News & Announcements 

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Career Development Grant Award
18 July 2026

The Trustees of the Robert W. Hendra Charitable Trust are delighted to announce that Liam Forrest has been awarded a Robert W. Hendra Career Development Grant.

The Trustees congratulate Liam and wish him every success as he pursues his professional career in opera.

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Fife Tenor, Liam Forrest is a recent graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, studying with Matthew Best and Mark Wildman.

For the 2026/27 season, Liam looks forward to joining the International Opera Studio of the Staatsoper Stuttgart. Prior to this he joins Glyndebourne Festival Opera as a Jerwood Young Artist.

Recent highlights include Second Prize winner in the 71st Kathleen Ferrier Awards at the Wigmore Hall, and a semi-finalist in the Concurs Tenor Viñas Competition 2026

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About the Grant

The Robert W. Hendra Career Development Grant is awarded by the Robert W. Hendra Charitable Trust to support talented emerging opera singers as they establish their professional careers. The grant may be used to assist with career-related expenses, including auditions, coaching, language tuition and other professional development opportunities.

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Career Development Grant Award

16th July 2026

The Trustees of the Robert W. Hendra Charitable Trust are delighted to announce that Edvard Adde has been awarded a Robert W. Hendra Career Development Grant.

The Trustees congratulate Edvard and wish him every success as he pursues his professional career in opera.

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​Edvard Adde is a Norwegian tenor currently a member of the international opera studio at the Royal College of Music where he studies with Jonathan Lemalu. Edvard got his masters at the Royal College of music and a bachelor from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Whilst in Scotland, Edvard was honoured second place in the Kathleen Ferrier Junior Competition as well as making his operatic debut as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi by Puccini (Opera Rogaland). His list of opera roles include Ferrando in Cosí fan Tuttle by Mozart (Opera Holland Park), Il Podestá in La Finta Giardiniera by Mozart (RCM), The Schoolmaster in The Cunning Little Vixen by Janáček (RCM), Nemorino in L’elisir D’amore by Donizetti (St Paul’s Opera), Beppe in Pagliacci by Leoncavallo (North Wales Opera Studio), Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart (RCM) and covering Ernesto in Don Pasquale by Donizetti (Longhope opera).​

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Emmy Destinn Young Singers Awards 2025

               14th Competition London

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Preliminary Rounds 12th and 13th November 2025

Final 23rd November 2023 before a public audience

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​First Prize £2000  Emmy Destinn medal (sculpted in bronze by Jakub Vlček)

Robert Hendra Emerging Artist Prize £1000

Czech Song Prize £500

Dvořák Society for Czech and Slovak Music Prize £500

Accompanist’s Prize £300

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Application Deadline       20th October 2025​

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Entry details - Emmy Destinn Foundation

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​Due to unforeseen circumstances the Competition has had to be postponed.

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More information to be announced ASAP.

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​The final is now expected to be held on 29th November 2026.

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The Royal Academy of Music

 

Robert W. Hendra Scholar 2025-2026​​​​​​​​​​​

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YIHUI WANG – TENOR

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Yihui Wang is a tenor at the Royal Academy Opera, where he studies with Catherine Wyn-Rogers and Iain Ledingham. His studies are supported by the Robert W. Hendra Scholarship.

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