Margaret Pride Scholars
This scholarship is named after the founder of the Perth Symphonic Chorus.
Perth Symphonic Chorus has always supported and benefited from emerging artists. We are proud to have been a part of the development of many shining stars of the Australian and international opera stages, including Taryn Fiebig, Sara Macliver, and Lisa Harper-Brown. We hope to continue to honour this ethos, instilled by the Choir’s founder, Dr Margaret Pride, by formally starting an avenue of supporting and providing mentorship and performance opportunities for singers in the transition phase from tertiary study to professional work.
Young Artists 2024/25
Sophie Hamer - Soprano
James Pinneri - Baritone
Choral Scholars 2024/25
Karlie Strahan - Alto
Emma Hazel - Alto
Sophie Hamer
Young Artist - Soprano
Sophie Hamer is an Australian/British Soprano based in Perth, and is the proud recipient of the Amelia Joscelyne Memorial Scholarship with Melba Opera Trust for 2025.
Sophie’s Operatic Repertoire includes Ino ‘Semele, Eccles’ (HIP Company)(Australian Premiere) and Angelina ‘Trial by Jury, Gilbert and Sullivan’ (Perth Symphonic Chorus), and Concert Repertoire including Soprano Soloist ‘Invictus: A Passion, Goodall’ (Perth Symphonic Chorus)(Australian Premiere), Soprano Soloist (Cover) ‘Messiah, Handel’ (Perth Symphonic Chorus), and Soprano Soloist ‘Enchanted Encounters - Songs of the Supernatural’ (West Australian Opera).
Sophie is a recent graduate of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), and achieved her Bachelor of Music in Classical Vocal Performance; Sophie’s WAAPA credits include Mabel ‘The Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert and Sullivan’, The Dew Fairy ‘Hansel and Gretel, Humperdinck’, Soprano Soloist ‘Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen BWV 51, J.S. Bach’, and Soprano Soloist ‘Coronation Mass in C, W.A. Mozart’.
Sophie is an inaugural Young Artist with the Perth Symphonic Chorus (2023-2025), and an Artist in Residence with Opera Lovers WA (2024-2025).
Past Scholars
2022: Jessica Taylor
2021: Jessica Taylor & Brett Peart
Karlie Strahan
Choral Scholar - Alto
Karlie Strahan is a 26 year old Mezzo-Soprano with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice from WAAPA. Under the tutelage of Australian star Nicole Youl, Karlie’s highlights include the role of ‘The Witch’ in Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel and ‘Kate’ in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, along with the stunning works from her own curated recitals featuring Liszt, Elgar, Hahn, Mendelssohn, Weber and more. In 2023, Karlie won first place for the Lieder section at the North of Perth Music Festival.
Karlie has performed a plethora of ensemble and choral works including J. Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Björn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice’s Chess The Musical, Faure’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem and Mozart’s Coronation Mass as a soloist for the Benedictus. She is set to perform Handel’s Messiah twice in 2024, once as a soloist with Opus WA (8, 9, 23) and once as a part of Perth Symphonic Chorus.
Karlie can’t wait to represent PSC as a choral scholar for the 2024/25 season!
James Pinneri
Young Artist - Baritone
James Pinneri is a 24 year old Classically trained Baritone from Perth, WA. He has recently completed his Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice at WAAPA under the tutelage of acclaimed Baritone Michael Lewis. While at WAAPA, he sung the roles of the Sergeant in ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ by Gilbert and Sullivan (2021) and the role of Peter in ‘Hansel and Gretel’ by Engelbert Humperdinck (2022). He also won the inaugural ‘Winifred Hurford’ Singing award as part of the Royal Schools Music Club Excellence Awards in 2022. He sung the Baritone solo in ‘Fantasia on Christmas Carols’ by Vaughan Williams as part of PSC’s Christmas concert in 2022 as well as taking part in PSC’s ‘Messiah’ concert. James is very excited to be a Choral Scholar with the Perth Symphonic Chorus for 2023-2025!
Emma Hazel
Choral Scholar - Alto
Emma Hazell is an Australian mezzo-soprano. Emma showed an interest in music from a young age and was heavily involved in the music program at Carine Senior High School, where she sang in the school choir and vocal quartet. She is a WAAPA graduate having completed her Bachelor of Music in 2020. Her performance credits include the role of Minerva in Orpheus in the Underworld and the chorus of Die Fledermaus. Since her time at WAAPA she has performed regularly with Opus WA. Performances include The Messiah by Handel and L’Elisir D’Amore by Donizetti. In 2023, she performed the role of Dorabella in a workshop performance of Cosi Fan Tutte by Mozart, directed and coached by Ian Westrip. Recently, she has also worked with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, appearing as Baroness von Krakenfeldt in The Grand Duke (2022) and Casilda in The Gondoliers (2024).