2024 Marianne Mathy Scholarship Winner

Eden Shifroni

The 2024 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition Finals Concert was held on 19 September at The Concourse Concert Hall.

Eden Shifroni was named the winner of the Marianne Mathy Scholarship after her stunning performances of Sul fil d’un soffio etesio from Verdi’s “Falstaff” and O luce di quest’anima from “Linda di Chamounix” by Donizetti. She was accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra conducted by Maestro Tahu Matheson.

At the 2024 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition Eden won:

The Marianne Mathy Scholarship ('THE MATHY')
AUD $30,000 to assist with a program of study and/or singing activity

Eden also received:
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 Portrait Prize: 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®).
5. The WinkiPop Media Prize: photographic prints of the winner at the Finals Concert.

As well as the Marianne Mathy Scholarship and the suite of accompanying prizes listed above, Eden also won
· 2MBS Fine Music Sydney Promotion Prize
$1,000 promotional credit with 2MBS Fine Music Sydney. Sponsored by 2MBS Fine Music Sydney.
· MOST® Audience Prize
Cash grant $500 from Music & Opera Singers Trust Ltd. (MOST®) awarded by audience vote. Sponsored by Music & Opera Singers Trust Ltd.

Congratulations to Our Other Prize Winners
Georgia Cooper

Georgia was awarded:
The Canadian Vocal Arts Institute (CVAI) Montreal Scholarship
The Zeke Solomon Award

Jake Lyle

Jake was awarded:
The Linnhe Robertson Prize
The Nell Pascall Award

Ariana Ricci

Ariana was awarded:
The Sherman Lowe Study Prize
The Pasqualina Lipari Prize

Molly Ryan

Molly was awarded:
The Merenda Legacy Prize






2024 Finalists

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






Georgia Cooper

Soprano, 24, NSW

Tasmanian Soprano, Georgia Cooper, is currently enrolled in the Masters of Opera Program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music studying voice with Maree Ryan AM.

Scholarships include: Peter Davidson, Chapple/ Bremner, Helpmann Family Fellowship and Patricia Lucas Music Scholarships. A recipient of the George and Margaret Henderson Traveller’s Scholarship, Georgia travelled to Manchester, Great Britain and Trentino, Italy for operatic performance development programs.

Roles include: Erste Dame, Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) with conductor Lochlan Brown, Fortuna, L’incoronazione di Poppea (Monteverdi/ Kats-Chernin) with conductor Stephen Mould, Principal Soprano, Triptico (Kats-Chernin), Cherubino, Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart), Silvia, Zanetto (Mascagni).

Concert repertoire as soloist include: The Creation (Haydn) with conductor Omid Mohebzadeh and Requiem (Fauré)

Georgia’s upcoming performances include Contessa from Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart) with conductor Craig Kier at the Prague Summer Nights Festival and soloist in Ein deutsches Requiem (Brahms) for the Illawarra Choral Society.

Jake Lyle

Baritone, 20, QLD

Queensland Baritone Jake Lyle is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Music (Performance) in Classical Voice at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University under the tutelage of Dr Margaret Schindler. During his studies at QCGU, Jake has received the Elizabeth Muir Undergraduate Memorial Award (2022) and the Nora Baird Memorial Fund Audition Bursary (2022).

Jake has performed extensively in the opera program at QCGU having recently played Tonio in I Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) and Taddeo in L’Italiana in Algeri (Rossini) as part of the Val Machin Opera Scenes. In 2023, Jake played Jupiter in scenes from Orpheus in the Underworld (Offenbach) in the context of Val Machin Opera Scenes and main stage opera, Underworld: An Operatic Journey to Hell and Back, with direction and conceptualisation by Michael Gow. In September, Jake will play Marco in Gianni Schicci (Puccini) in September 2024 at the Queensland Conservatorium.

Jake has also been selected to participate in the Lisa Gasteen National Opera Program later this year.

Ariana Ricci

Soprano, 22, NSW

Soprano Ariana Ricci completed her BMus (Performance) in 2023 from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she studied as a full scholarship student. She currently studies voice with Dr. Anke Hoeppner-Ryan. Recent awards include the Ted and Susan Meller Memorial Scholarship, the Demant Dreikurs Song Competition Audience Prize, and the Henderson Travellers Scholarship to attend the RNCM Winter School in 2023.

Ariana’s performed operatic roles include Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Le Feu (L’enfant et les sortileges), Nymph/Spring/First Woman (the Fairy Queen), and First Witch (Dido and Aeneas). Concert soloist credits include ‘Nelson Mass’ (Haydn), Messiah (Handel), Chamber Symphony (Isaacs), Exsultate Jubilate (Mozart), and Passion and Resurrection (Ešenvalds), for which she was the Soprano 1 soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra last year.

