Tenor Nathan Bryon has been announced as the winner of the Sydney Eisteddfod 2022 Opera Scholarship.

Bryon hails from Lane Cove West and received a grand prize of $40,000, which he will use to study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He performed “Dies Bildnis” from Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” as well as “Parmi Veder le Lagrime” from Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”

Of his victory, Bryon said in an official press statement that “I was raised with the belief that there’s not much you can’t achieve with a bit of hard work, determination, relentless optimism, and of course, some luck!”

Second place and a $10,000 prize ($2,000 cash and $8,000 scholarship) went to Jeremy Boulton with Anna Stephens taking home a $5,500 prize. The other five finalists were each given $1,000 to further their studies.

The final round of the competition took place on Sunday, June 26, 2022. Every finalist was called upon to perform two arias alongside conductor Dr. Nicolas Milton and the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra.