Mr MATT KEAN ( Hornsby ) ( 16:29 ): This week I highlight some of the excellent talent that the Hornsby community has to offer, and someone the Sydney Arts Guide has described as a "striking, compelling baritone of enormous range and power". Young baritone Alexander Knight of Normanhurst has won a year-long contract with the Hessisches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden, Germany. Germany is one of the most prestigious locations at which to not only study but also to perform opera. Alexander began his career playing the piano at the age of five. He began singing when he was only 13.
Now a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Alexander was awarded the 2016 German-Australian Opera Grant in August 2015. He has performed with many of Australia's premier ensembles, including the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, the Sydney Chamber Choir, the Adelaide Chamber Singers and The Song Company. He recently took a lead role in the Sydney Chamber Choir's rendition of Carl Orff's much-loved Carmina Burana, which was performed at Angel Place. I know that his parents, Margie and Steve, and his brother, Chris, are all very proud of Alexander's amazing achievements. I congratulate Alexander, and I wish him all the best as he starts this new and exciting adventure in his career in Germany. He is a remarkable talent who I am sure will be a household name in the near future.
To read the full hansard transcript, click here.
