The Marianne Mathy Scholarship ('THE MATHY')
AUD $30,000 to assist with a program of study and/or singing activity
The winner of The Mathy will also receive:
1. Audition Prize from Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ryan Opera Center: an opportunity to audition for Lyric Opera of Chicago’s professional artist-development program, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center.
2. Lili Ussher Prize Portrait: a painting of the winner in concert dress.
3. Oral History Award: a taped interview by oral historian Diana Ritch will be recorded and retained within the Oral History Collection of the National Library of Australia.
4. The Mathy: a limited-edition Drago Marin Cherina sculpture presented by Music & Opera Singers Trust Ltd (MOST®).
2019 Marianne Mathy Scholarship Winner, Manase Latu
The 2019 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition Final was held on 19 September at The Concourse Concert Hall.
Manase Latu was named the winner of the Marianne Mathy Scholarship after his stunning performances of Mozart’s Tradito, Schernito and Rossini’s Ecco rodent in cielo accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra conducted by Dr. Nicholas Milton AM.
At the 2019 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition Manase won:

Manase was also awarded the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Prize: a professional engagement to perform with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Manase graduated from a Bachelor of music in Classical Performance majoring in voice in 2017 with first class honours from the University of Auckland. He is this year’s Freemason resident artist with the New Zealand Opera and is also a member of the Kiri Programme, an elite program for aspiring opera singers that helps to develop their performance and musicality skills. Manase was the recipient of the George Wilson Turner Scholarship, the University of Auckland STEAM Scholarship, the Auckland Choral Scholarship and the Kathleen Mary Reardon Memorial Scholarship.
Manase has performed Candide and Manon with the Freemasons Opera Chorus and the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra. He was also the understudy for Nemorino and a member of the chorus in The Elixir of Love with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra. He also performed Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville with the Opera in Schools Tour earlier this year.
Manase is currently enrolled in the Masters programme at The Royal College of Music in London as a Kiri scholar under the tutorledge of Russell Smythe.

Adjudicators are continually impressed by the high standard overall, and the exceptional technical ability and maturity displayed by these young musicians.
2019 Finalists

Bianca Bacchiella
Soprano, 20, QLD
Soprano Bianca is currently completing a Bachelor of Music Performance at the Conservatorium of Music, Sydney. Bianca was a Sydney Eisteddfod Joan Sutherland Memorial Intermediate Vocal Scholarship Finalist in 2017 and 2018. She was the Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition’s Most Promising Vocalist for 2017 and the Vocal Championship winner of the Townsville Eisteddfod. She has also received a number of other prizes from the Queensland Vocal Competition, Townsville Eisteddfod and Sydney Eisteddfod including First place in Female Voices and First Place in Italian Song.
In 2017, Bianca was coached by Dennis O’Neill and Graham Johnson at the Art Song Academy and in 2018 she performed the role of Melia in Mozart’s Apollo et Hyacinthus with the Flamingo Opera.

Josi Ann Ellem
Soprano, 23, NSW
Sydney-born Soprano Josi Ann is completing a Masters of Music Studies majoring in Opera at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. While studying Josi Ann has received the Henderson Travellers Scholarship and the Elizabeth Bud Brown Memorial Scholarship. In 2017, Josi Ann attended the Estio Summer School in Verona Italy. She recently returned from Germany where she was studying at the the Berlin Opera academy and performing at OpernFestival.
Josi Ann’s recent performances include her role as Contessa Almaviva in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” for the Berlin Opera Academy in Germany. She also performed Marchioness Violante Onesti (Sandrina) in Mozart’s “La finta giardiniera” and L’Enfant in Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges” for the Conservatorium Opera in Sydney. Josi Ann was also a Soloist for Handel’s “Messiah” at the City of Sydney’s annual Messiah concert.

Rebecca Hart
Mezzo-Soprano, 23, NSW
Rebecca completed her Bachelor Diploma of Music in Opera Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Sydney in 2017. She is now the proud recipient of this years Opera Australia Opportunity Award with the New Zealand Singing School.
Rebecca has won many awards including the Lieder Sydney Eisteddfod 2018 Finalist, the Senior Vocal Scholarship for the 2018 Sydney Eisteddfod and the Evelyn Hall De Izal Memorial Award For Mezzo-Soprano Voice at the Sydney Eisteddfod. Rebecca received the Dr. Harris Philip Greenberg and Olav Gurney-Jensen Scholarship with the Sydney Conservatorium Of Music and the 2017 Patricia Lucas Music Achievement Scholarship with the Sydney Conservatorium Of Music.
Rebecca’s recent performances include: Apollo in Mozart’s Apollo et Hyacinthus with the Flamingo Opera, La Voix in Les Contes D’Hoffman for the Pacific Opera, La Finta Giardinera with Operantics, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with Operantics. She is looking forward to performing Handel’s Radamisto for the Apollo Opera Collective and Handel’s Messiah later this year. Rebecca will also perform Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Illawarra Choral Society conducted by Meryl-Jackson Kew OAM.

