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An Interview with Wirth Vocal Prize winner Chelsea Rus

Published: 19 February 2016

On Feb. 7, Chelsea Rus was named the winner of the inaugural Wirth Vocal Prize. According to the Schulich School of Music’s website, the $25,000 prize is given to “an exceptional voice student… in recognition of outstanding accomplishment as a singer and significant promise for an international career.” Pretty heady stuff for any young singer – but especially so for Rus, who had never even heard an opera until her first year of college in 2009 back home in Abbotsford, B.C.

Still “in shock,” a week after her win, Rus has had time to reflect upon what the Prize means for her. “This is really the first time I’ve started to see myself as a young professional heading into my career. Having this financial foundation is like Kickstarter for a company,” she says. “I am so grateful to Elizabeth Wirth for this opportunity.”  (Read the full article written by Neale McDevitt in the McGill Reporter here

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