Taryn Fiebig Scholar
Taryn Fiebig Scholar Program
The Taryn Fiebig Scholar was founded in honour of Taryn’s extraordinary abilities, her legacy, and the significant effect that she had on Pinchgut Opera. The scholar program will encourage development opportunities for emerging Australian opera singers of special potential to enable them to develop the dramatic, expressive, and musical qualities that made Taryn a leading exponent of 17th and 18th century opera.
APPLY FOR THE TARYN FIEBIG SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Applications are now open for 2026. Closing date Friday 21 November, 2025.
An exceptional opportunity exists for a young singer to further their abilities as an opera singer.
The Taryn Fiebig Scholar Program is a two-year professional development program established by Pinchgut Opera in honour of the late Taryn Fiebig. The Scholar will be mentored by Artistic Director Erin Helyard and will engage in coaching sessions with directors, language coaches, and principal singers associated with the company. Additional performance opportunities will exist within Pinchgut Opera’s annual subscription series of operas and concerts. Singers will be expected to either be resident in Sydney for the duration for the scholarship or alternatively make their own arrangements to be in Sydney for the specific activities related to the development program.
The program is designed for vocalists who have a natural affinity and appreciation for music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Applicants are expected to have already had some professional experience, and should provide evidence of such on their CV.
Please refer to the specific application requirements listed below.
In the first instance, applications are invited for consideration.
Closing date: Friday 21 November 2025.
For the 2026 scholar we are looking for a soprano, mezzo or alto.
Applicants should be Australian citizens or Australian residents.
Applications should be directed to auditions@pinchgutopera.com.au
and include the following:
- Links to 2 (two) contrasting audio recordings of the applicant singing music from the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries. Ideally one recording will demonstrate beauty of tone and legato, and the other will demonstrate agility and virtuosity.
- A curriculum vitae of no more than one page, detailing professional and educational experience. Include a paragraph explaining why the Taryn Fiebig Scholar Program is ideally suited for you, a headshot, and contact details of two referees.
The Taryn Fiebig Scholar will be selected from applications received, and approved by the Board of Pinchgut Opera, on recommendation by the Artistic Director.
If you have any further queries about the Taryn Fiebig Scholar program or your application, please contact Pinchgut Opera’s Artistic Director or Artistic Manager via email at info@pinchgutopera.com.au
Taryn Fiebig Scholars will usually be a few years into their professional careers and may have already performed with Pinchgut Opera. They should demonstrate clear potential for a career as a solo vocalist and should already have some experience in performing 17th or 18th century music. One Scholar will be selected annually, to be in place for a two-year period. The Scholar will be mentored by Artistic Director Erin Helyard, and will engage in coaching sessions with directors, language coaches and principal singers, and other identified development opportunities exploring elements including:
- the importance of text and expression;
- the creation and projection of vocal beauty;
- approaching a musical score and libretto as a singing actor;
- posture, dance, gesture and movement to portray a character;
- how and when to stand forward and claim the limelight; and
- fostering a collegiate approach with respect to every member of the company and their unique contribution to a performance of excellence.
Performance opportunities will be identified on a case by case basis, with the hope that the Taryn Fiebig Scholar will perform in a Pinchgut performance during their time in this role.
Pinchgut Opera would like to thank Jud Arthur and James Beck for their generosity and invaluable assistance and support in helping create this program.
Taryn Fiebig
Soprano
Helpmann Award-winning soprano Taryn Fiebig was one of Australia most popular and versatile artists. In 2017, she sang Musetta (La bohème) for Opera Australia; Michal (Saul) for the Adelaide Festival; major roles in Pinchgut Opera’s Triple Bill and the title role in The Merry Widow for West Australian Opera; in concert, she was soloist with Sydney Philharmonia, Auckland Philharmonia and the Opera Australia Orchestra.
She returned to OA in 2018 in Metamorphosis and made major concert appearances at the Adelaide Festival, the Huntington Festival, for Sydney Philharmonia and the West Australian Youth Orchestra. 2019 engagements included Despina (Cosi fan tutte) for OA and Selinda (Farnace) for Pinchgut Opera.
Taryn performed with all the major Australian opera companies, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Brandenburg Ensemble and the Sydney, West Australian, Adelaide and Queensland Symphony Orchestras.
Internationally, she sang for the Edinburgh Festival (as Lucy Joy in Opera Australia’s production of Bliss), in America for the LA Ear Unit and in the UK with the English Chamber Orchestra and for BBC Radio 4.
