Hear some of the nation’s finest young singers battle it out in the final of Australia’s most prestigious oratorio soloists award, accompanied on piano, as well as a spectacular choral /orchestral performance of Gabriel Fauré’s sublime “Requiem”
Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem in D minor, Op. 48, composed between 1887 and 1900, is one of the world’s most beloved choral works. Known for its serene, comforting tone, lyrical melodies and lush harmonies, Fauré famously described it as a “lullaby of death”. Unlike Verdi’s or Mozart’s Requiems, Fauré omitted the terrifying Dies irae, viewing death instead as a “happy deliverance”. As a result, the Fauré Requiem is often regarded as one of the most uplifting choral settings of the ancient text.
Melbourne University Choral Society, Box Hill Chorale
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra
Stefan Cassomenos piano (official accompanist)
Andrew Bainbridge, organ
Jeremy Kleeman, baritone
Andrew Wailes conductor
TWO CONCERTS:
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Afternoon one hour concert performance including Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, Cantique de Jean Racine, Ave Maria , Tu es Petrus, and works by Ola Gjeilo and Elaine Hagenberg
7:00 pm – 9.45 pm – Evening Aria Final and evening performance of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine
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The 7 pm evening concert will also include the Final of the 20th RMP Aria Competition.
2026 RMP Aria Finalists:
- Rachael Joyce, soprano, 28, VIC (b. Melbourne, VIC)
- Douglas Kelly, tenor, 33,VIC (b. Penrith, NSW)
- Naomi Flatman, mezzo-soprano, 31, QLD (b. Baar, Switzerland)
- Bailey Montgomerie, baritone, 27, VIC (b. Sydney, NSW)
- Jack Futcher, baritone, 21, NSW (b. Sydney, NSW)
- Jasmine Kaye, contralto, 24, QLD (b. Sunnybank, QLD)
- Jacqueline Ward, soprano, 35, TAS (b. Brisbane, QLD)
Reserve Finalist:
- Nicholas Matters, tenor, 29, VIC (b. Daylesford, VIC)
