Emerging Artists 2011-12

Our Emerging Artists programme gives three young singers the opportunity of a lifetime – a year of full-time work with the Company to help them launch their careers.

Run in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the programme offers graduate singers a wide range of opportunities over the year. Designed to build performance experience, the singers have the chance to perform or understudy principal roles, as well as taking vocal coaching, acting, movement and language sessions, and gaining professional guidance on working in the industry.

‘It is the most perfect job I could think of at this stage in my career. I can’t think of many other peers who have such a fantastic opportunity coming straight out of a conservatoire.’ Marie Claire Breen, Emerging Artist 2010/11 and 2011/12

This year’s Emerging Artists are:

Marie Claire Breen
Ross McInroy (The Robertson Scholarship Trust Emerging Artist)
Shuna Scott Sendall (John Mather Charitable Trust Emerging Artist)

Marie Claire Breen
Marie Claire Breen, from Saltcoats is a recent graduate of the Alexander Gibson Opera School and became a Scottish Opera Emerging Artist in 2010/11. Marie Claire played the role of First Bridesmaid in The Marriage of Figaro as part of the Opera highlights 2011 tour and will play the page in the main stage of production of Rigoletto in May/June 2011.

She recently performed Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with Donald Runnicles and the BBC SSO at the BBC Proms, and in 2009 appeared in St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s annual River Concert Series, where she performed with trumpet virtuoso John Wallace and other internationally acclaimed trumpeters.

Marie Claire’s contract as an Emerging Artist has been extended and she will continue with the Company until June 2012.

Ross McInroy
Scottish Bass Ross McInroy from Arbroath, studies privately with Peter Savidge and is a young artist at the National Opera Studio.

Ross graduated from the Royal College of Music International Opera School (Artist Diploma in Opera) and the Royal Academy of Music (DipRAM Opera distinction award) where he was awarded the Dorothy Pattinson Prize and Adah Rogalsky Scholarship. He began his studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where he gained his BMusHons and was awarded the Governors Recital Prize, Linn Choir Prize for Scots song and Mary D Quant Scholarship.

As a choral scholar at Paisley Abbey he sang as principal bass. In 2009/10 Ross was a member of English National Opera's "Opera Works" programme.

Operatic roles include Colatinus in Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, Bartolo in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro (conducted by Sir Colin Davis), Gremin in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and Sarastro in Mozart's Die Zauberflote.

Ross has previously received support from the Friends of Covent Garden, Scottish Opera Endowment trust, the Robertson Scholarship Trust and Dewar Arts Awards.

Shuna Scott Sendall – The John Mather Charitable Trust Emerging Artist
Scottish soprano Shuna Scott Sendall graduated from the Alexander Gibson Opera School at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she studied with Jane Irwin and Patricia Macmahon.

She has won many prizes, most recently the inaugural BBC Radio 2 Kiri Prize, as well as the Great Elm Vocal Awards, the 2004 Scottish Wagner Society's Bayreuth Scholarship, and a scholarship to the Lake Placid Institute International Vocal Seminar (New York). She is also a Samling scholar and a Crear Scholar.

Her many and varied concert appearances have included; Mozart C-Minor Mass and Requiem, Verdi Requiem, Beethoven 9, Bach St John Passion, Berlioz Nuits D'ete, Barber Knoxville Summer of 1915, Handel Messiah, Rutter Magnificat, Wagner Wesendonck Lieder and performances throughout Britain with her chamber groups 'écoute' and 'éisd'.

Shuna has previously worked with Opera on a Shoestring, Scottish Opera Chorus, WNO Chorus, RSNO and Mid Wales Opera.

You can become an Emerging Artists Benefactor and directly support the talent of the future. If you’re interested in supporting this invaluable programme, contact the Fundraising and Sponsorship team on 0141 242 0593 for details.

Supported by the Scottish Opera Endowment Trust, the John Mather Charitable Trust and The Robertson Scholarship Trust.