Sarah Prestwidge is a young aboriginal Australian Soprano, studying a Master of Music at the Royal Northern College of Music, with a full ABRSM scholarship. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Education) from Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she was awarded numerous awards for her excellence. Sarah is also the recipient of the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship from the Australian Council for the Arts and is a Tait Memorial Trust Awardee (White/Loewenthal Award). As the recipient of the 2022 Lady Galleghan London Award from The Opera Foundation for young Australians, Sarah joined the chorus of Opera Holland Park and will work with coaches from Diva Opera and ROH Covent Garden Sarah’s operatic highlights include, Arsena in The Gypsy Baron, Purran-Murnin in Buckley (Premier), Madam Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, and Barbarina in Le Nozze Di Figaro. She was also looking forward to performing the roles of Josephine in H.M.S Pinafore and Tytania in Midsummer Night’s Dream throughout 2020. Since moving to the United Kingdom Sarah has performed Mrs. Paskova/Chocholka in The Cunning Little Vixen, Controller in Flight, The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Adele in Die Fledermaus and Zerbinetta in Ariadne Auf Naxos. She also performed Mrs. Anderssen/Nordstrom in A Little Night Music at Buxton Opera where she was a Young Artist this year. In her final term at RNCM sarah performed Susanna in Le Nozze Di Figaro, Sophie in an extended scene of Der Rosenkavalier joined the chorus of Madama Butterfly for the Hallé Orchestra’s season finale. Sarah has sung in orchestral works including, Orff’s Carmina Burana as a soprano soloist and Cheetham’s Eumeralla. She has also performed extensively for corporate events such as, Merivale Sydney, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Holland America Line, International Towers Sydney, the Australian Rural Fire Brigade and those at the Utzon Room of Sydney Opera House. Over the years, Sarah has been mentored by Deborah Cheetham at Short Black Opera, where she has worked as a Soprano and Music educator. From 2018 to 2020, she was also a Young Artist in Pacific Opera, during which time she was awarded a Prue Kennard study grant. In 2019, Sarah studied in an intensive program with Bel Canto Opera, Munich, which was generously sponsored by the Wagner Society NSW. Since moving to the United Kingdom, Sarah has enjoyed working at Buxton Opera as a Young Artist and being involved in workshops with Opera North and British Youth Opera, of which she successfully auditioned for. Additionally, Sarah is a trained classroom Music teacher with proficient/qualified teacher status and an experienced singing teacher.
Press Quotes