The Opera Europa Eva Kleinitz Scholarship Winners 2024

The Opera Europa Eva Kleinitz jury has completed the third year of awards of the scholarship.

We received applications from over 160 young singers from 44 different countries – all of whom are still in full-time education.
 
We are pleased to announce the following scholarship winners for 2024:
 
Mira Alkhovik (Russia) soprano, Swiss Opera Studio
Molly Dzangare (Zimbabwe) soprano, Opera School University of Cape Town
Samantha Hargreaves (Australia)  soprano, Guildhall School of Music and Drama Artist Masters

The scholarship was established with a bequest from the late Eva Kleinitz, past President of Opera Europa and Director of the Opéra National du Rhin. During her years at the Bregenzer Festspiele, La Monnaie, Staatstheater Stuttgart and in Strasbourg, Eva offered generous support, encouragement and opportunities to countless young singers.

The scholarship jury is composed of artist manager Jonathan Groves, artistic administrator of La Monnaie Bettina Giese and stage director Nicola Raab.
 

Mira Alkhovik, soprano, Swiss Opera Studio (HKB University, Bern)

Mira was born in Saint-Petersburg and played the violin for 12 years before she began her studies in vocal performance at Saint Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory. In her fifth year of studies she spent one semester at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz. Shortly after that she began her MA Opera performance studies at the Bern Academy of Arts. In parallel to her opera career, Mira is also developing her chamber music performing abilities, having trained at the Verbier Festival Academy in 2022 and the Heidelberger Frühling Liedakademie with Thomas Hampson. 

Mira started her season 2024/2025 winning the II Prize and Oratorio-Lied Prize of the 61st Tenor Viñas Contest in Barcelona.

Molly Dzangare, soprano, University of Cape Town (Opera Studies)

Zimbabwean soprano Molly Dzangare is a third year opera performance student going to her fourth and final year at the Opera School, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 
Before entering the Performer's Diploma course at UCT, she attended master classes for several years with The Voices of South Africa Trust under baritone Njabulo Mandlala. In 2019, as a first-year student at UCT, Molly performed with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra Annual Youth Concert in Durban, South Africa. 
She has received awards in Harare (Afdis Awards) as the best performer in 2014, the first prize, including audience prize for four opera competitions at the University of Cape Town, namely Schock foundation Opera Competition and The David Aldred Competition for Sopranos in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, she debuted her first full role in a new opera by Hendrick Hoffmeyer as Sara in ‘SARA BAARTMAN’.

Samantha Hargreaves, soprano, Guildhall School of Music and Drama Artist Masters (Opera Studies)

A light-lyric soprano from Australia, having recently moved from Melbourne, where she studied at the Melbourne Conservatorium͛s Masters of Opera program, to London to
join the full-time opera course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Samantha has been praised for her unique ability to make audiences feel completely involved in her work. She has been recognised by winning several Australian awards, including the Prior Foundation Travelling Scholarship in 2023 and John Fulford Prize (Herald Sun Aria) in 2022. In May 2023, she created the role of Sarah-Marie in Three Mary’s, a contemporary chamber opera that premiered at the Sydney Opera House.