The winner of the 2014 Lady Fairfax Scholarship sets his sights on the States.

BORN Albury NSW, 1983
GREW UP On a farm
STUDIED Canberra School of Music, WAAPA, Sydney Conservatorium

At what age did you realise that you wanted to be an opera singer?
When I was about eight or nine I thought of becoming an actor. Then I realised I could sing as well, so that is what really started me on the journey I guess. I have always been in love with the power of singing opera and the amount of raw emotion that it brings with it. There is nothing else that feels quite the same.

Did you have a game plan for going about getting into the industry?
No, I just followed my passion and let everything else fall into place. It’s taken a lot of hard work of course. There may have been some bumps here and there, but now things are finally paying off.

Who were your early operatic heroes, and have you added others to the list?
Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Franco Corelli and Arnold Schwarzenegger (I know he isn’t an opera singer!). I have added a lot more...