Meet the winner and finalists from the Limelight singing competition!

Not only have David Hobson and Teddy Tahu Rhodes been busy preparing for their national tour and finishing up performance runs with Opera Australia (The Merry Widow and Don Giovanni respectively); they’ve also been sorting through audition videos sent to Limelight from young hopefuls wanting to join them onstage at the Sydney Opera House on November 4.

Entrants in the Limelight competition to sing with David and Teddy sent us a short clip of themselves performing a piece of light opera, music theatre or folksong. We had a range of repertoire from singers of all ages from around Australia, but interestingly the winner and five finalists are all female.

The singer that most impressed the dynamic duo is Emily Edmonds of Kellyville, NSW, who offered up a sultry rendition of the Habanera from Carmen. The 19-year-old mezzo-soprano is in her third year at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she is undertaking a BMus in Performance (Voice).

Edmonds is excited to make her Sydney Opera House debut, much earlier she had imagined and with two of Australia’s great voices by her side. “I want to learn as much as I can from them,” she said.

“Just a couple of weeks ago I saw Teddy in concert with the Sydney Youth Orchestra and I was sitting in the audience hoping I’d have the chance to sing with him!”

As for the music she will be performing – it’s a surprise that will be revealed to audiences on the night.

The five runners-up each receive a prize pack including two A-Reserve tickets to see David and Teddy in their city, The Best of Teddy Tahu Rhodes CD new on ABC Classics and the 100th issue of Limelight magazine. Thank you to all the entrants.

The winning audition and the videos from our finalists can be viewed below and in the pages that follow.

David Hobson and Teddy Tahu Rhodes tour Australia nationally from October 27 to November 26. View event details here.

The Winner

Emily Edmonds, Kellyville, NSW

The Finalists (click on each name to view audition)

Rachel Allen, Keilor Downs VIC

Alana Conway, Maiden Gully VIC

Corinne Cowling, South Perth WA

Elizabeth Edwards, Floreat WA

Maria Geraghty, Brooklyn Park SA

Finalist

Rachel Allen, Keilor Downs VIC

Finalist

Alana Conway, Maiden Gully VIC

Finalist

Corinne Cowling, South Perth WA

Finalist

Elizabeth Edwards, Floreat WA

Finalist

Maria Geraghty, Brooklyn Park SA