EMILIA BErtolini

SOPRANO
2020 OPERA SCHOLAR OF THE YEAR
RECIPIENT OF THE BETTY AMSDEN SCHOLARSHIP

Australian soprano Emilia Bertolini is a versatile musician whose performance experience encompasses opera, oratorio, recital and chamber music.

2020 holds an array of exciting opportunities for Emilia, including joining Melba Opera Trust as the recipient of the John and Elizabeth Wright-Smith Scholarship and the Paulette Bisley Opera Scholarship, singing as a soloist with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra as part of their annual Australian Conducting Academy Summer School, and collaborating with early music ensemble, Ensemble Ancien. In February, Emilia won the Opera Scholars Australia “Scholar of the Year” competition held at Opera in the Market. 

In 2019, Emilia was selected to take part in the Young Songmaker Development Program with Songmakers Australia, she sang Couperin’s Trois Leçons de Ténèbres with Ensemble Ancien at the Melbourne Recital Centre Salon, made her European debut in the role of Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with the Lyric Opera Studio Weimar, and sang as the soprano soloist in Fauré’s Requiem with the Melbourne Bach Choir. Emilia has appeared as a soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria and Beatus vir, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and played Despina in scenes from Così fan tutte.  Emilia has been the recipient of several awards and scholarships the Hedy Holt and Roger Prochazka Memorial Award at the 38th National Liederfest, the Murray Ormond Vagg Scholarship, the St Patrick’s Cathedral Scholarship from 2015 to 2018 where she sang in the choir and as cathedral cantor, and the Voshege Family Scholarship through Opera Scholars Australia.

In 2018, Emilia made her debut with Lyric Opera Melbourne in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias and understudied the role of Yniold in Victorian Opera’s production of Pelleas and Melisande.  

Emilia holds a Bachelor of Music with first-class Honours from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music as well as Diplomas in both French and Italian from the University of Melbourne, and is currently taking German language classes at the Goethe Institut.