Two CMF Artists in Handel Singing Competition Finals

March 1, 2023

Laura Perešivana, Harriet Burns

City Music Foundation congratulates Harriet Burns and Laura Perešivana, who have been announced as Finalists in the International Handel Singing Competition.

The competition remains one of the highlights of the London Handel Festival.

Internationally acclaimed soprano Danielle de Niese hosts this Gala Final and celebration of young talent. Finalists will perform an 18-20 minute programme of all-Handel arias with the London Handel Orchestra and LHF Musical Director Laurence Cummings.

Judges: Oliver Mears (Artistic Director of the Royal Opera House), Jo Buckley (CEO of Dunedin Consort), Lucy Crowe (Soprano), Toks Dada (Southbank Head of Music) and Christian Curnyn (Conductor).

Presenter: Danielle de Niese

Conductor: Laurence Cummings

London Handel Orchestra

Finalists

Laura Perešivana soprano

Harriet Burns soprano

Florian Störtz bass-baritone

Timothy Edlin bass-baritone

Harriet Burns is the recipient of numerous awards including 2nd prize at the 2019 Wigmore Hall/Independent Opera International Song Competition, the Compulsory Song Prize and Recital Prize at the 2019 International Vocal Competition in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, 1st prize at the 2019 Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards, winner of the 2018 Oxford Lieder Young Artists Platform, the 2017 Paul Hamburger Prize for Lieder and the 2017 Franz-Schubert-Institut Competition.

Latvian soprano Laura Lolita Perešivana started her operatic journey when she was only eighteen years old covering Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi) at the Latvian National Opera House. Laura has joined the famed National Opera Studio in London for the 2021/22 season, received the Musicians’ Company Award as one of their Young Artists and was selected as a 2021 City Music Foundation Artist.