During her Bachelors, Ariana pursued a double major in voice and violin, and her previous teachers also included Dr. Rowena Cowley (voice), and Assoc.Prof. Goetz Richter (violin). Ariana will begin a Masters in Vocal Performance at the Royal College of Music in London later this year under full scholarship.

Molly Ryan

Soprano, 22, NSW

Soprano Molly Ryan is completing her Masters of Opera at the Sydney Conservatorium, studying with Maree Ryan AM. She has been the recipient of the Greenberg Gurney Jensen Fund, Helen Myers Scholarship, Florence Mary Verga-Smith Award, Henderson Travellers Scholarship, and first prize of the 2023 Demant Dreikurs Scholarship Competition. Molly’s roles include Theodora (Handel), Knusperhexe – Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck), Piacere – Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (Handel), La Princesse – L’enfant et les sortilèges (Ravel), Belinda and Second Witch – Dido and Aeneas (Purcell), Susanna – Il Segretto di Susanna (Wolf-Ferarri) and Maguelonne – Cendrillon (Viardot). In 2024, she debuts the world premieres of Mother – The Lullaby (Zhen) and Menarche (O’Donoghue), and Australian premiere of Mauxalinda – The Dragon of Wantley (Lampe). Concert repertoire includes Messiah (Handel), Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven), Krönungsmesse (Mozart), Missa in Angustiis (Haydn), Missa Cellensis (Haydn), Magnificat (Vivaldi), Requiem Op. 48 (Faure).

Eden Shifroni

Soprano, 24, NSW

Soprano Eden Shifroni holds a Bachelor of Music (Classical Performance) and a Master of Music Studies (Opera Performance) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Her notable roles include Pamina (The Magic Flute) at the Vienna Summer Music Festival, Musetta (La bohème) and Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica) at the Mediterranean Opera Festival in Sicily, and Poppea in the Sydney Conservatorium and NIDA production of The Coronation of Poppea. In December 2023, she created the role of Jess in Track Works; a new pastiche opera at Sydney’s Mortuary Station. Theatre Now wrote: “The operatic voices soar in this vaulted space. None more so than Eden Shifroni’s crystal clear soprano.”

Concert appearances include those with Willoughby Symphony Orchestra (Vaughan-Williams’ Benedicite) and North Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Eric Zeisl’s Requiem Ebraico). Eden is the recipient of the Dame Nellie Melba Scholarship, Patrick & Vivian Gordon Award and Ryman Healthcare Opera Scholarship with Melba Opera Trust. In 2023, she won the Tinkler and Andrea Catzel prizes at the Australian Singing Competition and in 2021 was named winner of the Demant Dreikurs Lieder Competition.











In 2020 as a response to the Covid-19 outbreak, Music & Opera Singers Trust Ltd. (MOST)established the online singing competition, ASC@Home, for singers over the age of 18 from around the world.
ASC@Home was run entirely online and supported stay-at-home measures in force around the world by requiring all entries to be recorded in a home environment by a solo singer. To help as many people to get involved as possible, and to provide no barrier for any talented singer to enter, there is no entry fee, nor any charge to vote in the Competition. Singers simply needed to fill out an entry form, record a video entry and share it on YouTube. All entries were judged by an internationally-renowned industry professional who chose the winner in their category. Cash prizes of USD$1,000 were awarded to first place winners in each of the four categories: Classical and Opera; Musical Theatre; Contemporary (Rock & Pop); and, Jazz. An additional $500USD went go to the winner of the audience-choice vote.