Samson Setu
Bass Baritone, 25, NZ
Samson is a bass baritone from New Zealand. In 2018 he was a Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist with the New Zealand Opera and this year he is the recipient of two scholarships with the New Zealand Opera; the Dame Sister Mary Leo Scholarship and the Sue and Guy Haddow Scholarship.
As a Dame Malvina Emerging Artist he performed in New Zealand Opera productions of Aida, Elixir, La Boheme and Tosca.
Samson has performed a number of Aria’s with the New Zealand Opera school including Non Piu Andrai, from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Vi Ravviso, from Bellini’s La Sonnambula and Aprite un po quell gli’occhi from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro.
- Winner - Manase Latu, TENOR, NZ
- Finalist - Bianca Bacchiella, SOPRANO, QLD
- Finalist - Josi Ann Ellem, SOPRANO, NSW
- Finalist - Rebecca Hart, MEZZO SOPRANO, NSW
- Finalist - Samson Setu, BASS BARITONE, NZ
- Winner - Zoe Drummond, SOPRANO, NSW
- Finalist - Cleo Lee-McGowan, SOPRANO, VIC
- Finalist - Katherine McIndoe, SOPRANO, UK
- Finalist - Pasquale Orchard, SOPRANO, NZ
- Finalist - Tristan Entwistle, BARITONE, NSW
- Winner - Filipe Manu, TENOR, NZ
- Finalist - Damian Arnold, TENOR, NSW
- Finalist - Daniel Carison, BARITONE, VIC
- Finalist - Paull-Anthony Keightley, BASS BARITONE, WA
- Finalist - Shikara Ringdahl, MEZZO SOPRANO, QLD
- Winner - Nicholas Tolputt, COUNTER TENOR, NSW
- Finalist - Morgan Balfour, SOPRANO, NSW
- Finalist - Eliza Boom, SOPRANO, NZ
- Finalist - Jarvis Dams, BARITONE, NZ
- Finalist - Sarah Wang, SOPRANO, NSW
- Winner - Maximilian Riebl, COUNTER TENOR, VIC
- Finalist - Damian Arnold, TENOR, NSW
- Finalist - Rebecca Gulinello, SOPRANO VIC
- Finalist - Jeremy Kleeman, BASS BARITONE, VIC
- Finalist - Benson Wilson, BARITONE, NZ
- Winner - Isabella Moore, SOPRANO, NZ
- Finalist - Kate Amos, SOPRANO, VIC
- Finalist - Samantha Clarke, SOPRANO, WA
- Finalist - Corrine Cowling, SOPRANO, WA
- Finalist - Anna Voshege, SOPRANO, VIC
- Winner - Jade Moffat, MEZZO SOPRANO, QLD
- Finalist - Hannah Dahenburg, SOPRANO. VIC
- Finalist - Alexander Knight, BARITONE, NSW
- Finalist - Edward Laurenson, BARITONE, NZ
- Finalist - Danita Weatherstone, SOPRANO, NSW
- Winner - Anna Dowsley, MEZZO SOPRANO,
- Finalist - Thomas Atkins, TENOR
- Finalist - Charlotte Betts-Dean, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Jeremy Kleeman, BASS BARITONE
- Finalist - Tabatha McFadyen, SOPRANO
- Winner - Emma Moore, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Naomi Johns, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Morgan Pearse, BASS BARITONE
- Finalist - Gérard Schneider, TENOR
- Finalist - Bryony Williams, SOPRANO
- Winner - Rachel Bate, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Kiandra Howarth, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Eleanor Lyons, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Ryan Sharp, BASS BARITONE
- Finalist - Kang Wang, TENOR
- Winner - Sam Roberts-Smith, BARITONE
- Finalist - Hadleigh Adams, BASS BARITONE
- Finalist - Jade Moffat, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Samuel Sakker, TENOR
- Finalist - Lachlan Scott, BASS
- Winner - Sitiveni Talei, BARITONE
- Finalist - Nicole Car, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Sky Ingram, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Michael Lampard, BARITONE
- Winner - Emily Blanch, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Natalie Aroyan, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Mary-Jean O'Doherty, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Helen Sherman, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Victoria Wallace, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Winner - Duncan Rock, BARITONE
- Finalist - Lauren Easton, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Andrew Finden, BARITONE
- Finalist - James Homann, BASS BARITONE
- Finalist - Michael Lampard, BARITONE
- Winner - Anita Watson, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Lucinda-Mirikata Deacon,SOPRANO
- Finalist - Mylinda Joyce, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Derek Welton, BARITONE
- Finalist - Carmen Young, SOPRANO
- Winner - Emma Pearson, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Andrew Goodwin, TENOR
- Finalist - Andrew Moran, BARITONE
- Finalist - Paul O'Neill, TENOR
- Finalist - Barbara Zavros, SOPRANO
- Winner - Jessica Pratt, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Tanith Bryce, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Mark Fowler, TENOR
- Finalist - David Hansen, COUNTER TENOR
- Finalist - Melinda van der Meulen, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Elena Xanthoudakis, SOPRANO
- Winner - Katharine Tier, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Brad Cooper, TENOR
- Finalist - Celeste Lazarenko, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Gilliam Ramm, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Caroline Wenborne, SOPRANO
- Winner - Rejieli Shepherd-Paulo, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Lorina Gore, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Alexander Lewis, BARITONE
