Lady Galleghan London Award

Nicholas Gedded – Baritone –  (from New South Wales)

Sydney based Baritone, Nicholas Geddes was an artist with Pacific Opera where he studied and performed the roles in the Baritone repertoire such as: Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Tarquinius in the Rape of Lucretia, Figaro in the Marriage of Figaro and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. Nicholas has also sung ensemble roles in Don Giovanni, La Clamenza di Tito, Fidelio, L’elisir D’amore, Dido and Aneas, and La traviata. Also, Nicholas had the privilege of premiering the role of Kale, in the performance of Chop Chef, an Australian Opera. He has also featured in Boojum! performing with the State Opera of South Australia.

This Award is valued at $20,000 and has been made possible by the generosity of the late Lady Galleghan OBE.

Lyla Levy-Jordan – Mezzo – Soprano –  (from New South Wales and currently based in Berlin & London)

Australian-French Lyla Levy-Jordan is currently based between Berlin and London. Lyla is a recent graduate of the Artist Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  Levy-Jordan’s repertoire spans from baroque to contemporary music. At the Guildhall she appeared as Cornelia Handel’s Giulio Cesare,the title role The Rape of Lucretia, as Dritte Dame Die Zauberflöte and Mrs Tracey The Voice of Ariadne. Other operatic engagements include Annio La clemenza di Tito for Pacific Opera, Marcellina Le Nozze di Figaro with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and the World Premiere as Fairy (cover) The Selfish Giant with Victorian Opera. Lyla has appeared at the Pierre Boulez Saal, Melbourne Recital Centre and City Recital Hall (Sydney). Further concert activities have taken her to the Barbican Hall with the LSO and under the direction of Sir Antonio Pappano Il Prigioniero. Throughout the 2022/2023 Season, Lyla was a member of the Liedakademie Heidelberger Frühling Liedzentrum. Recent Awards include Winner of the Chartered Surveyors Vocal Prize (Guildhall) and 2^nd Prize in The Great Romantics Competition (Melbourne Recital Centre). Lyla is generously supported by Help Musicians UK, The Ian Potter Cultural Trust and The Hazell Scholarship Fund.

This Award is valued at $20,000 and has been made possible by the generosity of the late Lady Galleghan OBE.

Chloe Harris – Mezzo – Soprano – (originally from Victoria and currently based in London)

Mezzo-soprano Chloe Harris is a graduate of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. She received a DipRAM for an outstanding performance in her final Masters’ recital and is now in her first year at Royal Academy Opera. She is supported by the Anson Charitable Trust, Australian Music Foundation, Tait Memorial Trust and Ian Potter Cultural Trust. Opera roles include Baba the Turk (The Rake’s Progress), Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro), Clarina (La cambiale di matrimonio), Nancy (Albert Herring), Public Opinion (Orphée aux enfers), and Second Fairy in the world premiere of The Selfish Giant with Victorian Opera. Other roles in operas and scenes include Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Idamante (Idomeneo), Olga (Eugene Onegin), Charlotte (Werther) and Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

Sarah Prestwidge – Soprano – NSW

Sarah Prestwidge is a young aboriginal Australian Soprano, studying a Master of Music at the Royal Northern College of Music, with a full ABRSM scholarship. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Education) from Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she was awarded numerous awards for her excellence. Sarah is also the recipient of the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship from the Australian Council for the Arts and is a Tait Memorial Trust Awardee (White/Loewenthal Award). Sarah’s operatic highlights include, Susanna in Le Nozze Di Figaro, Mrs. Paskova/Chocholka in The Cunning Little Vixen, Controller in Flight, The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Zerbinetta in Ariadne Auf Naxos, Arsena in The Gypsy Baron, Purran-Murnin in Buckley (Premier), Madam Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, and Barbarina in Le Nozze Di Figaro. She was also looking forward to performing the roles of Josephine in H.M.S Pinafore and Tytania in Midsummer Night’s Dream throughout 2020. Currently in her final term at RNCM, Sarah is preparing to sing Sophie in an extended scene of Der Rosenkavalier and is looking forward to joining the chorus of Madama Butterfly for the Hallé Orchestra’s season finale. Over the years, Sarah has been mentored by Deborah Cheetham at Short Black Opera, where she has worked as a Soprano and Music educator. From 2018 to 2020, she was also a Young Artist in Pacific Opera, during which time she was awarded a Prue Kennard study grant. In 2019, Sarah studied in an intensive program with Bel Canto Opera, Munich, which was generously sponsored by The Wagner Society NSW. Since moving to the United Kingdom, Sarah has enjoyed working at Buxton Opera as a Young Artist, where she performed Mrs. Nordstrom in A Little Night Music, as well as being involved in programs with Opera North and British Youth Opera.

This Award is valued at $15,000 and has been made possible by the generosity of the late Lady Galleghan OBE.

Sarah will join the Chorus at Opera Holland Park for the 2nd Season of 2022, opportunity to Audition / Consultation with Diva Opera, Tait Memorial Trust performance opportunities where practical and Coachings with other industry professionals.

Phillip Costovski – Tenor – NSW

Phillip Costovski is an Australian tenor based in London, completing his Master of Arts at the Royal Academy of Music, supported by the Joyce Campbell Lloyd Scholarship for overseas study. As a graduate of Queensland Conservatorium, he received the Griffith Award for Academic Achievement and the Sir Mostyn Hanger Opera Prize for his studies. Phillip’s operatic roles include Count Belfiore (La finta giardiniera), Bénédict (Béatrice et Bénédict), Mayor Upfold (Albert Herring), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Le roi Ouf (L’Étoile), Basilio (Le nozze di Figaro) and in 2018 premiered the role of Henry in Paul Dean’s new opera Dry River Run. He performs regularly as a concert soloist in works including Messiah (Handel), Requiem in D (Mozart), Mass in C (Beethoven) and the Magnificat in D (Bach). In October, he debuted at Wigmore Hall in their ‘Steven Isserlis and friends’ recital in the vocal ensemble.
Phillip Costovski is an Australian tenor based in London, completing his Master of Arts at the Royal Academy of Music, supported by the Joyce Campbell Lloyd Scholarship for overseas study. As a graduate of Queensland Conservatorium, he received the Griffith Award for Academic Achievement and the Sir Mostyn Hanger Opera Prize for his studies. Phillip’s operatic roles include Count Belfiore (La finta giardiniera), Bénédict (Béatrice et Bénédict), Mayor Upfold (Albert Herring), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Le roi Ouf (L’Étoile), Basilio (Le nozze di Figaro) and in 2018 premiered the role of Henry in Paul Dean’s new opera Dry River Run. He performs regularly as a concert soloist in works including Messiah (Handel), Requiem in D (Mozart), Mass in C (Beethoven) and the Magnificat in D (Bach). In October, he debuted at Wigmore Hall in their ‘Steven Isserlis and friends’ recital in the vocal ensemble..