THE RICHARD DIVALL PROGRAM

The Richard Divall Program focuses on providing opportunities for emerging opera singers to experience the pressure of intensive role preparation, rehearsal and performance in a professional setting whilst continuing artistic development with tailored high-quality coaching, workshops, master classes and mentoring.

It is incredible to think the program is entering ten years of operations. We have supported so many outstanding singers who have gone on to have wonderful careers and opportunities both here and overseas. The program continues to develop award winners and finalists but most importantly, many of our past program members are sustaining careers as singers, largely because our program’s focus squarely on creating performance-ready singers.

This performance ready capability of our singers was never more on show than when soprano Emily Szabo stepped in to sing the role of Mimi in Melbourne Opera’s second performance of La Bohème in September 2024 due to the indisposition of the principal artist. The audience were transfixed by her magnificent preparation and command of the role as well as her composure. This included high praise from critics from Limelight and Classic Melbourne who were attending. So many program members were covers for this production that we are planning a performance featuring the program members later in 2025. As part of the Melbourne Opera Puccini Festival, we also presented two concert performances of Suor Angelica, featuring Helena Dix and Deborah Humble, with all the smaller ‘sister’ roles being played by program members.

Melbourne Opera’s epic production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg provided many opportunities for our emerging and developing artists to shine. Henry Shaw sang the role of the Nightwatchman (and cover Hans Schwartz), Asher Reichman sang the role of Augustus Moser (and covered Konrad Nachtigall), Livia Brash covered the significant role of Eva Pogner and our wonderful team of Apprentices largely comprised of members of the emerging and developing artists program: Daniel Felton, Joshua Erdelyi-Gotz, Breanna Stuart, James Penn, Lily Ward, Amanda Windred and past program members Finn Gilheany and Leah Phillips. This provided an incredible opportunity to learn some of the most challenging ensemble singing there is with detailed German language coaching, plus choreography!

We have also recently completed our annual Mozart by Moonlight concert at the Royal Botanical Gardens with selections from Le nozze di Figaro, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte sung by program members Breanna Stuart, Lily Ward, Daniel Felton, Asher Reichman and Henry Shaw.