Eight finalists are in the running for this year’s Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship, geared towards professional development and boasting a combined prize pool of $70,000. Three Sydney Eisteddfod Alumni – John Bolton-Wood, Amelia Farrugia and Dr Nicholas Milton – will determine the winner of the scholarship, valued at $43,000. Singers will perform with the North Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Milton in the Final on July 15.

The Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship finalists with adjudicating panel. Photo © WinkiPoP Media.

The finalists are soprano Shikara Ringdahl (Brisbane, QLD), soprano Olivia Cranwell (Waterloo, NSW), tenor Joshua Oxley (Lane Cove, NSW), baritone Jarvis Dams (Hamilton, NZ), soprano Chelsea Dolman, bass baritone Christopher Curcuruto (Croydon Park, NSW), soprano Morgan England (Lawnton, QLD), and mezzo-soprano Celeste Haworth (Narrabeen, NSW).

“Sydney Eisteddfod offers students an opportunity to be assessed by people other than their teachers and provides them with an audition formula for agents and opera company auditions later in their careers,” said Bolton-Wood. “As a competitor myself many years ago I made friendships which have endured a lifetime and the memory of experiences which helped shape my future course as a singer with the advice and encouragement I had from...