TAMSYN WINGS, SINGS AND WINS!

A young Perth soprano flew in from Western Australia for the day, sang for her supper and hit the jackpot.

Roland Gridiger, Trustee of The Australian Singing Competition is thrilled to announce the winner of the 2005 Opera Awards – the “exciting new talent”, Tamsyn Stock-Stafford.

Flying in on the red eye from Western Australia after a performance the night before, Tamsyn arrived in Sydney at day-break preparing to sing three arias for the competition. And after scooping the pool of all the prizes, the young jet-setting redhead headed home again for another concert.

Tamsyn, 31 was the unanimous choice of the judging panel. She will receive the $20,000 Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Award, the Armstrong-Martin Scholarship and the Haas Award each worth $5,000. She will also benefit from the Britten – Pears Young Artist Programme and the Glyndebourne Festival Prize.

All high-profile practitioners on the global opera scene, the panel comprised international conductor Patrick Summers, world-renowned soprano Elizabeth Connell and distinguished bass Donald Shanks OBE A0, who recently retired from Opera Australia after a 40 year career performing in major roles.

Mr Shanks said Tamsyn has “a voice of exceptional beauty and she possesses a special quality that is quite unique. These prizes will enable her to realise her “full potential”.

Mr Gridiger said “the various prizes were set up to support Australian opera singers especially in nurturing; developing and financing their talents with overseas study. The judges were so impressed with Tamsyn’s abilities that they presented her with extra opportunities”.

“Mr Summers invited her to the Houston Grand Opera where he is Music Director and UK based Elizabeth Connell generously offered personal support for her future visits to London.”