New Zealand-born soprano Eliza Boom has taken out the top prizes in both the Opera & Classical and Musical Theatre categories of the ASC@Home Online International Singing Competition, which was launched by the Music & Opera Singers Trust (MOST) after the 2020 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition received 137 entries from over 15 countries, each entrant competing digitally from the comfort and safety of their own home. Winners were selected by a panel of judges including Suzi Quatro, Nicole Car, Matthew Lee Robinson and Katie Noonan.

Eliza Boom. Photo supplied

“I am so thrilled to have been selected out of so many wonderful contestants for these prizes,” said Boom, who was awarded prize money of $US1000 for each section. “An infinite thank you to the Australian Singing Competition for supporting artists at this difficult time and over the many years – what they do is invaluable.”

Runners up in the Opera & Classical section were tenor Michael Petruccelli and baritone Matthew Dixon, while the runners up in the Musical Theatre section were Courtney Monsma (who recently performed in Six The Musical and who has been cast...