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2007 Edition - Students

Sopranos
Alinea Kozàri, Hungary
Alinka completed the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy in Budapest with Distinction in 2005. She recently completed studies at the National Opera Studio in London and currently studies singing with Lillian Watson. Her operatic experience includes Norina, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donna Anna and First Lady (British Youth Opera, 2006-2007). She is the winner of the Mario Lanza Opera Prize and the Hungarian State Eötvös Scholarship. Recent engagements include a masterclass with José Cura in April 2007 and with Sir Thomas Allen, Samling Foundation in November 2007. Future commitments include the role of Lucille in Elizabeth Maconchy’s The Sofa (Independent Opera) and the Countess Le nozze di Figaro. Alinka has also been awarded the IO Postgraduate Voice Fellowship and she is extremely grateful to Serena Fenwick for her assistance.

Maria Matyazova, Russia
Russian soprano Maria Matyazova completed her first degree in music at The University of Humanities in her home city of Saint-Petersburg, then left Russia to take up 2 years postgraduate study at The University College of Opera in Stockholm. In the autumn 2006 she joined Royal Academy Opera. Maria was the winner of Ludmilla Andrew Russian Song Prize, Anders Wall Scholarship for young opera singers, Lars Lönndahl Travel Scholarship and won the second prize in the Malmö Vocal Competition in Sweden. She has taken part in masterclasses with Dennis O’Neill, Craig Rutenberg, Marjana Lipovcek (Mozarteum), Kerstin Meyer, Lillian Watson, Peter Berne, Ingvar Wixell. Opera roles include Iolanta (RAO), Fedra Hippolite et Aricie (Folkoperan Stockholm), Micaela (Skånska Operan, Sweden), Musetta, Poppea, Ginevra, Pamina, Donna Elvira, Orlofsky, all in University College of Opera. She sang Marenka in the gala concert of University College of Opera at The Royal Opera House in Stockholm and also performed for the princess of Sweden. Maria’s oratorio repertoire includes Brahms, Faure, Mozart, Handel, Haydn, Pergolesi, Vivaldi. She is generously supported by the Khodorkovsky Foundation and the Josephine Baker Trust

Claire Watkins, United Kingdom
Claire graduated in June with a DipRam from the Royal Academy Opera studying with Beatrice Unsworth and Audrey Hyland. Formerly Head Chorister of St. Davids Cathedral Choir, Pembrokeshire, Claire has a Bmus (Hons), Cardiff University, and PGDip (Distinction) RWCMD. She has recently become a Samling Scholar. Recent engagements include B Minor Mass with Trevor Pinnock, Mozart Requiem at St. Martin-in-the-fields and early music performances with tenor Charles Daniels. Operatic roles include Queen of the Night The Magic Flute, Donna Anna Don Giovanni, Amersham Music Festival 2007, Lauretta Gianni Schicchi, Venus Dardanus, Almirena Rinaldo, Arminda La Finta Giardiniera, Manon Manon Lescaut, and Yvette La Rondine for RAO; Miss Wordsworth Albert Herring, the title role in The Cunning Little Vixen (RWCMD). Claire is supported by the Maida Jones Award and Kohn Scholarship, the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, MBF and the Josephine Baker Trust. Future engagements include performing the roles of Amelia Simon Bocconegra in Viadollide, Donna Anna Don Giovanni in Lisbon and a series of masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen.

Tamara Zivadinovic, Serbia
A 2003 graduate at the Faculty of Music arts in Belgrade under Irina Arsikin, Tamara obtained her Masters degree at the GSMD in London in 2006. She is currently studying for her Master of Performance under Theresa Goble. She has received funding for her studies from the Norwegian government, the Solti Foundation and most recently a scholarship from the John Wates Foundation. Tamara has performed as a soloist in her own country and in other European countries.

Mezzo-sopranos
Jurgita Adamonite, Lithuania
Jurgita obtained a Master of Music degree at the Lithuanian Academy of Music, and in June 2006 graduated with distinction from the Opera Corse at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 2007 she was among the first students accepted at the newly opened Cardiff International Academy of Voice, under Tennis O’ Neill direction. Her operatic debut was in 2002 as Zerlina Don Giovanni at the Lithuanian Opera Theatre. In 2003 she sang Maddalena Rigoletto at the Czech National A. Dvorak Opera Theatre in Ostrava. Recently she sang Scipio in the world première of Caligula at the Frankfurt Opera Theatre , and in May 2007 she made her debut with the Chicago Opera as Ursula Beatrice et Benedict. During the Summer of 2007, Jurgita won several competitions in Italy, includine the Maria Caniglia and the Renata Tebaldi International Singing competitions

