Melbourne Sun-Aria

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The Herald Sun Aria, formerly known as The Sun Aria (because it was sponsored by The Sun News-Pictorial) is a vocal competition held in Ballarat, Victoria and Melbourne, Australia, each year. ^[1]

The competition forms the arias section of the Royal South Street Eisteddfod, Australia's oldest and largest eisteddfod.

Three of the most famous past winners of the Aria competition are Dames Joan Sutherland (1950), Malvina Major (1965) and Kiri te Kanawa in 1966.

In its 83rd year, the heats (generally two) of the competition are held annually in Ballarat in September at Her Majesty's Theatre, and the final is held at Hamer Hall (formerly the Melbourne Concert Hall) in early November. Finalists are accompanied by the State Orchestra of Victoria, conducted by Maestro Richard Divall.

The competition has a panel of three adjudicators, and Maestro Richard Divall has been a panel member since 1981. The other adjudicators in 2007 are Anson Austin OBE and Suzanne Johnston.

Contestants (of 32 years or under) are required to submit 4 arias 'from grand opera' prior to the competition, and choose one of these to sing in the heat.

Sixteen semi-finalists are selected from those singing in the heats to appear on the evening following the second heat, again at Her Majesty's in Ballarat, and sing another aria, this time chosen from their list by the panel of adjudicators.

Six finalists are then chosen to compete in the final at the Melbourne Concert Hall.