Grants and scholarships can be a real boost to the careers of emerging artists, but few competitions can boast as promising a leg up as the German-Australian Opera Grant. Established in response to the perceived lack of opportunity for young singers in Australia, the Grant comes with a one-year contract as a professional soloist at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden and a $4,500 financial support package. The recipient will also benefit from German-language tuition at the Goethe Institut and one-month work experience at the Staatstheater before their engagement as a soloist.

The brainchild of Australian conductor Dr David Kram, the Grant was established in 2003 with past winners including tenor Angus Wood, soprano Emma Pearson and mezzo Celeste Haworth. Facilitated by German philanthropist Hans Henkell, one third of the recipient’s salary is covered by the theatre in Wiesbaden, with the rest fundraised by a not-for-profit founded by Kram, More Than Opera.

“Opera has always been a global profession,” Kram told Limelight. “Possibilities for full-time employment in Australia are virtually non-existent. Germany remains the country with the most full-time employment and Wiesbaden is a long-established, top-grade house… let me be clear – this is not a scholarship. It’s a job. MTO-GAOG helps fund...