English Touring Opera are awarding five ETO Emerging Artist Bursaries to members of our Spring 2023 Company to support their ongoing vocal training and artistic development. We're delighted to reveal the first recipients of the bursaries, given to five outstanding emerging singers:

• Ben Knight
• Julia Mariko
• Katherine McIndoe
• Aaron O'Hare
• Masimba Ushe

British bass-baritone Ben Knight is currently on tour with us performing as a Brigand in Lucrezia Borgia and as part of the Ensemble in Il viaggio a Reims. He is also covering the roles of Petrucci and Gazella in Lucrezia Borgia, Antonio in Il viaggio a Reims and is also playing an Owl, Sloth and Purple Turtle in Zoo!

Julia Mariko is an English-Japanese soprano, singing in the Ensemble of Il viaggio a Reims and covering the role of Madame Cortese. She is also starring as Lola in our children's opera, The Wish Gatherer.

Katherine McIndoe is a soprano from New Zealand, and is part of the Ensemble of Il viaggio a Reims. She is also playing a Warthog and Parrot in Zoo! as well as covering the roles of Delia and Lucrezia Borgia, and has already taken to the stage as the infamous poisoner Lucrezia at our recent performances in Sheffield and Norwich.

Irish tenor Aaron O’Hare joins English Touring Opera for his first season having recently transitioned from baritone and is already making an impact as part of the Lucrezia Borgia and Il viaggio a Reims ensembles and covering numerous roles across the tour.

London-born bass Masimba Ushe is singing as part of the Il viaggio a Reims ensemble and as a Brigand in Lucrezia Borgia. He is also covering the roles of Gubetta (Lucrezia Borgia) and Don Prudenzio (Il viaggio a Reims) and starring in The Wish Gatherer as The Muddier.

The Emerging Artist Bursaries are a new feature of ETO's Artist Development Programme, a slate of coaching, workshops and masterclasses offered to the artists on tour with us each season. Each recipient will receive £600 to use for lessons and coaching, on top of what is offered to all artists through the Artist Development Programme, and can be used for ongoing technical development or preparation for a forthcoming role, whether with English Touring Opera or elsewhere.

We're very grateful to our many donors for their generosity in supporting the Artist Development Programme in its first year.

If you are interested in supporting the Artist Development Programme and the future of ETO Emerging Artist Bursaries, learn more about how to become a supporter here.