9 hours ago
Soprano-pianist duo end competition on high note with first prize
A soprano and pianist duo have taken home a top prize in North Yorkshire, after impressing judges with their performance.
Scottish soprano Rachel Munro, and Singaporean pianist Jia Ning Ng, won first place in the Northern Aldborough Festival 2025 New Voices Singing Competition, whose final was held on Monday (June 16).
The pair were awarded £5,000, along with paid recitals at next year's Northern Aldborough Festival and at Leeds Lieder and Harrogate International Festivals.
Robert Ogden, director of the Northern Aldborough Festival and a member of the judging panel, said: "Rachel and Jia Ning made a wonderful partnership.
"Even though she was one of the youngest entrants, Rachel already displays remarkable vocal maturity and quality, and is a composed performer.
"She found wonderful support in Jia Ning's musical playing."
The New Voices Competition was launched in 2023 to support emerging talent amid what a spokesperson described as "funding cuts the classical music sector faced."
