Prizewinners' Report
HCO Singer of the Year Competition 2026
Saturday 31 October 2026
Harvey Hall, St Swithun's School, Winchester
in collaboration with
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Inaugurated in 2018, the HCO Singer of the Year Competition is a prestigious national competition for young, classically trained singers aged 20-29 years. It provides an important platform for emerging vocal talent.
As a charity, it is at the heart of HCO's mission to support and nurture singers at this crucial early point in their career.
The competition gives them valuable performance experience and the opportunity to be seen and heard by both leading industry professionals and a public audience. Many of our prizewinners go on to perform in recital and opera not just with HCO but with other leading companies in the UK and overseas.
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For the fifth year running, we were delighted to collaborate with The Grange Festival who provide our First Prize winner with the offer of a contract in The Grange Festival Chorus in 2027. We are most grateful to our colleagues at The Grange Festival for this valued association.​
Soprano Mariana Rodrigues, winner of the Nigel Beale Grange Festival First Prize and The Anthony Lowrey Audience Prize pictured with Nigel Beale (;eft) and Anthony Lowrey (right)
Harry Grigg (tenor), winner of the Roger Higgins Second Prize
Taining Zhao (tenor), winner of the
Sarah Harrison Haes Prize
Sarah Rapport (mezzo-soprano), winner of the Rosalind Armstrong Prize
Ten semi-finalists chosen from more than 60 entries performed for the judges and a public audience to take home prizes totalling more than £6,500. As always, we are indebted to to our generous prize sponsors Nigel Beale, Anthony Lowrey, Roger Higgins, Judy and the late Richard Haes, Rosalind Armstrong and Wendy Blamire for making this such an exciting opportunity for our young singers.
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Judging the semi-finals and finals were international baritone, Sir Simon Keenlyside, CBE (Chair), English lyric soprano, Kate Royal and Scott Cooper, Director of Artistic Administration for The Grange Festival.​ The competition accompanists were Hamish Brown and Chad Vindin.​​​
Photography: Ash Mills
L-R: Kate Royal, Mariana Rodrigues, Scott Cooper, Taining Zhao, Sarah Rappoport, Harry Grigg and Sir Simon Keenlyside CBE
Prizewinners
Nigel Beale - Grange Festival First Prize - £2500
and
The Anthony Lowrey Audience Prize - £750
Mariana Rodrigues - soprano
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Roger Higgins Second Prize - £1500
Harry Grigg - tenor
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Sarah Harrison Haes Prize - £1000
Taining Zhao - tenor
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Rosalind Armstrong Prize - £750
Sarah Rappoport - mezzo-soprano
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Wendy Blamire Award* - £400
Anaïs Manz - soprano
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*The Wendy Blamire Award is given for outstanding linguistic and artistic commitment to text in at least two European languages other than English.
2026 Semi-Finalists
Left to Right:
Louisa Stuart-Smith (mezzo-soprano)
Anaïs Manz (soprano)
Harry Grigg (tenor)
Thomas Ashdown (baritone)
Sarah Rapport (mezzo-soprano)
Hamish Brown (accompanist)
Chad Vindin (acompanist)
Samuel Mills (tenor)
Taining Zhao (tenor)
Mariana Rodrigues (soprano)
Ronnie Enoch (soprano)
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