Perth soprano Emily Davis is one of just 10 young performers from across the country selected for the semi-finals of a leading national classical singing competition.
The 23-year-old will travel to Sydney in August after progressing through the 2026 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition heats held around Australia.
Ms Davis was one of three WA singers to be selected for the national semi-finals, alongside bass baritone Samuel Claxton and tenor Ciaran McChord.
Although now an accomplished classical singer, Ms Davis said her musical journey began at West Leederville Primary School, where she learned cello before her father suggested singing might be a better fit.
“Dad said, ‘I don’t think you should do cello because you’re not that great at it,’” she said, laughing.
“So I decided to go for a solo in our school choir and ended up getting it. That was really my first experience singing.”
She later joined the gifted and talented music program at Churchlands Senior High School, where weekly individual lessons gave her the chance to explore a range of music styles before she eventually settled on classical singing.
Ms Davis went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in classical voice at WAAPA and is currently studying honours at the University of WA.
She said entering the Australian Singing Competition was considered a major milestone for young classical singers.
“It’s probably the most sought-after competition for young classical singers in Australia,” she said.
Applications opened earlier this year before singers competed in State heats, which were judged by national and local adjudicators.
Despite feeling confident in her performance, Davis said nerves almost got the better of her during the Perth heat.
“I’m not usually a nervous performer, but for some reason I slept really badly the night before . . . I think I only slept for about an hour,” she said.
“So it was a pleasant surprise when I found out I was in the semi-finals.”
The semi-finals will be held in North Sydney in August, when competitors will perform repertoire from several required classical categories before the judges determine who progresses to the final round.
While opera remains a major focus of classical music in Perth, Davis said she ultimately hopes the competition could create opportunities to pursue art song — a style of classical singing centred around poetry and intimate performances.
“It’s more focused on poetry and is a lot more intimate,” she said.
“We have opera performances here, but art song is probably a genre that needs a little bit more encouragement.”
For now, however, her focus remains on preparing for Sydney.
“The thing I’m most excited about is meeting new people in Sydney and getting to know the other singers from across Australia,” she said.
“Just being able to make some new friends and have some new experiences is something I’m really looking forward to.”
