The Chilcott Award is specifically designed to enable advanced training or career development. Duncan will use his award to fund singing lessons with Robert Dean over the next two years, language tuition in French and German, for audition and travel related expenses and for further study of repertoire that crosses between opera and musicals (he will sing Billy in Carousel at Le Chatelet Theatre in Paris in 2013).

The award was made by a distinguished jury, chaired by pianist and close friend of Susan Chilcott, Iain Burnside and featuring Chilcott Scholarship Trustees, soprano Dame Josephine Barstow, international voice coach Pamela Bullock and Ian Rosenblatt, Founder of the Rosenblatt Recital Series and RPS Trustee. They were joined by Bernd Loebe, Director of Frankfurt Opera, Brian Zeger, pianist and Artistic Director of the Department of Vocal Arts at the Juilliard School and Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Programme, and David Sigall, Director of Ingpen and Williams.

Iain Burnside comments: “The Chilcott Award is about identifying an emerging UK artist who, like Sue herself, has the potential to make an international impact within the world of opera. Duncan emerged from an exceptionally talented pool of young singers. The Jury felt his combination of distinctive vocal timbre and dramatic flair marked him out as a star of the future, and we wish him well in his further career development.”

Baritone Duncan Rock is fast establishing himself as an outstanding young singer and performer, with recent highlights including the title role in Don Giovanni for Welsh National Opera; Novice’s Friend (Billy Budd), Keeper of the Madhouse (The Rake’s Progress) and Mercurio (L’incoronazione di Poppea) for Glyndebourne as well as appearances with Opera Holland Park, the Longborough Festival Opera and British Youth Opera. His current engagements include Papageno in The Magic Flute at the English National Opera – where he is a Harewood Young Artist.

Duncan Rock studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and at the National Opera Studio. A Jerwood Young Artist at the Glyndebourne Festival, he was the recipient of the 2010 prestigious John Christie Award.

The Chilcott Award is offered by the Susan Chilcott Scholarship, an independent charity set up in 2005 in memory of Susan Chilcott, one of the outstanding singers of her generation, who died from cancer in 2003 aged 40. The Chilcott Award replaces the Susan Chilcott Scholarships, offered annually, which since 2005 have helped over 50 young singers.


12 September 2012