Alexandra Cassidy, United Kingdom
Alexandra Cassidy is on the opera course at the RSAMD Alexander Gibson opera school under the tutelage of Stephen Robertson. She has performed as a soloist with a wide range of ensembles, notably BBC SSO, the Hebrides ensemble, Royal Philharmonic, Viva, St. Cecilia Orchestra, Scottish Opera Orchestra, RSAMD Chamber Orchestra and The Paragon Ensemble. Recent highlights included a performance of Mahler Lieder in the prelude concert to the BBC SSO at the Glasgow City Halls, and the Kindertotenlieder with the Hebrides Ensemble. Operatic performances include the Minskwoman in Jonathan Dove’s opera Flight, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi at the Theatre Royal and Edinburgh Festival Theatre and Mum in Albert Herring. This year she will perform Dorabella Così fan tutte and Mère Marie Carmelites. Over the years Alexandra has been supported by the South Square Trust and MBF. This year Alexandra’s studies are sponsored by the Leverhume trust and the Anne Clutterbuck Award.

Lucie Špicková, Czcech Republic
Anglo-Czech mezzo-soprano Lucie Špicková will be appearing this autumn as Cherubino Le Nozze di Figaro under Sir Colin Davis for Royal Academy Opera, at the Cadogan Hall with the Southbank Sinfonia in J.J. Ryba’s Czech Christmas Mass and Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum and in early 2008 she will join the Martinelli Project in a series of concerts in Prague, Vienna and Munich, singing Renaissance songs for mezzo-soprano, bass and lute, which will be broadcast on Czech radio. Other forthcoming appearances include the Messiah and Dvorák’s Mass in D. Lucie is currently studying in her final year of the Royal Academy Opera Programme, under Elizabeth Ritchie and Jonathan Papp, where she has won the prestigious Elena Gerhardt Lieder Prize and the Patricia Kris Wolfe prize. She was also awarded the Alec Templeton Scholarship, an Arts and Humanities Research Council scholarship and is supported by the Josephine Baker Trust.

Tenors
Tyler Clarke, United Kingdom
Tyler Clarke is currently studying on the Benjamin Britten International Opera School with Justin Lavender and is the recipient of the ‘Peter Pears Scholarship’. He graduated from GSMD with a first class honours degree and a masters degree under the tutelage of Adrian Thompson and Susan McCulloch supported by ‘The Woshipful Company of the Fishmongers’. Tyler made his operatic debut in Geneva singing Bastien Bastien und Bastienne and has since sung: Tamino The Magic Flute (Opera Loki - New Devon Opera), Priest/Armed man (Longborough Festival Opera - The Oxford Philomusica) Macbeth Macbeth (Company Asai), and the Italian Tenor Capriccio (GSMD). Other experience includes: Peter Grimes (Salzburg Festival - Berlin Philharmonie), ensemble for the world premiere of Bird of Night (ROu),  tenor solo in Britten’s St Nicholas at the St. Endellion Church, and most recently the title role of Albert Herring for BYO. Forthomcing engagements include: Sellem The Rake’s Progress (BBIOS).

Xingwa Hao, China
In 2001, he was enrolled by the Central Conservatory of Music in BeiJing in Department of Opera and Vocal. During the academic year he has achieved Excellence in all main subjects and has Participated in many Masterclasses abroad. His operatic performances include: Madama Butterfly (2002) conducted by famous Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa in Japan; King Tito La clemenza di Tito (2004, Chinese premièere) (Chinese premiere), Alfredo La Traviata (2005). Rinuccio Gianni Schicchi (2005, RAO). In 2003 Xingwa won the first place in Chinese art song singing contest held in CCM and In 2006, he got a scholarshipto attend the Opera Department, Royal Academy of Music. He is with full he is grateful for the support of the Alastair Ross Goobey award.

Guillermo Ontiveros, Mexico
Guillermo finished his Bachelor in Arts option Music/Voice at the University of Sonora. He participated in the 2007 Tuscia Opera Festival of Rome singing the roles of Nemorino Elixir of Love and Il Duca di Mantua Rigoletto. He was the solist tenor of the Requiem of Mozart in 2006 “Festival Cultural Mazatlan” under the conductor Patron de Rueda. He also was the solist tenor of Carmina Burana in “Las Fiestas del Pitic Festival”, and he was invited at the gala night in the International “Festival Dr. Alfonso Ortiz Tirado” in Alamos, Mexico. His operatic roles include Rinuccio Gianni Schicchi, Nemorino Elixir of Love, Ferrando Cosi Fan Tutte, Il Duca di Mantua Rigoletto, and Javier Moreno Zarzuela Luisa Fernanda. He studied with Julieta Gevorgyan, and has taken Masterclases with William Vendice, Gail Massaro, Danielle Orlando, Corradina Caporello, Jonathan Papp, Lisa Kay Morton and Tito Capobianco. In June 2008 he will be singing Tamino The Magic flute, at the Saltnote Young Artist program in Charles County Maryland, under the conductor William Vendice.

