Adjudicator
Suzanne Johnston
2023 Adjudicator
Suzanne Johnston has achieved the rare distinction of being recognised equally for her success in opera, music theatre, and as a concert performer.
Her operatic career encompasses the prestigious European Festivals of Glyndebourne and Salzburg, as well as Australia’s major opera companies, for whom her repertory includes the title roles in L’incoronazione Di Poppea, The Gypsy Princess and Carmen. Other roles include Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Hansel in Hansel And Gretel, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Fox in Cunning Little Vixen, Eliza Doolittle, opposite Anthony Warlow, in the sell-out production of My Fair Lady, Ruth in The Pirates Of Penzance, numerous roles in Through The Looking Glass, The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring, Tickety Boo in Sleeping Beauty and the role of Public Opinion in Opera Australia’s production of Orpheus in the Underworld.
Concert appearances include the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, recitals in London, Paris, Milan, New York, Los Angeles, and performances with Symphony Australia and Musica Viva. Suzanne has also toured nationally in The Three Divas and the acclaimed cabaret show, Take Two with Judi Connelli. In 2012, Suzanne performed in the Morning Melodies Concert Series at The Arts Centre, Melbourne.
Suzanne’s discography includes the ARIA award-winning CD “Perfect Strangers” with Judi Connelli and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and “Hansel and Gretel” – both for ABC Classics – and a recording with the Australian Pops Orchestra. Video & DVD recordings include Hansel and Gretel, Les Huguenots, La Cenerentola, The Gondoliers, Fledermaus & Pirates of Penzance.
Her numerous awards include the Sydney Theatre Critics’ Circle Award (Operatic Performance of the Year), MO Award (Operatic Performer of the Year), Churchill Fellowship, ARIA and four Green Room Awards (1985, 1988, 1996, 2011).
Roxane Hislop
2022 Adjudicator
Roxane Hislop is one of Australia’s most respected and accomplished Mezzo Sopranos. She is a graduate of Sydney University, the NSW Conservatorium of Music and holds a master’s degree in arts administration from RMIT university. Her many awards include the Sydney Sun Aria, the Australian Regional Finals of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, The Dame Mabel Brooks Scholarship and the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship to study in Britain. Roxane has been nominated 5 times for a Green Room Award and was named best female artist in a supporting role for Maddalena (Rigoletto) and Olga (Eugen Onegin).
Roxane made her debut with Opera Australia as Nancy in Albert Herring in 1988 and went on to perform over 60 roles for the company. Other roles with Opera Australia include the title role in Carmen, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, the title role in La Pericole, Varvara in Katya Kabanova, Emilia in Otello, Olga in Eugene Onegin, Medoro in Orlando, Magdalene in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana Countess Stasi in The Gypsy Princess, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Flora in La Traviata, Tessa in The Gondoliers, Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Gertrude in Roméo and Juliette, Most recently Roxane was involved with Opera Australia’s 2013 and 2016 Der Ring des Niebelungen singing Rosweisse and covering Erda and First Norn.
Roxane was a member of the Young Artist Programme with the Victoria State Opera in 1989, performing Siébel in Faust and Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, and later, such roles as Dalila in Samson et Dalila, the Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Giulietta and Antonia's Mother in The Tales of Hoffmann, Mercedes in Carmen and Olga in Eugene Onegin. In 1996 Roxane sang Teresa in Villa-Lobos' Magdalena for the Ballarat Opera Festival and in 1997 made her debut with West Australian Opera singing Flora in La Traviata and the title role in Carmen. For Opera Queensland her roles include Cornelia in Julius Caesar, Flora in La Traviata, Maddalenda in Rigoletto and most recently Dame Hannah in Ruddigore. She has sung the Voice from Above, Second Squire and a Flower maiden in Parsifal and Getrude in Hansel and Gretel for State Opera of South Australia;
Roxane had a long association with Victorian Opera under the musical direction of Richard Gill and highlights of her work with that company included Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress, Armastre in Xerxes, Jocasta in Oedipus Rex and Geertje Dircx in the world premiere of Rembrandt’s Wife.
For Melbourne Opera she added Suzuki in Madama Burtterfly to her repertoire and most recently for the company sang Mary in Der Fliegende Hollander and Erda in Das Rheingold.
Miss Hislop has sung with all the major Symphony orchestras in Australia and her concert repertoire includes, La tasse chinoise and Le chat in L’enfant et les sortilege , the alto solos in Elijah, The Messiah , St john and St Matthew Passion, The Dream of Gerontius ,The Jewish Chronicle , Child of Our Times, Missa Solemnis, and Beethoven’s Symphony no 9. She has also sung in numerous New Year’s Eve at the Opera House concerts as well as Opera Galas.
Roxane is a passionate supporter of the next generation of emerging Australian opera singers and teaches at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium. In demand as an adjudicator, she has sat on many judging panels both in Australia and New Zealand as well as serving on several music advisory Boards.
Linda Barcan
2021 Adjudicator
Mezzo-soprano Linda Barcan trained at the Conservatorium of Newcastle, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Linda received the University Medal from the University of Newcastle, and in 2015 was a finalist in the University of Newcastle’s Alumni Awards.
Early in her career, Linda was the recipient of a French Government scholarship to undertake further studies in France, leading to a two-year performance engagement with the Opéra de Lyon. On her return to Australia, Linda performed for many years with Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House and the Victorian Arts Centre.
Linda’s affinity for 20th and 21st century opera led to appearances in Christina’s World (Sydney Chamber Opera), Abelard and Heloise (Opera Hunter), Pecan Summer (Short Black Opera) and The Emperor of Atlantis (Lost & Found Opera). She has performed in concert for numerous companies, festivals and art song and Lieder societies in Australia, France and South-East Asia. As a specialist in French vocal repertoire, Linda has frequently appeared in French cultural and diplomatic circles (the French Navy, the French Consulate, the French Embassy), and for branches of the Alliance Française nationwide.
Sought after as a workshop and masterclass facilitator in secondary, tertiary and adult education and community as well as for community and cultural outreach programs, Linda has presented for the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing (NSW and WA chapters), Australian Music Examinations Board of Victoria, University of Western Australia, UWA Choral Society, All Saints College, Genevan Consort, Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, ABMUSIC, McDonald College of the Performing Arts, Actors College of Theatre and Television (ACTT), Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO).
Linda is an experienced adjudicator, having served on juries for eisteddfodau and singing competitions Australia-wide including the Mathy Awards of the Australian Singing Competition (WA Heats), North of Perth Eisteddfod, West Australian Performing Arts Eisteddfod, Fremantle Eisteddfod, Kwinana Eisteddfod, City of Parramatta Eisteddfod, St George Eisteddfod, Northern Beaches Eisteddfod, Macarthur District Eisteddfod, Ravenswood School for Girls Music Festival, Presbyterian Ladies College Sydney Vocal Competition, Outstanding Soloist Competition (Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School), Royal Over-Seas League Competition (Royal Schools Music Club), and the Julie Michael Cabaret Prize, the Barbara Macleod Scholarship and the Helen Court Scholarship hosted by the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. In 2019 Linda was a Music Assessor for the VicArts Advisory Assessment Panel of Creative Victoria.
A dedicated teacher, Linda has taught at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Open Academy, the Australian Institute of Music (AIM), the Actor’s College of Theatre and Television (ACTT), Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). For nine years Linda held a position as Lecturer in Voice at WAAPA, teaching into the Classical Voice, Music Theatre and Acting departments. Linda is currently Lecturer in Music (Voice) at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, the University of Melbourne.