- Finalist - Dominica Matthews, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Katrina Waters, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Winner - Rachelle Durkin, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Joshua Bloom, BARITONE
- Finalist - Martene Grimson, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Jocelyn Hickey, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Spencer Silby-Ainuutuimaseve, TENOR
- Winner - Janette Zilioli, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Adrian Dwyer, TENOR
- Finalist - Blake Fischer, BARITONE
- Finalist - Sally McHugh, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Melinda Parsons, SOPRANO
- Winner - Göknur Ray, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Caroline Chown, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Daniella Ehrlich, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Blake Fischer, BARITONE
- Finalist - Michael Smallwood, TENOR
- Winner - Alexandra Sherman, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Spencer Silby, BARITONE
- Finalist - Marija Stojakovic, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Rohan Thatcher, BARITONE
- Finalist - Leon Warnock, BARITONE
- Winner - Rebecca Nash, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Joshua Bloom, BARITONE
- Finalist - Leslie Flanagan, BARITONE
- Finalist - Shelli Gilhome, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Sarah Hills, SOPRANO
- Winner - Natalie Christie, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Leanne Kenneally, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Anthony Elek, TENOR
- Finalist - Katherine Rekaris, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Joslyn Rechter, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Winner - David Quah, TENOR
- Finalist - Anthony Elek, TENOR
- Finalist - Natalie Jones, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Emma Lysons, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Lisa Russell, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Anna Ryberg, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Winner - Amelia Farrugia, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Tobias Cole, COUNTER TENOR
- Finalist - Sarah Hills, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Sally-Anne Russell, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Christopher Saunders, TENOR
- Winner - Jason Barry-Smith, BARITONE
- Finalist - Angus Wood, BARITONE
- Finalist - Rodney Gilchrist, SOPRANIST
- Finalist - Lotte Latukefu, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Christopher Saunders, TENOR
- Winner - Stuart Skelton, TENOR
- Finalist - Richard Sims, BASS
- Finalist - Tiffany Speight, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Jeremy Vinogradov, BARITONE
- Winner - Christina Wilson, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Janelle Colquhoun, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Annabella Redman, SOPRANO
- Winner - Clare Gormley, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Helen Donaldson, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Maria Pollicina, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Linda Thompson, SOPRANO
- Winner - Joanna Cole, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Penelope Brister, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Clare Gormley, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Daniel Sumegi, BASS
- Winner - Paul Whelan, BASS
- Finalist - Bronwyn Clark, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Anne Fisch, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Michael Martin, BARITONE
- Finalist - Daniel Sumegi, BASS
- Winner - Fiona Janes, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Glenn Flavin, BASS
- Finalist - Sharon Prero, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Margaret Schindler, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Ian Vayne, BARITONE
- Winner - David Lemke, BARITONE
- Finalist - Julian Anderton, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Donna Balson, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Roxane Hislop, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Michael Howard, TENOR
- Finalist - San-Ky Kim, TENOR
- Winner - Miriam Gormley, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Pauline Dwyer, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Fiona Maconaghie, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Gregory Tomlinson, TENOR
- Winner - Jeffrey Black, BARITONE
- Finalist - John Antoniou, BARITONE
- Finalist - Louise Camens, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Miriam Gormley, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Min Ok Choi, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Deborah Riedel, MEZZO SOPRANO
- Finalist - Margaret Schindler, SOPRANO
- Winner - Nicola Waite, SOPRANO
- Finalist - Jeffrey Black, BARITONE
- Finalist - Christopher Bogg, TENOR
- Finalist - Lisa Gasteen, SOPRANO
- Finalist - David O'Keeffe, BARITONE
- Finalist - Min Ok Choi, SOPRANO