Jessica Harper
Jessica Harper
[Antwerp]
Australian Soprano Jessica Harper graduated with First Class Honours in Classical Singing from the Australian National University School of music. She has been broadcast as a concert soloist and recitalist on several national radio stations, and has toured much of Australia as a recital performer. Jessica is a founding board member of the Apollo Opera Collective and was was the inaugural Artist in Residence at St Andrew’s College, Sydney University, in 2018.
Operatic stage experience includes creating the title role in Miss Brill (World Premier), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Casilda (The Gondoliers), Lisa (La Sonnamula) and Pamina (Die Zauberflöte). Mrs Norris (Mansfield Park – Australian Premier), La Zelatrice and Prima Sorella Cercatrice (Suor Angelica), Frantik, Chocholka and the Innkeeper’s Wife (The Cunning Little Vixen) and Emmie (Albert Herring). Jessica was also the standby soprano for Emma Matthews in MELBA A New Musical (2017), and ‘jumped in’ for two performances.
Jessica was the recipient of the Dame Nellie Melba Scholarship with the Melba Opera Trust for 2018, and completed her second year as a Young Artist with Pacific Opera in 2015. She attended the Accademia del Bel Canto Rodolfo Celletti in Martina Franca, Italy (2018), and was recently announced as the winner of the Opera Foundation for young Australians Dalwood-Wylie AIMS Graz Award and AIMS Sundell Study Award for 2019.
Internationally, Jessica has represented Australia in several prestigious competitions. Of most note are the IV Éva Marton International Singing Competition (Budapest, 2021) as a semi finalist, the Glyndebourne Opera Cup (Lewes, 2020) as a semi finalist, and the 58th Tenor Viñas International Singing Competition (Barcelona, 2021) also as a semi finalist. Jessica has also been a a finalist in the AIMS in Graz Meistersinger Competition (Graz, 2019) and the Schloss Rheinsberg Competition (Berlin, 2020), as well as a Semi Finalist in the 4th International Adam Didur Opera Singer’s Competition in Katowice, Poland (2019), and other competitions in Italy, Germany and the UK.
Past successes in the Australian competition circuit include Jessica winning the Inaugural Limestone Coast Opera Lucca Competition (2018), Sydney Eisteddfod Opera and Arts Support Group Scholarship (2017), and the Wollongong (2017), Shoalhaven (2017) and Cowra (2015) Eisteddfodau Operatic Aria Championships. Jessica was Runner Up and winner of the Audience Choice Award for the Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship (2017), Runner Up for the Herald Sun Aria (2016), and has been a Finalist in the Acclaim Awards Italian Opera Fellowship (2018) and the Opera Foundation for Young Australians Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship (2018). Jessica was also selected as one of three singers to partake in a Masterclass with Dame Emma Kirkby as part of the Sydney Opera House Awards (2017).
“...Soprano Jessica Harper steals the show as Roselinde, both in terms of her acting and incredible vocal range. The operatic heights she hits are uplifting and gives this modern interpretation its classical gravitas...”
