me in the right direction! - What do you listen to when you are not working?
Honestly, I’m opera obsessed- when I’m not working I’m usually still listening to classical music. I also love to listen to artists like Simon & Garfunkel, the beach boys and Tony Bennett. - What does being shortlisted for this competition mean to you?
Making it through to the semifinal of the New Voices Competition is really exciting. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to sing for such a prestigious panel. I’m really looking forward to delving into some great repertoire with my pianist and hope the audience will enjoy it!
Clara Orif (Soprano) & Jack Redman (Piano)
- What persuaded you to join the profession?
Sharing the music that I love is always what drives me to be a singer. I am lucky to be in a profession that involves so many different aspects of human nature, pushing me to continuously searching for new dimensions and new colors in my voice. My father was a sound engineer and he was a big fan of Maria Callas. When I was a child, he would make me sit down and listen to her for hours! I am pretty sure that is when my dream started. - What do you listen to when you are not working?
When I am not working, I still listen to a lot of classical music. As a former organist, I feel very close to keyboard music as well as other instrumental music from all eras. I seek music that touches me emotionally and that could be Ray Charles, Britney Spears or Messiaen. - What does being shortlisted for this competition mean to you?
I am so thrilled to be part of Aldborough’s New Voices competition. It is such a great opportunity to sing for such a prestigious panel. Also, when I discovered all the brilliant artists that were shortlisted with me, I wished I could watch them all sing without feeling stressed about it!
Caroline Taylor (Soprano) & George Ireland (Piano)
- What persuaded you to join the profession?
My first experience of music came from ballet. I loved Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty – and can remember being entranced by the the bad fairy Carabosse’s spooky themes. I liked singing for fun, but I don’t come from a musical family and it wasn’t until I reached university that I considered auditioning for music colleges. I was sat in a lunchtime recital and some of my friends sang the final trio from Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard – pure goosebumps. I went straight to my singing teacher and told him I wanted to pursue a career as an opera singer after completing my languages degree. It felt more like a bolt of lightning than a persuasion! He told me it would be tough, but I knew I had to give it a try. I was over the moon when I had my RNCM acceptance and took things from there, learning and growing from inspiring teachers and friends and seeing the positive impact of music in all kinds of settings. To this day, I haven’t found anything else that can give me goosebumps the way music does. - What do you listen to when you are not working?
A bit of everything. My liked songs playlist on Spotify currently features Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande next to the DisneyPlus Shogun soundtrack by Atticus Ross, the Smiths and Ariana Grande. I often unwind with music that’s not classical at all, usually accompanied by terrible dancing – especially if I’m with friends that like bopping along too. - What does being shortlisted for this competition mean to you?
The past few years have been tough for everyone. It feels like achieving a financially sustainable career in classical music is harder than ever. Since 2020, I’ve worked in a number of jobs alongside singing to pay the bills, learning from amazing colleagues along the way, but the one thing that never left me was my love of music and feeling like I had something to say. Being shortlisted for this competition means that a panel of inimitable musicians wants to hear what that is! I feel proud, excited and lucky to have people who believe in me. I am ready to enjoy and appreciate every second of the performance, especially with my good friend George accompanying me just inches away on the piano. And I hope that taking part opens doors to building a lasting career as a singer – all I have dreamt of and worked towards since hearing that Rosenkavalier trio.
Samuel Stopford (Tenor) & Daniel Peter Silcock (Piano)
- What persuaded you to join the profession?
I arrived to the party a little later than most: I had previously seen a future for myself in Finance, a path which saw me venture across the pond to Princeton University in the United States. But it was at Princeton that I quickly realised my true passion for singing, leading me to return home in pursuit of my dream of a career on the operatic stage. I suppose the “persuasion” was the discovery that performing is the one thing I cannot live without; it is simply a prerequisite to my very being. - What do you listen to when you are not working?
As a tenor, it will come as little surprise that the majority of my free time is spent listening to other tenors. But, when I’m not basking in the greatness of operatic giants like Pavarotti, Corelli, Gigli, Di Stefano, or Del Monaco, my go-to is definitely the breathtaking – but now largely-unknown – tenor of the 60s and 70s, Sergio Franchi. His is a style which fuses full-blooded, Italianate singing with Swing/Jazz Big Band, similar to the “crossover” we have today but… better. The live recording of his performance at the ‘Ambassador Cocoanut Grove’ nightclub is truly something I wish everyone could experience; please don’t walk, but RUN and listen to it! - What does being shortlisted for this competition mean to you?
It means a great deal to be included in this line-up alongside friends and colleagues I admire and whose artistic output is of an exceptionally high standard. I have had the pleasure of performing and studying with several of my fellow competitors, and I find it so interesting to see the different paths we take along our respective developmental journeys. Furthermore, to perform for such an esteemed panel is a great privilege, and I greatly look forward to the opportunity to receive their feedback, whatever the outcome.
Rebecca Leggett (Mezzo-Soprano) & George Ireland (Piano)
- What persuaded you to join the profession?
I don’t think there was much persuasion involved, if I’m being honest! I’ve always been singing in one guise or another and it seemed natural to apply to conservatoire after school and since then I’ve just kept going. However, it’s often not a smooth ride and I have tried to pinpoint a specific time when I decided to be a singer…but, for me, there doesn’t seem to one conclusive conscious thought behind it! - What do you listen to when you are not working?
I often have a ‘born in the wrong era’ complex so tend to revert back to 20th century groups/singers with very distinct and iconic sounds like Ella Fitzgerald, Neil Diamond, The Carpenters, The Gipsy Kings, ELO, Zeppelin, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Streisand, Kirsty MacColl, Van Morrison, Dolly Parton…but my all-time go to band is ABBA. When I pull myself into the 21st century it will be for artists like First Aid Kit, Feist, Johnny Flynn, Laura Marling, Regina Spektor, The Vaccines and, a more recent discovery, RAYE. I do listen to a lot of Musical Theatre; favourite legit style songs are from Rogers & Hammerstein and for more contemporary, Alan Menken (lots of Disney!). Julie Andrews is a definite idol of mine. - What does being shortlisted for this competition mean to you?
I think competitions can be unpredictable creatures that often come with a slight double edged sword. If you’re not successful, that can take a serious knock on your self-esteem. If you do well then it certainly can boost aspects of your career and self-confidence however, I think it can sometimes also create an added pressure to succeed and never ‘fail‘ in all your further musical endeavours (which is also not desirable given that music in particular is famously subjective). This aside, I am really pleased that George and I are through to this semi-final mainly because it gives us a chance to perform together repertoire than we know and love. Our main goal will be to have a great time and enjoy our music making and thank you to the Northern Aldborough Festival for making this possible.
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