Kathleen Ferrier Awards 2019 sees Guildhall singers among the prize winners

Kathleen Ferrier Awards 2019 sees Guildhall singers among the prize winners

performers stood within audience chairs smiling at camera

Congratulations to Guildhall singers Benson Wilson, who won First Prize, and Ema Nikolovska, who won the Ferrier Loveday Song Prize, at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards 2019 held at Wigmore Hall on Friday 26 April.

Wilson (Baritone, Guildhall Artist Masters Vocal Studies & Opera Studies 2018, currently on Advanced Certificate Opera Studies, student of Robert Dean) performed a programme which included operatic arias by Wagner and Verdi as well as songs by Butterworth and Tchaikovsky, accompanied by Lucy Colquhoun. He will take part in the Salzburg Festival Young Singers Project this summer and joins the National Opera Studio Young Artist Programme in September.

Nikolovska (Mezzo-soprano, Guildhall Artist Masters Vocal Studies and now Guildhall Artist Masters Opera Studies, student of Rudolf Piernay) was awarded the Loveday Song Prize for her performance of Twilight by Medtner and accompanied by Guildhall pianist Gary Beecher (Guildhall Artist Masters Piano Accompaniment). She will next perform in the final of the Gold Medal on Friday 10 May in the Barbican Hall, and give a recital at Wigmore Hall on 18 May as the winner of the Guildhall Wigmore Recital Prize.

Also among this year’s finalists was bass-baritone Adam Maxey, a Guildhall alumnus (BMus Vocal Studies 2017) who rejoins the School on the Opera Course in September.

Benson and Ema’s wins continue Guildhall’s latest run of success at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, with William Thomas (First Prize 2018) and Michael Pandya (Help Musicians UK Accompanist’s Prize 2018), James Way (Second Prize 2017), James Newby and Alessandro Fisher (Joint First Prize 2016), Bianca Andrew (Ferrier Loveday Song Prize 2016) and Ashok Gupta (Help Musicians UK Accompanist’s Prize 2016).

Previous winners include Guildhall alumni and staff Ruby Philogene, Yvonne Kenny, Janice Watson, Sir Bryn Terfel, Sally Matthews and Kate Royal.

The Jury for the 2019 competition was chaired by Graham Johnson OBE, who was joined by James Bowman CBE, Richard Jackson, Ann Murray DBE and Mary Plazas.