Bach Singers Prize: Winners & Finalists 2006-present

Our winners.

2006 Elodie Kimmel soprano  (France) The other finalists were: Christopher Ainslie, Andrew Radley Lucy Page

2008 Jolanta Kowalska soprano (Poland) The other finalists were: Hugo Oliveira, Christopher Lowrey, Jonathan Sells

2010 Sarah Power soprano  (Ireland) The other finalists were:  Thomas Elwin, Rachel Redmond, Greg Tassell

2013 Nick Pritchard tenor (UK)

Our youngest winner at 24 years old, Nick Pritchard is a former Choral Scholar at New College Oxford and studied at the Royal College of Music on a Maidment Scholarship from the Musicians Benevolent Fund/Help Musicians. His solo work ranges from Opera to Oratorio and his ensemble work has included appearances with the London Handel Singers, The Sixteen and the Monteverdi Choir.

He now has a very busy schedule singing Bach with various UK societies and on the international platform. To follow Nick’s diary visit his website www.nickpritchard.co.uk

The other finalists were:  Anna Harvey, Esther Brazil, Alexandra Kidgell

2015  Anna Harvey mezzo soprano (UK)   

Mezzo-soprano Anna Harvey studied on the opera course at the Royal Academy of Music under Elizabeth Ritchie and Iain Ledingham, graduating with the Alumni Development Award for a singularly distinguished studentship. An emerging artist, engagements has included house debuts at the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar (Zulma L’Italiana in Algeri, Zweite Dame Die Zauberflöte, Groom/Theatregardrobiere/Gymnasiast Lulu, Kay Die Schneekönigin), Landertheater Altenburg in Gera (Mayor’s Wife JenůfaGold) and Theater Nordhausen (Page Salome).  To these have been added other engagements to include an appearance singing Bach cantatas at London Bach Society’s Bachfest, the Last Night of the BBC Proms in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, a recording for Hyperion directed by Jonathan Cohen, covers of Octavian Der Rosenkavalier and Prince Orlofsky Die Fledermaus for Welsh National Opera. For her up to date diary go to www.annaharveymezzo.com 

The other finalists were: Hiroshi Amako, Louise Wayman, Rosie Lomas

2017 Jessica Dandy  contralto (UK)

In 2017, 27 year-old contralto Jessica Dandy from Barrow-in-Furness won the London Bach Society’s 6th Bach Singers Prize competition with her programme of recitatives and arias from solo Cantata BWV 170 and BWV 35. Jess is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Trinity College Cambridge. She was a Britten-Pears Young Artist in 2014 and has performed at the Oxford Lieder Festival, Wigmore Hall, Milton Court and Barbican Hall.

Her current portfolio of achievements contains a range of opera, recitals, concert work and participation in Master Classes, the result of using her Prize money of £2,500 on travel to and from auditions in the UK and Europe, further lessons with teacher Gary Coward, coachings with Hilary Summers and Catherine Wyn-Rogers, and attendance at further Master Classes. Follow Jess’s concert and opera diary on her website www.jessdandycontralto.com/

The other finalists wereHiroshi Amako, Rebecca Lea and Alexander Simpson..

Next Competition: Autumn 2024.