Soraya Mafi wins the 2016 Chilcott Award

Soraya Mafi

The Chilcott Award for Singers is a £10,000 award to support a 'major young artist with the potential to make an international impact'. The 2016 award has been won by soprano Soraya Mafi who is currently a Harewood Young Artists at English National Opera (ENO).

With ENO, Soraya sang Papagena in Simon McBurney’s production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, and most recently Karolka in David Alden’s production of Janacek's Jenufa (see my review). She will sing the role of Despina in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte with West Green House Opera from 30 July. Soraya will use her award to fund ongoing singing lessons with her teacher, Janis Kelly, language tuition, performance coaching as well as to support travel/audition and promotional costs. 

The award is offered biennially by the Susan Chilcott Scholarship, an independent charity set up in 2005 in memory of Susan Chilcott, one of the outstanding singers of her generation, who died from cancer in 2003 aged 40. Previous winners of the Chilcott Award are Duncan Rock (2012) and Clare Presland (2014).