Opera Queensland has announced the participants in its 2021 Young Artists program. The singers taking part in the program this year are local soprano Rebecca Cassidy, mezzo-soprano Xenia Puskarz Thomas, and bass-baritone Timothy Newton and American-born soprano Sofia Troncoso.

2021 OQ Young Artists Timothy Newton, Rebecca Cassidy, Xenia Puskarz Thomas and Sofia Troncoso. Photo courtesy of OQ

“Opera Queensland is passionate about nurturing Queensland artists, investing in their myriad of talents and providing them with opportunities to progress their careers on the world stage,” said Opera Queensland Artistic Director Patrick Nolan said. “Many participants of our Young Artist Program have gone on to enjoy prolific careers and achieve international recognition including Kate Miller-Heidke, Kiandra Howarth, Jacqui Dark, Kanen Breen, Virgilio Marino and conductor Dane Lam.”

Cassidy returns to the program after it was halted because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “2020 was a terrible year in so many ways for a lot of people but it was also a breakout year for me,” she said. “I still pinch myself at the opportunities the Young Artist Program provided me last year, including understudying my first ever major principal role of Isolde in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde...