Rhys, student at The King’s School, has been accepted into Opera North.
This is a fantastic achievement and Rhys has full support from The King’s School, Pontefract Academies Trust, and the entire school community.
The application process involved an audition at Howard Assembly Room (home of Opera North) where he had to sing a piece of music, alongside an organist. This was then followed by a small group drama exercise. Around a month later, his mum received an email from Opera North saying that he had been accepted and Rhys was overjoyed!
Rhys started with Opera North in September and attends practises for a couple of hours every week. He has recently been rehearsing for a Christmas concert taking place this Saturday and is really excited.
We asked him a few questions about his journey so far:
What is your background in music and how did it lead to applying for Opera North?
Rhys started his singing journey at St Margaret’s church choir aged 7. He then joined Wakefield Cathedral choir a few years ago and attends choir practises 1-2 times a week, as well as services once a month.
His current private singing tutor, Chris Why, suggested applying for Opera North, which is why he did.
He has joined Opera North in their ‘Young Voices’ group, after which he hopes to progress to the ‘Youth Chorus’ for ages 16-21.
What does this acceptance mean to you?
Rhys told us that he is very proud of his achievement, as are his mum and dad. His brother is also in the church choir.
What do you hope your acceptance into Opera North means for your local community and other young performers in Pontefract?
Rhys hopes to inspire others to sing this type of music and to follow their dreams.
We are extremely proud to have students like Rhys putting Pontefract on the map. He is testament that hard work pays off and we can’t wait to see where his journey takes him.