current young artists

Gosh Sargsyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia. Since 2014, he has studied with Gegham Grigoryan at the Yerevan State Music Conservatory. He has appeared in concerts and productions at the Opera and Ballet Theatre of Armenia since 2015. From 2016 to 2020, he was a member of the Young Artist Opera Program of Armenia. His most recent theatre role was as Dulcamara in "L'elisir d'Amore". Additionally, he won the international competition “SOI Fiorenza Cedolins” in 2023 and was a finalist in the "Ottavio Zino" competition (2022) in Rome and the "Eleonor McCollum" competition (2023) in Houston.

Roman Mamalimov (Tenor) hails from Ufa in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Currently, he is a soloist in the ensemble of the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theater. Previously, he studied at the Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. He has performed roles including Lensky in Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin", Don Ottavio in Mozart's "Don Giovanni", and the Teapot in Ravel's "L'enfant et les sortilèges".

Australian baritone Oliver Heuzenroeder is currently based in London, studying at the Royal Academy of Music with Prof. Mark Wildman and Raymond Connell. He is a member of the Academy’s prestigious Song Circle and is supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. Prior to moving abroad, Oliver completed a Bachelor of Music (Honours I) and a Postgraduate Certificate at the Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane. Last year, he continued his training as an artist with the esteemed Melba Opera Trust, supported by the Annie McFarling and Ryman Healthcare Opera Scholarships. Previous roles and scenes include Claudio (Béatrice et Bénédict), Marcello (La Bohème Scenes), Il Conte (Le nozze di Figaro Scenes), Strephon (Iolanthe), and Il Guillare (Francesca da Rimini Scenes). He has participated in a Masterclass Series with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, as well as masterclasses with Yvonne Kenny AM and Jessica Pratt. Awards Oliver has received include the Betne McCaughan Memorial Scholarship, Joyce Campbell-Lloyd Scholarship, and the Savage Club Scholarship. Last year, he reached the semi-finals of the Sydney Opera Prize, was awarded second place in the Australian Concerto and Vocal Open Competition, and first place in the Vocal Section.

Mezzo-soprano Clover Kayne is currently undergoing training at the esteemed Royal Academy Opera Studio under the tutelage of Kate Paterson and Jonathan Papp. Her musical journey has been graciously supported by the Carr-Gregory Award, the Hannah Horowitz Award, and the Opera Awards Foundation. Born in London and raised near Bath, Clover embraced opera despite coming from a non-musical family. Her dedication and talent led her to graduate with First Class Honours from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Subsequently, she attained her Master’s degree with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music, earning prestigious accolades such as the Charles Norman Prize for two consecutive years.

Clover has portrayed a diverse array of roles, including the title role in Handel’s "Ariodante," the Fox in "The Cunning Little Vixen," and Anna in Kurt Weill’s "The Seven Deadly Sins." She has participated in masterclasses with renowned artists such as Edith Wiens, Angelika Kirchschlager, Ailish Tynan, and Mary Bevan. Noteworthy performances with RAO include portraying Florence Pike in Britten’s "Albert Herring" and various roles in opera scenes like Annio in "La Clemenza di Tito" and Octavian in "Der Rosenkavalier."

This autumn, she is set to perform as Hänsel in “Hänsel und Gretel,” adding another milestone to her growing repertoire.

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Dublin-born mezzo-soprano Aebh Kelly is a graduate of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where she achieved a first-class honours degree in vocal performance. While still an undergraduate, she reached the final round of the international singing competition Neue Stimmen.

Aebh has collaborated closely with Irish National Opera and has been featured in a variety of productions, including the internationally acclaimed "20 Shots of Opera" and Amanda Feery’s premiere of "A Thing I Cannot Name." More recently, she returned to Irish National Opera and made her role debut as Flora in Verdi’s "La Traviata."

In 2021, Aebh moved to Florence as a Mascarade Emerging Artist, where she performed numerous roles including extracts from Rossini’s "Il barbiere di Siviglia" and "La Cenerentola" at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, portrayed Popova in Walton’s "The Bear" at the Lerici Music Festival, and made her German debut as Olga in Tchaikovsky’s "Eugene Onegin" at Theater und Orchester Heidelberg. It was also during her studies in Italy that Aebh was awarded second prize at the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition.

Later this summer, Aebh will make her debut as Dido in Purcell’s "Dido and Aeneas" at the Kammeroper Festival in Berlin in collaboration with Opera Collective Ireland. Starting from September 2024, Aebh will be based in Hamburg as a member of the International Opera Studio at the Staatsoper Hamburg.

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Ana Oniani, a 21-year-old soprano born in Tbilisi, Georgia, began her musical journey at the Tbilisi Central Music School, initially studying conducting. She achieved First Prize and Grand Prix at the 2023 VIII Republican Contest of Musicians-Performers. At the Opera Studio of the Tbilisi Conservatoire, she performed the roles of La Contessa (Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro”), Mimi (Puccini’s “La Boheme”), and Pamina (Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”). Currently, she is studying at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire under the guidance of Georgian soprano Tamar Iveri.

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With musical roots in Paris, Franco-Scottish soprano Clara Orif sings with Royal Academy Opera in London. She is the winner of the Academy’s Richard Lewis / Jean Shanks Award and was a runner-up in its Pavarotti Prize. Clara was also a semi-finalist in the 2023 Marmande International Singing Competition. Her operatic performances include the roles of Barbarina, Fannì in Rossini’s "La Cambiale di Matrimonio," and Ginevra in Handel’s "Ariodante." Clara was engaged by English Touring Opera for their Handelfest productions of "Tamerlano" and "Agrippina."