ROLES
Luisa - Luisa Miller (Scenes) - AIMS in Graz (2019)
Der Feldmarschallin - Der Rosenkavalier (Scenes) - AIMS in Graz (2019)
Miss Brill - Miss Brill - Omega Ensemble (2018)
Soprano Soloist - Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem - Choir of St James King St (2018)
Nellie Melba - MELBA, A New Musical - Hayes Theatre Company (2017)
Donna Anna - Don Giovanni - Opera Projects Sydney (2017)
Rosalinde - Die Fledermaus - Operantics (2017)
Casilda - The Gondoliers - Rockdale Opera Company (2017)
Soprano Soloist - Handel’s Messiah - Illawarra Choral Society (2017)
Pamina - Die Zauberflöte, Opera Projects Sydney (2016)
Mrs Norris - Mansfield Park (Australian Premiere) - Operantics (2016)
La Zelatrice, Prima Sorella Cercatrice and cover Suor Genovieffa - Suor Angelica, Opera Projects Sydney 2016
Lisa/ cover Amina - La Sonnambula - Operantics and Penrith Symphony Orchestra (2016)
Chocholka, Frantik, Innkeeper’s Wife, cover Forrester’s Wife - The Cunning Little Vixen, Pacific Opera (2015)
Mrs Gobineau - The Medium - Opera Prometheus (2015)
Icecream Seller and Children's Cast Mentor - Brundibar - Opera Prometheus (2014)
TRAINING
Studied the role of Fiordiligi (Così Fan Tutte) with coaches at the Vienna State Opera ( November 2019)
Accademia del Bel Canto Rodolfo Celletti, Martina Franca, Italy (2018)
Melba Opera Trust (Dame Nellie Melba Scholarship) - Melbourne (2018)
Pacific Opera Young Artist Program (Full Scholarship) - Sydney (2014, 2015)
BMus (Hons - First Class) - ANU School of Music (2009 - 2012)
AWARDS
Glyndebourne Opera Cup – Semi Finalist – 2020
Royal Overseas League Singer’s Prize – Semi Finalist – 2020
Schloss Rheinsberg Competition – Finalist - 2020
Gertrude Opera Glyndebourne Cup Asia Pacific Regional Final – Winner – 2019
The Opera Foundation for young Australians Dalwood-Wylie AIMS Graz Award – Winner - 2019
The Opera Foundation for young Australians AIMS Sundell Study Award – Winner – 2019
AIMS Graz ‘Meistersinger’ Competition – Finalist – 2019
Herald Sun Aria – Finalist – 2019
4th International Adam Didur Opera Singer’s Competition – Semi Finalist – 2019
Dame Nellie Melba Scholarship and Patrick and Vivian Gordon Award – Melba Opera Trust – 2018
Inaugural Limestone Coast Opera Lucca Competition – Winner – 2018
The Opera Foundation for young Australians Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship – Finalist – 2018
The Acclaim Awards Italian Opera Fellowship – Finalist – 2018
Sydney Eisteddfod Opera and Arts Support Group Scholarship – Winner – 2017
Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship – Runner Up – 2017
Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Awards – Winner – 2017
Fine Music FM Young Virtuosi State Final (NSW) – Runner Up – 2017
Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Foundation Inaugural Sydney Song Prize Competition – Runner Up – 2017
Wollongong Eisteddfod Operatic Aria Championship – Winner – 2017
Shoalhaven Eisteddfod Operatic Aria Championship – Winner – 2017
German Australian Opera Grant – Semi Finalist – 2017
Herald Sun Aria – Runner Up – 2016
The Better Tomorrow Fund – recipient of inaugural Artist Development Award – 2016
Patricia Fagan Operatic Aria Championship, Cowra Eisteddfod – Winner – 2015
Joan Sutherland Memorial Senior Vocal Scholarship, Sydney Eisteddfod – Finalist – 2015
Fine Music FM Young Virtuosi Award – Semi Finalist – 2015
ARS Musica Australis Young Artist Grant – 2014, 2015
IFAC Australian Singing Competition – Semi Finalist (winner of the Instituto Italiano Di Cultura Award and Running Bare prize) – 2014
Peter and Lena Karmel Honours Scholarship in Music – Australian National University – 2012
Bill Hyslop Prize in Voice – Australian National University – 2011
Margaret Smiles Accompaniment Competition, Prize for Most Outstanding Vocalist – Australian National University – 2011
REVIEWS
“I was struck by the depth of operatic and comedic talent in the young cast. It was a joy to behold such strong and triumphant female leads in an art form that generally indulges in the sorrows of fallen women, lead to their downfall by powerful men. Soprano Jessica Harper steals the show as Roselinde, both in terms of her acting and incredible vocal range. The operatic heights she hits are uplifting and gives this modern interpretation its classical gravitas”.
- Brydie Wright - Weekend Notes (2017)