Fast-rising soprano Isabella Moore has won the prestigious Dame Malvina Major Foundation Christchurch Aria.

The 23-year old New Zealand-born Samoan returned from her vocal studies in Wales to take out the $5,000 first prize. Second place and a prize of $2,500 was awarded to soprano Eliza Boom, with baritone, Edward Laurenson, awarded third prize of $500.

Organised by the Christchurch Competitions Society, seventeen vocalists from Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton performed in the preliminaries in Avonhead on Friday evening with six going through to the gala finals on Saturday night.

Distinguished tenor and vocal lecturer Patrick Power, ONZM, adjudicated the competition and says all three of these young singers have the qualities required to make an international career.

“Isabella has already embarked on the first stages having completed her first year at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice with Dennis O’Neill.”

The Dame Malvina Major Foundation Christchurch Aria is the first of the 2014 regional Dame Malvina Major Foundation Aria Competitions which lead into the NZ Aria Competition held in Rotorua in early November.

Dame Malvina Major says that she was encouraged to see so many entries from young New Zealand vocalists with huge potential and thrilled to see Isabella once again recognised for her talents. Last year Isabella was awarded a Dame Malvina Major Arts Excellence Award of $5,000 towards her studies in Wales and won The Dame Malvina Major First Prize at the Nelson Aria last year.

"For these talented young performers, the opportunity to perform and participate in a competition of this calibre is invaluable as they prepare for a professional career.  For The Dame Malvina Major Foundation, it is very rewarding to invest in the next generation of aspiring young opera singers. Congratulations Isabella – and Eliza and Edward – on your success.”