Wexford-native Kelli-Ann Masterson and Omagh's tenor Andrew Masterson have been announced as the winners of the 'Emerging Young Artist' bursary.
The award is run by Wexford Festival Opera and PWC and is based on the initiative that the bursary will support the young artists in furthering their careers.
This year will be Kelli-Ann's first time to perform at the festival and she will be appearing in two of the main evening operas:
Don Quichotte and Dorilla in Tempe as well as sing the principal role of Le Fée (Fairy Godmother) in the daytime Short-work production of Cendrillon (Cinderella).
Tenor Andrew Masterson, a native of Omagh but based in Manchester will return to Wexford for the second year running to perform in all three main evening operas, Don Quichotte, Dorilla in Tempe and Adina.
Wexford Festival Opera Artistic Director, David Agler, said of the two singers, “Since its inception, people have come to Wexford in the hopes of discovering a new ‘rising star’. Over the years, audiences have had many opportunities to say, ‘I heard them in Wexford first’. We are delighted to partner with PwC in supporting young, Irish talent. It is my honour to award these two very promising young singers who are making a great contribution to the 2019 Wexford Festival company.”
Jean Delaney, Tax Partner, PwC, said, “Having the right skills is critical for success and PwC has a strong history of championing talent development. With great talent and wonderful productions, Wexford Festival Opera plays a central role in bringing business people and the world of the arts together. We are proud to continue to partner with Wexford Festival Opera on this exciting initiative.”
Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.wexfordopera.com or by calling the box-office on +353 (0)53 912 2144 Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Full programme available on www.wexfordopera.com
