The Royal College of Music in London has announced that Egyptian soprano Laura Mekhail was named the second recipient of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation – Community Jameel Scholarship.

Mekhail will join the college in September, on their Master of Performance course. She discovered her love for singing while in the church choir in Minya, Egypt, and studied at West Virginia Wesleyan College in the United States. Since graduating, Mekhail taught in Cairo for six years before deciding to pursue a career as a soloist.

The scholarship, launched in 2019, is meant to help talented musicians overcome barriers and receive world-class training at RCoM. It was established by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, as well as Community Jameel, an international organization which supports scientific approaches to global challenges.

“Although I have been enjoying my career as a teacher, nothing makes me feel more alive than standing on stage and performing my classical repertoire,” Mekhail said in a press release. “This is why I’m so passionate about studying at the Royal College of Music, which will offer me the opportunities to strengthen my qualities as a singer, explore my vocal capabilities and develop my performing skills to reach a professional level. Without the support of this scholarship, achieving my dream would not be possible.”