Former Rotorua baritone Jarvis Dams wins Sydney opera scholarship

Former Rotorua baritone Jarvis Dams is the recipient of the 2018 Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship. PHOTO/CONTRIBUTED

Former Rotorua man and last year's New Zealand Aria winner Jarvis Dams should be getting used to hearing his name called nearing the end of the evening.

But the baritone says this is not the case and he was as surprised as any to be named as the winner of the prestigious Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship for 2018 only days ago.

Part of Dams' prize package from Aria 2017 was $5000 toward his entry in the Sydney Eisteddfod.

At the time he said he was looking forward to performing in Sydney and that it would be a good challenge.

Rising to that challenge, Dams was one of eight finalists competing for the scholarship.

Of the eight, the only other Kiwi was Taupo's Chelsea Dolman

"It was quite nerve-wracking," Dams said.

"I was competing against people who I had not met before and had no knowledge of their singing ability.

"The final round of the competition was intense," Dams said.

"All of the finalists are hugely talented and their performances were of an incredibly high standard."

Dams described the Eisteddfod experience are awesome and said the competition adjudicators had been inspirational.

"The advice and encouragement they passed on to all contestants was valuable.

He said he approaches every performance with the same attitude – just do your absolute best because that's ultimately all you can do. "After that it's just a matter of seeing what eventuates.

"But hearing your name being announced as a winner is something I'll ever get used to so, when I heard it, on the night of the Eisteddfod, I was absolutely taken aback."

Dams performed Mein Sehnen mein Wahnen from Korngold's Die Tote Stadt and Questo amor from Pucci's Edgar.

Competition adjudicators said he "demonstrated an incredibly high level of vocal technique and took audiences on a journey into the world of the character".

In winning the competition, Dams was awarded a $35,000 scholarship, $5000 cash plus a return economy airfare up to the value of $3000 allowing him the opportunity to engage in advanced studies abroad.

Dams said he would be relocating overseas at some stage although he wasn't too sure when that would be.