Over the weekend, Isabella won the Marianne Mathy Scholarship, rounding off a successful few months during which she won the Lexus Song Quest, the Dame Malvina Major Foundation Christchurch Aria competition and the Hamilton Competition's Premier Vocal Award.
Isabella says she is delighted with her success. “I’m so grateful and very happy! Winning the Mathy is an amazing opportunity and extremely helpful for my career.”
This year, Isabella and four other Australian finalists competed for $180,000 in prizes, scholarships and career opportunities.
Isabella is planning to use her share of the prize money to continue learning from Dennis O’Neill and Nuccia Focile in Wales.
“I also hope to make trips to London for further coaching, as well as auditioning for young artist programmes. I’d love to participate in a summer programme in Europe—perhaps an Italian language immersion course.”
NZSM’s Head of Classical Performance Voice, Margaret Medlyn, who was Isabella’s main teacher through her Postgraduate Diploma, says she is proud but unsurprised with Isabella’s latest win.
“She deservedly won the award as she did the Lexus earlier this month. With her very impressive voice and great stage presence she is going to be a world-beater.”
Isabella also won the Audience prize which Margaret says is a testament to the great connection she has to her listeners.
The Marianne Mathy Scholarship is the premier award of the IFAC Australian Singing Competition. The competition is now well into its third decade of discovering, rewarding and providing career opportunities to emerging Australian and New Zealand opera and classical singers, aged under 26.
The 2014 final took place on Saturday 30 August in the Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, with the five finalists accompanied by the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra (AOBO) under the baton of guest conductor Johannes Fritzsch.