A New Zealand-born Samoan soprano has won the Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto award in Sydney - the first big win for the singer.
Marlena Devoe won singing Depuis Le Jour by Charpentier and a Bel Canto piece, Ah Non Credea Mirarti by Bellini. The Aucklander hopes the win will help build her career as an opera singer.
The 27-year-old will use the A$30,000 ($33,000) prize money to travel overseas for auditions and plans to try out for the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme in November in London so she can become a member of the Royal Opera for two years. Her dream is to perform at Covent Garden.
The second part of the prize is attending the Solti Accademia in Tuscany, Italy, next year, valued at A$12,000.
Devoe said the highlight of the awards was performing for conductor Richard Bonynge, who was one of the judges. It was her second attempt at winning the competition after placing second last year.
