Stories of our work
Jimmy Holliday

The Richard Van Allan Award is a special award which is offered to an outstanding male singer. Individual awards range from £1,000 to £5,000. The award is part of the Sybil Tutton Awards which is for students on advanced postgraduate opera courses. The intention of this award is to help postgraduate students with the expenses of studying.

Photograph by Chris Christodoulou

In 2009, opera singer Jimmy Holliday was was awarded the first ever Richard Van Allan Award. The award has enabled Jimmy to study at the Royal College of Music's International Opera School this year.

Jimmy began his operatic career when he started singing as a chorister at Lichfield Cathedral from here he progressed to work at Winchester Cathedral as a Lay-Clerk. Following five years at Winchester Cathedral Jimmy came to London in order to study at the Royal College of Music.

“ As an older student it has been very difficult to find the essential funding necessary for me to complete my studies at the RCM. Thank goodness for the Musicians Benevolent Fund! Without this generous support it would have been impossible to complete this last year.”

While at the RCM Jimmy has had roles in various college productions such as Dr Bartolo in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Bottom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in his last term at the college Jimmy will be singing the role of Kecal in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride.

Jimmy is the current Hampshire Singer of the Year having won the 10th anniversary of the competition last year and has recently been awarded a place at The National Opera Studio for next year.

To help talented singers, such as Jimmy, visit How you can help us