Sweet success for Hayley Sugars

By Amanda Gearing

USQ Music graduate Hayley Sugars has won Australia’s richest opera prize, the German-Australian Opera Grant worth $64,000.

The prize will launch her onto the stage of one of Germany’s most famous opera theatres, the State Theatre of Hessen in Wiesbaden for a one year opera contract.

The win is a dream come true for the mezzo-soprano who graduated from USQ with a Bachelor of Music (Hons) and post-graduate study at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

She has sung with Opera Queensland since 2005.

Hayley was announced winner of the competition after four finalists sang at a concert in Melbourne on Saturday (4 December).

'When they announced the winner I felt like I was dreaming. I have been working towards this for a long time,' she said.
'To win a prize like this is worth more than just money, it’s a job in a respected international opera company and will give me professional experience. It’s life-changing.'

The competition was founded by philanthropist Hans Henkell and is co-sponsored by the German-Australian community and the State Opera Theatre of Weisbaden, near Frankfurt.

Mr Henkell said this year’s winner was selected from a field of 24 competitors of very high standard and was chosen for her fine coloratura singing, stage presence, warm personality and her ability to work in a team.

'She’s a lovely package. We need someone who has the stamina for the hard work involved in singing a different role every night, and Hayley has it,' he said.

Six previous winners of the competition are still working in the Weisbaden opera company following completion of their initial contracts.
In addition, several of the singers have established themselves in international opera careers including singing with Opera Australia as well as other European companies.

Hayley Sugars is packing her bags for Germany already after winning a university scholarship to study German language at the University of Kassel this month (December).

She will return to teach singing in Toowoomba early next year and sing in various concerts around Australia and at Norfolk Island until she moves to Germany to take up her job in Wiesbaden in June next year.

Her most recent performances include singing the role of Cherubino in Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro in this year’s Brisbane Festival with Opera Queensland and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Sugars has also been acclaimed in other major Australian singing competitions, including selection as a finalist in this year’s Dame Joan Sutherland Award and in an aria competition at Sydney Opera House in 2009.