(Baritone NSW)

Operatic Roles: Gunner’s Mate, Billy Budd (Opera Australia), Judas, The Pilgrims Progress (OA), Antonio, The Gondoliers (OA), Luther & Crespel, Les Contes d'Hoffmann (OA), Baron Douphol and Messagiero, La Traviata (OA); Strong Man, Sid the Serpent (OzOpera); Peter, Hansel and Gretel (OzOpera); Duke Bluebeard, Bluebeard's Castle;Title role, Le Nozze di Figaro; Malatesta, Don Pasquale.

Abraham Singer was born in Sydney and studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany. At this early stage of his career, Abraham has been fortunate to gain solo performance experience in opera, oratorio and lieder both in Australia and Germany.

In 2001-2006 he studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he held a number of scholarships from the University of Sydney. Whilst there, Abraham was invited to sing the main role of Melibeo in the Australian premiere of La Fedeltá Premiata under the baton of Maestro Imre Pallo. He also performed the roles of Buonafede in Il Mondo della Luna and Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro.

At the beginning of 2005 Abraham received an exchange scholarship to study at the Staatliche Hochschule fur Musik in Freiburg, Germany, with the eminent Professor Reginaldo Pinheiro. Abraham was also awarded the Baden Württenburg Stipendium für Musik along with other national and international scholarships. His engagements included Bass soloist in Rossini’s Miserere & Stabat Mater and Stavinsky’s Mass whilst in Freiburg.

In 2006 he was fortunate to receive a BBM Ltd. Scholarship and also a Helpmann Award enabling him to study in London. 2006 also saw the performances of St. John’s Passion; Raphael & Adam in The Creation; Simon in The Seasons; Mozart’s Requiem; and the Australian Premiere of Beethoven’s Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II, all in Sydney.

Abraham ihas since been a full time chorus member with Opera Australia. He has performed the roles of Vecchio Zingaro in Il Trovatore in Melbourne, Maestro Spinelloccio in Gianni Scchicci and Giorgio in The Gondoliers, in Sydney. He is currently learning roles for the 2008 Opera Australia season including understudy for Colline in Puccini’s La Bohème, and Ribbing in Un Ballo in Maschera. He is also preparing for his travel later this year across to Cologne to commence the young artist program, as last year’s winner of the Audi German Operatic Award.

Go to website www.abesinger.com

Shannon Foley was born in Townsville, North Queensland and studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and the Royal College of Music, London.

In 1999 he was a member of Opera Queensland's Young Artist Program, and performed the roles of the Messenger in La Traviata and the Official Registrar in Madama Butterfly for the company.

In 2001-2003 he studied at the Benjamin Britten International Opera School at the Royal College of Music, where he held a two-year International Scholarship from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. He was also the recipient of the 2001 Opera Foundation Australia American Institute of Musical Studies Award and the 2002 Sir Robert Askin Travelling Scholarship. Whilst there, Shannon Foley performed a number of operatic roles including Theseus inA Midsummer Night's Dream, Pilate inBrockes Passion, The Messenger inOedipus Rex, Betto inGianni Schicchi, Dulcamara inL'Elisir d'amore, Mr Gedge inAlbert Herring, Pallante inAgrippina, and Papageno inDie Zauberflöte.

Recent engagements include his debut with Opera Australia in their 2004 Sydney Summer Season as the Marchese inLa Traviata. He also appeared in the company's Golden Celebration Gala under the baton of Richard Bonynge. Further concert appearances in 2004 included Pilatus in St. John's Passion and Faure's Requiem, both at Brisbane's St. John's Cathedral, a concert at Stanthorpe Winery and Opera Under The Stars in Broome. 2005 saw him as a principal artist with Opera Australia. Highlights included performances of Papageno in The MagicFlute in the Melbourne autumn season, the Travel Bureau Clerk in Death in Venice and Schaunard in La Boheme, both at the Sydney Opera House. In 2006, he continued his contract with Opera Australia with the roles of Belcore and Papageno. Other engagements include a concert performance of Salome under the baton of Simone Young for Brisbane Festival and a Mozart Requiem, with a new ending composed by Gordon Kerry, for the Bangalow Music Festival.

Shannon is currently perfoming roles with Cologne Opera, having completed an intensive German language study program at the Goethe Institue in Munich mid this year.


2005 
Anita Watson
(Soprano NSW)

Born in Sydney, Australian soprano Anita Watson graduated with honours from the Australian Opera Studio, after completing a Bachelor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Anita was the recipient of the 2005 Australian Singing Competition's prestigious Marianne Mathy Scholarship. In 2005 Anita also won the City of Sydney Opera Awards and the Opera and Arts Support Group Vocal Scholarship, and was a finalist in the McDonald's Aria competition. In July 2006 she attended the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel. Then in August, as winner of Opera Foundation Australia's German Operatic Award, she embarked on a year with the Cologne Opera Studio.

She made her operatic debut with the Australian Opera Studio in 2003, performing the title role in Handel's Xerxes. She has since performed the roles of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Gretel, Sandmännchen and Taumännchen in Hänsel und Gretel, Ida in Die Fledermaus, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia, Pedro in Don Quichotte, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Micaela in Carmen, and the role of Najade in Strauss's Ariadne Auf Naxos in July 2005.At the International Vocal Arts Institute in Israel in 2006, Anita performed the role of Ann Putnam in Robert Ward's The Crucible.

For Cologne Opera, Anita has performed in Lohengrin, Das Opernschiff, Die Nachtigall and Die Heilige Ente. Future operas in 2007 include Wagner's Die Feen, Des Kaiser's neue Kleider, Der Rosenkavalier, and the role of Barena in Janacek's Jenufa. She will also understudy the roles of Mimì (La Bohème), Der Waldvogel (Siegfried) and Ninette (L'amour des Trois Oranges).

ABC Classic FM broadcast a solo recital of Anita Watson in 2006 and she was also heard on radio in the 2005 Finals of The Australian Singing Competition. Her other ABC Classic FM broadcasts have included Cabaret Classique in 2004, and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in 2001.

In oratorio, Anita has been a soloist in Carmina Burana, African Sanctus, Rutter's Magnificat, Mozart's Requiem, Tippet's A Child of our Time, the Fauré Requiem, Mozart's Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Handel's Messiah, and Gounod's Redemption. She has presented many concert recitals in Australia and appeared in concert in the USA, Austria, Germany, Japan, Hungary, China, Israel and the UK.

Most recently, Anita has been offered a two-year contract as a Jette Parker Young Artist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She will take up the position in September 2007, at the conclusion of her engagement with Cologne Opera.

Go to website www.anitawatson.net