The Academy was well represented at the 61st edition of the renowned international singing competition, Concours Tenor Viñas, in Barcelona this month. Bass-baritone Ossian Huskinson, who graduated from RAO in 2021, took home both Fifth Prize and The Mozart Prize, while current RAO baritone Alex Ilvahin was awarded the 'Friends of Liceu Opera' prize. Alex will also be joining the opera studio of the Vienna State Opera next season for two years.

We are pleased to share that recent Vocal Studies graduate, soprano Kathleen Nic Dhiarmada, and current RAO tenor George Curnow have been named Glyndebourne Jerwood Young Artists for this year's festival. Fellow RAO students bass Duncan Stenhouse and tenor Henry Ross have also been given places on prestigious young artist programmes, with Duncan joining the Canadian Opera Company’s Young Artist Ensemble Studio and Henry joining the opera studio of Deutsche Opera am Rhein in Düsseldorf next season.

We are very excited that recent RAO graduate Hovhannes Karapetyan will join the ensemble of Wiesbaden Opera from September 2024, and Vocal Studies graduate Nina Kobe will make her professional theatrical debut as Maria in West Side Story with Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour this March.