Twenty-two year old South Australian tenor Robert Macfarlane is the toast of Australia’s oratorio world today, having won the third annual Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Aria.
An appreciative audience at BMW Edge heard Robert sing his way to oratorio glory and win a cash prize of $1500, a professional photographic portrait package worth $500 and a future professional engagement and recording with the RMP.
Runner-up was 21 year old bass-baritone Nicholas Dinopoulos, who won a cash prize of $750 and a significant boost to his emerging professional career as an oratorio soloist.
Adjudicators RMP Music Director Andrew Wailes, acclaimed mezzo-soprano Suzanne Johnston and Professor Mel Waters faced a difficult decision for third place in a field of fine finalists, so awarded equal third place to 31 year old mezzo-soprano Rose Nolan and 28 year old soprano Anna Louise Cole, both from Melbourne. Third place included cash prizes and language coaching scholarships worth several thousand dollars each for Rose from the Goethe-Insitut Melbourne, and for Anna Louise from the Italian Institute of Culture.
However, the audience of judges selected a different winner from the official choice, with 34 year old lyric tenor Paul Biencourt scoring the People’s Choice award and a future RMP engagement. Paul has come to the world of oratorio from a successful career in music theatre and he is now singing with Victorian Opera.
Winner Robert Macfarlane was delighted to win the top award for one of his musical passions – oratorio.
“Hopefully this is a foot in the door for a national career performing oratorio. The money will go towards singing lessons and going overseas for a couple of months next year to work with great baroque tenor Howard Crook in Paris,” the excited young tenor said.
RMP Music Director and Chief Adjudicator Andrew Wailes predicts a big future for Robert Macfarlane.
‘The judges were all impressed by Robert’s musicality and handling of the very demanding works he chose to perform. His treatment of the notoriously difficult high tenor writing of Bach, and Britten’s virtuosic Serenade were a telling demonstration of his technique, natural style and musical sensitivity. I am very confident he has a great career ahead of him as an oratorio soloist of some distinction and wish him well. Hopefully this prize will hep him achieve his musical goals,” Mr Wailes said.
During the judging, The RMP choir, under the direction of guest conductor Michael Leighton Jones, sang choruses by Purcell, Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn, providing a tantalising taste of what is in store at the next RMP concert – An Evening with Mister Handel at Melbourne Town Hall on Sunday 2 August.
The 2009 RMP Aria is supported by the Goethe-Institut Melbourne, the Italian Institute of Culture, Henkell Brothers Investment Managers, City of Melbourne and 3MBS-FM.