Previous Winners & Finalists
2020 - 2029
2023
  • Winner - Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono
  • Finalist - Michael Cadwgan
  • Finalist - Cassandra Doyle
  • Finalist - Ellena Hicks
  • Finalist - Yvette Keong
2022
  • Winner - Jeremy Boulton, BARITONE, NSW
  • Finalist - Kristin Astouroghlian, MEZZO SOPRANO, VIC
  • Finalist - Jake Bigwood, BASS, WA
  • Finalist - Billie Tumarkin, SOPRANO, VIC
  • Finalist - Younji Yi, SOPRANO, NSW
2021
  • Cancelled due to pandemic.
2020
  • Cancelled due to pandemic.
2010 - 2019
2019
  • 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
2018
  • 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
2017
  • 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
2016
  • 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
2015
  • 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
2014
  • 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
2013
  • 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
2012
  • Winner - Anna Dowsley, MEZZO SOPRANO,
  • Finalist - Thomas Atkins, TENOR
  • Finalist - Charlotte Betts-Dean, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Jeremy Kleeman, BASS BARITONE
  • Finalist - Tabatha McFadyen, SOPRANO
2011
  • Winner - Emma Moore, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Naomi Johns, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Morgan Pearse, BASS BARITONE
  • Finalist - Gérard Schneider, TENOR
  • Finalist - Bryony Williams, SOPRANO
2010
  • Winner - Rachel Bate, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Kiandra Howarth, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Eleanor Lyons, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Ryan Sharp, BASS BARITONE
  • Finalist - Kang Wang, TENOR
2000 - 2009
2009
  • Winner - Sam Roberts-Smith, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Hadleigh Adams, BASS BARITONE
  • Finalist - Jade Moffat, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Samuel Sakker, TENOR
  • Finalist - Lachlan Scott, BASS
2008
  • Winner - Sitiveni Talei, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Nicole Car, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Sky Ingram, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Michael Lampard, BARITONE
2007
  • Winner - Emily Blanch, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Natalie Aroyan, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Mary-Jean O'Doherty, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Helen Sherman, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Victoria Wallace, MEZZO SOPRANO
2006
  • Winner - Duncan Rock, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Lauren Easton, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Andrew Finden, BARITONE
  • Finalist - James Homann, BASS BARITONE
  • Finalist - Michael Lampard, BARITONE
2005
  • Winner - Anita Watson, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Lucinda-Mirikata Deacon,SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Mylinda Joyce, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Derek Welton, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Carmen Young, SOPRANO
2004
  • Winner - Emma Pearson, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Andrew Goodwin, TENOR
  • Finalist - Andrew Moran, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Paul O'Neill, TENOR
  • Finalist - Barbara Zavros, SOPRANO
2003
  • 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
2002
  • Winner - Katharine Tier, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Brad Cooper, TENOR
  • Finalist - Celeste Lazarenko, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Gilliam Ramm, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Caroline Wenborne, SOPRANO
2001
  • Winner - Rejieli Shepherd-Paulo, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Lorina Gore, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Alexander Lewis, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Dominica Matthews, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Katrina Waters, MEZZO SOPRANO
2000
  • Winner - Rachelle Durkin, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Joshua Bloom, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Martene Grimson, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Jocelyn Hickey, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Spencer Silby-Ainuutuimaseve, TENOR
1990 - 1999
1999
  • Winner - Janette Zilioli, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Adrian Dwyer, TENOR
  • Finalist - Blake Fischer, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Sally McHugh, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Melinda Parsons, SOPRANO
1998
  • Winner - Göknur Ray, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Caroline Chown, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Daniella Ehrlich, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Blake Fischer, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Michael Smallwood, TENOR
1997
  • Winner - Alexandra Sherman, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Spencer Silby, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Marija Stojakovic, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Rohan Thatcher, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Leon Warnock, BARITONE
1996
  • Winner - Rebecca Nash, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Joshua Bloom, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Leslie Flanagan, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Shelli Gilhome, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Sarah Hills, SOPRANO
1995
  • Winner - Natalie Christie, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Leanne Kenneally, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Anthony Elek, TENOR
  • Finalist - Katherine Rekaris, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Joslyn Rechter, MEZZO SOPRANO
1994
  • 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
1993
  • Winner - Amelia Farrugia, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Tobias Cole, COUNTER TENOR
  • Finalist - Sarah Hills, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Sally-Anne Russell, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Christopher Saunders, TENOR
1992
  • Winner - Jason Barry-Smith, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Angus Wood, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Rodney Gilchrist, SOPRANIST
  • Finalist - Lotte Latukefu, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Christopher Saunders, TENOR
1991
  • Winner - Stuart Skelton, TENOR
  • Finalist - Richard Sims, BASS
  • Finalist - Tiffany Speight, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Jeremy Vinogradov, BARITONE
1990
  • Winner - Christina Wilson, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Janelle Colquhoun, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Annabella Redman, SOPRANO
1982 - 1989
1989
  • Winner - Clare Gormley, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Helen Donaldson, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Maria Pollicina, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Linda Thompson, SOPRANO
1988
  • Winner - Joanna Cole, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Penelope Brister, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Clare Gormley, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Daniel Sumegi, BASS
1987
  • Winner - Paul Whelan, BASS
  • Finalist - Bronwyn Clark, MEZZO SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Anne Fisch, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Michael Martin, BARITONE
  • Finalist - Daniel Sumegi, BASS
1986
  • Winner - Fiona Janes, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Glenn Flavin, BASS
  • Finalist - Sharon Prero, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Margaret Schindler, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Ian Vayne, BARITONE
1985
  • 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
1984
  • Winner - Miriam Gormley, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Pauline Dwyer, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Fiona Maconaghie, SOPRANO
  • Finalist - Gregory Tomlinson, TENOR
1983
  • 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
1982
  • 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