Pacific Opera has announced new cash scholarships for young artists totalling $115,000, presented in partnership with Prue Kennard and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust.

Sponsored by arts philanthropist Prue Kennard, who is committed to furthering the studies of emerging Australian opera singers, the Prue Kennard Scholarships include two cash scholarships that award a singer $10,000 each year for three years. It will also see smaller cash grants awarded to Young Artists within Pacific Opera’s 2020, 2021 and 2022 programs.

“Prue Kennard understands that the financial costs of being a young opera singer are very high,” said Founding Artistic Director of Pacific Opera Christine Douglas. “Weekly singing lessons, vocal coachings with repetiteurs, language coachings, music scores, expensive gowns, acting training, dance classes, and the list goes on!”

“Often singers can’t afford to pay for extra specialist coaching in areas where they may fall short, such as French or German language coaching, so we hope that these cash grants will help the singers to achieve a specific goal that they would not have otherwise been able to afford to do.”

Any Young Artist who is intent on studying overseas in 2020-21 and who has participated in the company’s Young Artist Program for at least two...