Young Artist Program
The Opera Queensland Young Artist Program provides generations of Australians the opportunity to perform to the highest standards in productions at home and around the world.
The Opera Queensland Young Artist Program provides artists at the beginning of their careers exceptional opportunities to develop their craft and participate in the creation of productions to the highest standard.
The Opera Queensland Young Artist Program was reignited in 2020 thanks to a generous bequest from two patrons, Lois Schultz and June Wheeler.
Recent alumni, including Eleanor Greenwood, Nina Korbe, Sofia Troncoso and John Rotar are now enjoying performance opportunities with national and international companies.
The Young Artist Program is open to singers, composers, pianists and directors, to engage in a year-long schedule of activities which provide opportunities to develop a broad range of professional experiences.
Opera Queensland’s Artistic Director, Patrick Nolan, celebrates the reigniting of the program, saying “Careful, thoughtful development of young artists is vital to the sustainably of the artform. We are enormously grateful to the Lois and June and the Frazer Family Foundation whose generosity underwrites the program.”
Narelle French, Opera Queensland’s Head of Music, one of Australia’s most respected pianists, vocal coaches and musicians celebrates the benefits of the program. “Seeing our young artists flourish through the development and performance opportunities Opera Queensland’s Young Artist Program offers is incredibly rewarding.”
In 2024 the members of the program are Jess Hitchcock, Nick Kirkup, Nina Korbe, Lachlann Lawton, Eugene Lynch, Olivia Payne, Shikara Ringdahl, and Connor Willmore.
“As a Young Artist I received many performance opportunities, had access to industry experts who helped me hone my craft and opened the path for me to sign with an agent.” – Virgilio Marino
Meet the 2024 Young Artists
Jess Hitchcock
9th August, 2021
Jess Hitchcock is an Indigenous singer-songwriter stirring the Australian music and performing arts scene as a genre-defying force. Her powerful voice...
Read MoreNick Kirkup
20th April, 2023
Tenor Nick Kirkup has a diverse performance history in choral and operatic repertoire, including roles for Queensland Conservatorium Griffith Universi...
Read MoreNina Korbe
20th April, 2023
Award-winning First Nations soprano, Nina Korbe, is quickly establishing herself as one of Australia’s leading young sopranos. She has been praised ...
Read MoreLachlann Lawton
22nd May, 2024
Australian/British Lyric Baritone Lachlann Lawton is a 2024 Young Artist and was a 2022 Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award Finalist a...
Read MoreEugene Lynch
24th May, 2024
Eugene Lynch is an early-career director of theatre and opera and a 2024 OQ Young Artist. Most recently, Eugene directed Georg Kaiser’s From Morn...
Read MoreOlivia Payne
20th April, 2023
Mezzo-soprano Olivia Payne graduated with a Master of Music Studies (Opera Performance) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She has an ATCL Diplo...
Read MoreShikara Ringdahl
20th April, 2023
Australian mezzo-soprano Shikara Ringdahl is a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (QCGU) and holds a Bachelor of Music. She...
Read MoreConnor Willmore
1st August, 2022
Originally from the small rural town of Maclean NSW, first studying music at the Maclean Music Academy under the tutelage of Sr Anne Gallagher O.A.M f...
Read MoreOpera Queensland Young Artist Participants
*indicates 2024 Program artist
SOPRANO & MEZZO-SOPRANO
Maia Andrews
Kylie Bailey
Giselle Baulch
Carolyn Beck
Emily Burke
Louise Callinan
Claire Candy
Sarah Carvalho
Rebecca Cassidy
Caroline Chown
Janelle Christie
Rebecca Collins
Rachael Cunningham
Jacqueline Dark
Clarissa Dunn
Sarah Ekert
Susan Ellis
Amber Evans
Eleanor Greenwood
Georgia Hawes
Mariana Hong
Kiandra Howarth
Shelli Hulcombe
Milica Ilic
Nina Korbe*
Victoria Lambourn
Sarah Marshall
Elizabeth McBride
Sally McHugh
Zan McKendree-Wright
Kate Miller-Heidke
Jade Moffat
Jessica O’Donoghue
Olivia Payne*
Heru Pinkasova
Xenia Puskarz Thomas
Shikara Ringdahl*
Alexandra Robertson
Deborah Rogers
Cassandra Seidemann
Sian Sharp
Katrina Sheppeard
Kate Spence
Hayley Sugars
Sarah Sullivan
Zoe Taylor
Sofia Troncoso
Jennifer Turnbull
Emily Turner
Amy Wilkinson
Emily Whelan
Ilse Woloszko
Sophie Wotton
COUNTERTENOR, TENOR, BARITONE & BASS
Geoffrey Ashenden
Peter Axford
Malungisa Balintulo
Gabuka Booi
Guy Booth
Kanen Breen
Shaun Brown
Brett Carter
Henry Choo
Garrie Davislim
Shannon Foley
Yuan Gao
Richard Grundy
Sam Hartley
Selby Hlangu
Ross Hobson
Ben Kerslake
Nick Kirkup*
Swee-Heng Lai
Lachlann Lawton*
Lee Jae-Hyeok
Sebastian Maclaine
Virgilio Marino
Joey Masemola
Adam Miller
Vuyani Mlinde
Thomas Moran
David Muller
Timothy Newton
Desmond Ntshebe
Owen O’Neil
Phillip Prendergast
Joshua Rowe
Scott Saunders
Simon Schmidt
Luke Stoker
Lionel Theunissen
Jonathan Truscott
Dominic Walsh
Bernard Wheaton
Connor Willmore*
Julian Wilson
David Woloszko
Andrew Young
COMPOSER
Jonathan Henderson
Jess Hitchcock*
John Rotar
REPETITEUR
Kathryn Courtenay
Raymond Lawrence
Kylie Los
Nerissa Pearce
Estella Roche
CONDUCTOR
David Banney
Michael Fulcher
Dane Lam
DIRECTOR
Eugene Lynch*
