An Interview with Wirth Vocal Prize winner Chelsea Rus

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)