Baritones
Kongseok Choi, South Korea
Korean bass Kongseok Choi began his musical training at Yon Sei University in Seoul where he graduated with a first-class degree. In December 2006 entered the Royal Academy Opera with a scholarship, and during his time at the Academy, he took part in many Master-classes including Diana Forlano and Robert Tear. He has appeared as a soloist in Handel's Messiah, Schubert’s Mass No. 2 in G major and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125 in Korea, Mozart Requiem in St Martins fields church, and Mozart C minor Mass in Guildford cathedral church. Kongseok’s operatic experiences include Papageno and Sprecher Die Zauberflöte, King Rene Iolanta and Bartolo cover cast Le nozze di Figaro. He is the recipient of many awards and prizes including the Richard Lewis-Jean Shanks Award, Blyth-Buesst Operatic Singing Prize,

Gerard Collett studies on the Royal Academy of Music Opera Course with Mark Wildman and Audrey Hyland. He has been awarded the Geoffrey Lewis Award and the Norman McCann Scholarship to assist him in is studies.  He has participated in masterclasses with Thomas Quasthoff, Philip Langridge, Sarah Walker, Malcolm Martineau, Roger Vignoles and Julius Drake. Future engagements include a Christmas Concert at St John's Smith Square with the New London Chorus, performing Finzi's In Terra Pax. In January he will make his Wigmore Hall debut singing songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Royal Academy's 'Song Circle'. Recent prizes include the Major van Someren Godfrey prize for English Song, 3 rd in the Ludmilla Andrew Russian Song Competition, and the prestigious Richard Lewis/Jean Shanks Award.  He receives a Maidment Scholarship administered by the Musicians Benevolent Fund to assist him in his studies. He is also the recipient of a 2007 Wingate Scholarship.

Bass
Hyung tae Kim, Korea
Korean bass-baritone Hyung tae Kim studied at the Yonsei university and at the Royal Academy of Music with Mark Wildman and Audrey Hyland. Awards include the Henry Cummings award and the scholarship by D’oyly Carte . During his time at the Royal Academy of Music he took part in many Master classes including Dennis O’Neill, Robert Tear and Diane Forlano, and in a number of concerts. He was bass soloist in ‘Requiem’ K.626 by W.A.Mozart at St.barnas Church for Leyton Buzzard’s Mozart Festival, and St.Lukes Church in Earling, performed ‘Messa di Gloria’ by G.Puccini, St.Lukes in Earling, and Soloist of ‘Vesperae solennes de confessore’ kv339 by W.A.Mozart. He appeared in a numbers of Opera as Colline, Benoit, Alcindoro in La Boheme with Seoul Prime Orchestra and Yon sei Orchestra. As Marco L’Arlesiana with the Seoul National Orchestra, Antonio in RAO Le Nozze di Figaro, Simone in RAO Gianni Schicchi, Bertrand Iolanta.

Pianists
James Baileu, United Kingdom
James Baillieu received his Bachelor of Music degree with distinction at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2004. As a distinguished music student at UCT he was awarded all the piano prizes. He won the first Laura Searle Piano Competition as well as Stellenbosch Conservatoire's Rachmaninov Competition in 2003. James participated in the 2004 International Russian Piano Competition in California at which, as a laureate, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Vienna International Pianists Academy, where he was awarded the Rosario Marciano Prize. James has received a full scholarship, the Avery Picker Award, from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he is completing his postgraduate studies with Michael Dussek, Malcolm Martineau and Kathryn Stott. James recently won the Flora Nielsen, Ludmilla Andrews, Helen Eames and Brenda Webb prizes at the Academy. He was also awarded the Elisa Fawcett award at the Royal Overseas League Competition and the MBF Accompanists' Prize at the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Awards. 2007 was the second year that he accompanied students at the Solti Accademia di Bel Canto.

Kirsten Simpson, New Zealand
Kirsten Simpson has recently graduated from the Royal College of Music with an advanced postgraduate diploma in piano accompaniment and a postgraduate diploma in solo/ensemble performance. She studied with Gordon Fergus-Thompson, John Blakely and Roger Vignoles. Born in New Zealand, she was Young Performer of the Year in 1998 and a finalist in the 2001 National Concerto Competition. She graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Master of Music degree in performance piano, studying with Diedre Irons. In 2005 Kirsten performed at Blenheim Palace with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and accompanied Dame Kiri for a sponsorship concert in London. She recently returned to New Zealand to accompany Dame Malvina Major and Sir Howard Morrison on their concert tour A Knight with a Dame. Kirsten will return to London next term to further her studies and accompanying experience. 2007 was the third year that she accompanied students at the Solti Accademia di Bel Canto.
 
© Georg Solti Accademia di Bel Canto