On the concert stage, Clara has appeared with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and regularly performs with pianist James Cheung. She is an Oxford Song Young Artist, supported by the London Women’s Clinic Foundation and the Countess of Munster Award. Clara made her Wigmore Hall debut in 2024.

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Having graduated from St John’s College, Cambridge, and the Royal College of Music, British tenor Xavier Hetherington continued his studies as a young artist at Mascarade Opera Studio (MOS) in Florence, Italy. His recent and upcoming engagements include Prologue/Peter Quint in "The Turn of the Screw" (Deborah Warner Season at the Ustinov Studio, Bath); Don José in "Carmen" (Waterperry Opera Festival); Scrofulous/Toady/Seer/Saul in a new Purcell/Pountney project "Masque of Might"; Shepherd and cover Orpheus (Monteverdi) and Mini Vixen (all with Opera North); Soldato 1/Valletto/Mercurio/Famiglari 3/Littore/Consoli in "L'Incoronazione di Poppea" with Harry Bicket and The English Concert Orchestra (Auditorio Nacional, Madrid, and Palau de la Musica, Barcelona); Ahasuerus in Handel's "Esther" with Solomon's Knot (Wigmore Hall, Halle Händel-Festspiele, and Musikfestspiele Saar); Mozart's Requiem (Wurzburg Mozart Festival); Tenor solo in Singalong Messiah (Reisopera); Lieutenant Kotler in the World Premiere of "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" (Echo Ensemble); Verdi’s Requiem (Royal Albert Hall); concerts with Opera Prelude and the Royal Philharmonic Society; Lensky in "Eugene Onegin"; Tebaldo in "I Capuleti e i Montecchi"; and Don Ramiro in "La Cenerentola" in a scenes showcase at La Fenice.

Xavier studies with James Platt and receives generous support from the King-Farlow Trust.

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Rebecca Gulinello is a dual citizen of Italian and Australian heritage. She was a recipient of the Amelia Joscelyne Memorial Scholarship with the Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust in 2013 and 2014. Since then, Rebecca has achieved numerous accolades across Australia and around the world, having performed with Australia’s most notable orchestras and opera companies.

Rebecca completed her postgraduate degree in Opera at the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, where she won her first singing competition. It was in Philadelphia where she performed her first Russian opera and discovered a fondness for the Russian language. She made her Opera Australia debut as Micäela in "Carmen" in 2022 and her Sydney Opera House debut as Mimì in "La Bohème" in 2023.

In 2023, Rebecca was not only the winner but also the recipient of the audience choice award for the Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award. She will be moving to Rome, Italy, in 2024 to continue her music career in opera. Rebecca is a proud Rotarian, having been sponsored on numerous occasions by Rotary International Clubs. She is also the official ambassador of The Isole Eolie Society in Melbourne, which is the official club for the large community of Aeolians residing in Melbourne.

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Eva Rae Martinez is a Colombian-American soprano currently pursuing her Master’s degree at the Yale School of Music. Most recently, Eva performed as Anne Trulove in "The Rake’s Progress," Nella in "Gianni Schicchi," and scenes from "La bohème" (Mimí), "Dialogues des Carmélites" (Blanche), and "Le nozze di Figaro" (Contessa) with Yale Opera. During her undergraduate studies at Manhattan School of Music, Eva portrayed Poppea in "L'incoronazione di Poppea" and performed scenes from "I puritani" (Elvira), "L'elisir d'amore" (Adina), and "Pelléas et Mélisande" (Mélisande).

Eva spent this past summer as a vocal fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center under the direction of Dawn Upshaw. There, she performed as the soprano soloist in Mahler's Fourth Symphony conducted by Andris Nelsons and was featured as a soloist in recitals. Additionally, she was a vocal fellow at Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artists’ Vocal Academy in May 2023.

Eva's upcoming engagements include participating as a vocal fellow at the Ravinia Festival, performing as soprano soloist in Handel’s "Messiah" with the Chattanooga Symphony, and as soprano soloist in Orff’s "Carmina Burana" at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of New York.

Eva is a recipient of the New England Region Encouragement Award in the 2023 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Laffont Competition), the 2023 Richard F. Gold Career Grant, and was a finalist in the 2023 Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition. She was also a finalist in the National YoungArts Competition.

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Chinese tenor Jin Yu is a first-year Graduate Diploma student at The Juilliard School, studying under William Burden. Mr. Yu earned his master's degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he performed the roles of Silvio in Soler’s "L'arbore di Diana," Belmonte in "Die Entführung aus dem Serail," Tonio in "La fille du régiment," Pong in "Turandot," Basilio in "Le Nozze di Figaro," Lindoro in "L’Italiana in Algeri," and Tamino in "Die Zauberflöte," which he also performed at the Xi’an Conservatory of Music.

Mr. Yu has achieved great success in the competition circuit, recently winning the Metropolitan Opera Boston district, first prize in the Korea Chunchuan International Vocal Competition, the Wei Nian International Vocal Music Competition, the Singapore Fresh Culture and Arts Festival, and the Xi'an Conservatory of Music Chinese Works Competition.

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