2025 Program
Wednesday 28 May – Sunday 8 June at Clayton Wesley Uniting Church
You can now download the 2025 Vocal Division Program, an overview of which is below.
Competitors are also encouraged to read our Tips for Vocal Division Competitors and our most recent Stardom Music Upload Instructions.
2025 Adjudicators
The Vocal Division is very excited to present our Adjudicators for this year’s competition.
Acclaimed classical Bass singer, Pelham Andrews, has performed for over 25 years with major opera companies and orchestras in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. He trained in the UK, Germany and Australia and has been a principal artist for Opera Australia, State Opera South Australia, Victorian Opera, English National Opera, Auckland Philharmonia, the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Queensland and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and numerous other ensembles. Known for his great versatility and character, Pelham’s performances range from the core operatic and concert repertoire, through to rare classical and early music works and contemporary compositions.
Recent performing highlights include Bass soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with the Zurich Ballet for Adelaide Festival, Banquo (Macbeth), Bartolo (Marriage of Figaro) and Judd/Bonner (Voss) for State Opera South Australia, Don Fernando (Fidelio) for Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Faure’s Requiem for Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. For Opera Australia Pelham’s previous roles include Timur (Turandot), Sparafucile (Rigoletto) and Lodovico (Otello). Pelham performed the Bass roles in the 2022 Premiere of Watershed – The Death of Dr Duncan, for the Adelaide Festival.
Greg Hart is Adelaide’s premier singing teacher covering a wide variety of styles. A professional performer with a wealth of experience and vocal knowledge. Greg has been singing and playing in bands since he was a child. Greg is a self-taught singer/guitar player and proud of it and believes this has made him a better teacher as he knows all the pitfalls. Greg has been teaching for over 35 years, comfortably teaching all styles with an emphasis on technique and fun! He started teaching in 1979 at home then with the WEA, later with the John Reynolds School of Music. He has also taught singing at Emanuel College, Walford School for Girls and St Peters College.
Greg is a working musician playing with local bands ‘Jus-Fa-Fun’, ‘The Beavers’, and ‘The Corner Pocket Big Band’. He is known around Adelaide for his high-energy shows and is one of Adelaide’s leading tribute artists. Greg also appears regularly in musical theatre productions and produces his own shows. He has worked on TV and radio, session work, and commercials.
2025 Dawn Wallace Award
First Prize $3,000
Second Prize $1,000
Finalists $100
In 2025 the Vocal Division’s major prize will be The Friends of State Opera SA Dawn Wallace Award. The Friends of State Opera SA have sponsored this award since 1982. Dawn Wallace was Secretary of the Friends of the State Opera for 23 years and a great supporter of classical singers of all ages.
This year’s Dawn Wallace Award Final will be held from 2:30pm on Sunday 8 June at Clayton Wesley Uniting Church.
We are incredibly grateful to The Friends of State Opera SA for their continued support of the Vocal Division and young/emerging singers.
The Friends of State Opera SA Dawn Wallace Award previous winners include:
| 2023: Callum McGing 2021: Victoria Coxhill 2019: Dione Baker 2017: Karina Bailey 2015: Sarah Jane Pattichis | 2013: Lisa Cannizzaro 2011: Naomi Hede 2009: Lachlan Scott 2007: Lauren Easton 2003: Pelham Andrews | 2001: Lisa Robinson 1999: Daniella Ruggiero 1997: Lindsey Day 1995: Teresa La Rocca 1993: Vanessa Benger |
2025 Syllabus
visit: www.stardom.com.au
The Arnold Matters Vocal Scholarship
Arnold Matters OAM was an Australian operatic baritone, teacher and producer whose career was made mostly in England during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He was born in Malvern, Adelaide, South Australia, and at first took up a position in the Public Service, but in his spare time pursued his interests in music and singing. In 1927 he won the Sun Aria Contest in Ballarat and began to attract attention, including that of Dame Nellie Melba. He went to London in 1929 and in 1932 was engaged by Sadler’s Wells where he spent eight years singing principal baritone roles. He returned to Australia in 1941 to join the Armed Forces and then spent the war in entertainment and welfare work. After the war he returned to Sadler’s Wells, becoming a mainstay of the company, before returning to Australia in the mid-1950s to begin teaching at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1985 for “service to music, particularly as an opera singer and teacher”.
Following the death of Arnold Matters OAM in 1990, the Adelaide Eisteddfod Development Fund Management Committee announced the creation of the Arnold Matters Vocal Scholarship Trust, inviting donations from the music community. To further support the Trust, a fundraising performance of Verdi’s Requiem was held in Elder Hall in May 1993.
Offered biennially since 1992, the Arnold Matters Vocal Scholarship is the Adelaide Eisteddfod Society’s most prestigious award, providing support to an individual who shows potential to pursue a professional vocal career; to assist their development through further education, mentoring and experience.
The Arnold Matters Vocal Scholarship previous winners include:
| 2024: Phoebe Paine 2022: James Emerson 2018: Alexandra Ioan 2016: Karina Bailey 2014: Sarah Jane Pattichis 2012: Ian Andrew | 2010: Robert MacFarlane 2008: Lauren Easton 2006: Patrick Lim 2004: Andrew Turner 2002: Maxine Montgomery 2000: Erika Tolano | 1998: Matthew Henrick 1996: Alison Farr 1994: Grant Doyle 1992: Vanessa Benger |
Vocal Division Convenor: Fiona McArdle
Vocal Division Assistant Convenor: Jemimah Lanyon