MELBA OPERA TRUST
Melba Opera Trust is Australia’s premier scholarship program for promising young opera singers. Driven by Dame Nellie Melba’s conviction “a beautiful voice is not enough”, the program nurtures artistic development alongside business training, mentoring and performance experience. We are the next step for singers preparing to become professionals on the world stage.
OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Our unique national scholarship program is divided into three complementary parts – Artistic Development, our Mentor Program and our Melba Artists Performance Program. By offering these three levels of support, we encourage a rounded development program with a focus on excellence and a view to developing polished young professionals who will stand out in a competitive industry.
ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT
We focus on the need for singers to mature at the right pace. Funding supports frequent and intense vocal coaching for our scholars, resulting in significant improvement.
MENTOR PROGRAM
Our scholars participate in workshops, seminars and individual consultations conducted by a variety of local and international industry experts.
MELBA ARTISTS
Opportunities to perform are sourced for our scholars through our Melba Artists Performance Program, including private dinner parties, corporate events and more.
APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP
Our scholarship application period is from 1st September – 30th September annually. We seek the most exceptional talent from a national pool of candidates, so planning ahead to prepare your application is encouraged. Learn about our:
- Application Requirements
- Audition Process
- Eligibility Criteria
NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS
Congratulations to our scholars and alumni!
Our talented scholars and alumni are always pursuing excellence in their craft, so we are delighted to report some exciting results from the competition and
La Bohème ‘sparkles’ for De Bortoli
At the beginning of April, our friends at De Bortoli Wines launched a new addition to their La Boheme range, a cuvée blanc NV. Melba
A Sydney ‘debut’ for the Mentor Program
Our second Mentor Block this year was held for the first time in Sydney, much to the delight of our Sydney-based scholars: "It was really
Making Mentoring Possible: the Reilly & Logie-Smith Mentor Endowment
If we continue the adage, it can be said that our village chief for over a decade has been Rob Logie-Smith AM, recently retired Chair.