Roles for Opera Australia include: Susanna, Zerlina and Despina in Sir David McVicar's trio of Mozart productions (The Marrige of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte), Pamina and Papagena in The Magic Flute, Musetta in La bohème, Servilia in La clemenza di Tito, Oscar in Un ballo in maschera, Clorinda in Cenerentola, Lisa in La sonnambula, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Aphrodite in The Love of the Nightingale, Karolka in Jenufa and The Woodbird and Gutrune in Der Ring des Nibelungen. Her performance as Lucy Joy in Bliss earned her a Helpmann Award. For New Zealand Opera, she has sung Esmeralda in The Bartered Bride.
A musical theatre highlight for Taryn was over 200 performances as Eliza Dolittle in Opera Australia’s National Tour of My Fair Lady.
Taryn was Sicle in Ormindo (2009) and The Priestess of Bacchus (Anacréon), The Statue (Pigmalion) and Erighetta (Erighetta e Don Chilone) in our 2017 mid year Triple Bill production Rameau: Anacréon & Pigmalion. She sang the role of Selinde in Vivaldi's Farnace in 2019.
The Taryn Fiebig Scholar (https://pinchgutopera.moble.site/taryn-fiebig-scholar?preview=1) was founded in 2021 in honour of Taryn’s extraordinary abilities, her legacy, and the significant effect that she had on Pinchgut Opera. The scholar program will encourage development opportunities for emerging Australian opera singers of special potential to enable them to develop the dramatic, expressive, and musical qualities that made Taryn a leading exponent of 17th and 18th century opera
Taryn Fiebig on the set of Pinchgut's feature film, A Delicate Fire
OTHER SCHOLAR PROGRAMS
The Continuo Fellow Program seeks to mentor and develop the next generation of Australian-based harpsichord and continuo players, addressing a severe shortfall in training in this area. It is a specialised skill that is grown only with hands-on experience and exposure to rehearsals and performances, with specific instruction and mentorship by expert performers. This program seeks to develop and nourish stylish and effective performances and collaborations with other instrumentalists and vocalists.
The Continuo Fellow Program is generously supported by Norman Gillespie.
If you wish to support the program, or want to find put more head to our
Pinchgut Opera is thrilled to announce a new award, designed to provide support to identified artists who require specific areas of training or development. This new program will be known as the Max Riebl Artist Award, named in memory of the brilliant countertenor who sadly passed away in 2022. Max Riebl made his debut with Pinchgut Opera in Vivaldi’s Farnace (2019), then cemented his place in audiences’ hearts as the love-struck Apollo in The Loves of Apollo & Dafne by Cavalli (2021).
Max Riebl
Countertenor
Countertenor Max Riebl had performed with Pinchgut Opera, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Opera, La Cetra Baroque Orchestra, London Handel Orchestra, the Song Company and Orchestra Victoria. He performed regularly at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Hamer Hall, the Athenaeum Theatre and Sydney’s City Recital Hall. Career highlights included performances at the Vienna Concert House, Musikverein and the Royal Albert Hall.
Max studied baroque performance in Switzerland, at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. During this time, he worked with Gerd Türk, Jörg-Andreas Bötticher and Andrea Marcon. He studied voice with Silvia Purcar (Vienna) and long-time singing teacher Dermot Tutty (Melbourne). Max attended middle-school at the Vienna Musikgymnasium. During this time, he sang in the Hofburg Chapel Choir and the Clemencic Consort.
Max’s 2021 concert season includes principal roles with the award winning Pinchgut Opera company, performances with the Melbourne Digital Concert Hall, solo appearances in the iconic Chapel Off Chapel, Athenaeum Theatre and Recital Centre and lead roles with Victoria Opera, Adelaide Baroque and the Song Company.
He had participated in many vocal competitions including the Herald Sun Aria (winner), the IFAC Australian Singing Competition (winner), the Chicago Classical Singer Competition (third place), the London Handel Competition (finalist) and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Aria (winner).
Max had curated and performed contemporary-baroque shows for the Adelaide Festival, the Melbourne Cabaret festival and the Melbourne Fringe Festival. He had recorded with The Cat Empire (EMI), the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra (ABC) and featured in the soundtrack for the critically acclaimed Australian film ‘Remembering the Man.’
Recipients
Gallery
Scholars in performance
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