Australian-British soprano Molly Ryan is currently completing her Master of Music Studies (Opera Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Maree Ryan AM.
In the recent finals of the 2024 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition with the Opera Australia Orchestra, Molly received the Merenda Legacy Prize and the Ingrid Davidson Prize. In the finals of the 2024 Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship, previously known as the Sun Aria Competition, Molly was awarded 2nd prize, performing with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra. Other competition success includes receiving first prize of the 2023 Demant Dreikurs Song Scholarship Competition of which she was also a finalist for in 2022.
Molly has additionally received various academic awards and scholarships, including the Greenberg Gurney Jensen Fund (2024), the PATIM Fund (2021-2024), the Helen Myers Scholarship (2020), the Florence Mary Verga-Smith Award (2019) and the Henderson Travellers Scholarship (2023) which afforded her the opportunity to undertake an opera school program at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK.
In 2024, Molly created the roles of Mother ‘The Lullaby’ (Zhen), Menarche ‘Menarche’ (O’Donoghue) and Tree 3 ‘In Cosmic Utero’ (Draguns) in the world premiere of Sydney Conservatorium X NIDA’s opera project, ‘Mother’, directed by Lindy Hume and conducted by Stephen Mould and Simon Lobelson.
Molly has performed the roles of ‘Theodora’ (Handel), Die Hexe ‘Hänsel und Gretel’ (Humperdinck), Piacere ‘Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno’ (Handel), La Princesse ‘L’enfant et les sortilèges’ (Ravel), Belinda and Second Witch ‘Dido and Aeneas’ (Purcell), Mauxalinda ‘The Dragon of Wantley’ (Lampe), Susanna ‘Il Segretto di Susanna’ (Wolf-Ferarri), Maguelonne ‘Cendrillon’ (Viardot) and various soloists in The Fairy Queen (Purcell).
In the recent finals of the 2024 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition with the Opera Australia Orchestra, Molly received the Merenda Legacy Prize and the Ingrid Davidson Prize. In the finals of the 2024 Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship, previously known as the Sun Aria Competition, Molly was awarded 2nd prize, performing with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra. Other competition success includes receiving first prize of the 2023 Demant Dreikurs Song Scholarship Competition of which she was also a finalist for in 2022.
Molly has additionally received various academic awards and scholarships, including the Greenberg Gurney Jensen Fund (2024), the PATIM Fund (2021-2024), the Helen Myers Scholarship (2020), the Florence Mary Verga-Smith Award (2019) and the Henderson Travellers Scholarship (2023) which afforded her the opportunity to undertake an opera school program at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK.
In 2024, Molly created the roles of Mother ‘The Lullaby’ (Zhen), Menarche ‘Menarche’ (O’Donoghue) and Tree 3 ‘In Cosmic Utero’ (Draguns) in the world premiere of Sydney Conservatorium X NIDA’s opera project, ‘Mother’, directed by Lindy Hume and conducted by Stephen Mould and Simon Lobelson.
Molly has performed the roles of ‘Theodora’ (Handel), Die Hexe ‘Hänsel und Gretel’ (Humperdinck), Piacere ‘Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno’ (Handel), La Princesse ‘L’enfant et les sortilèges’ (Ravel), Belinda and Second Witch ‘Dido and Aeneas’ (Purcell), Mauxalinda ‘The Dragon of Wantley’ (Lampe), Susanna ‘Il Segretto di Susanna’ (Wolf-Ferarri), Maguelonne ‘Cendrillon’ (Viardot) and various soloists in The Fairy Queen (Purcell).
Molly’s concert soloist repertoire has included soprano soloist in Messiah (Handel), Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven), Krönungsmesse (Mozart), Missa in Angustiis (Haydn), Missa Cellensis (Haydn), Magnificat (Vivaldi), Requiem Op. 48 (Faure), Missa ultima (Hasse), Gloria in excelsis Deo BWV 191 (Bach) and Hierusalem (Dyson).
She has performed as a soloist with various orchestras and choirs, including the Opera Australia Orchestra, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, North Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Sydney University Graduate Choir, Hobart’s Allegri Ensemble, Illawarra Choral Society, Manly Warringah Choir and Orchestra, Radio Community Chest, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Ecumenical Choir, and St Paul’s College Choir where she worked as a soprano choral scholar.
In 2023, Molly joined the ensemble at Musgrove Opera for a Sydney Schools schools tour performance of Sid the Serpent (Fox), including a performance at the Sydney Opera House.
Her Masterclasses include that by Dr Graham Johnson OBE, Zoe Zeniodi, David Miller AM, Lynne Dawson, Justin Williams, Michael Smallwood and Christian Mueller. Molly holds a Bachelor of Music (Performance) with High Distinction from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she also received prizes in Academic Merit and was recognised on the Dean’s List of Academic Excellence.
She has performed as a soloist with various orchestras and choirs, including the Opera Australia Orchestra, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, North Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Sydney University Graduate Choir, Hobart’s Allegri Ensemble, Illawarra Choral Society, Manly Warringah Choir and Orchestra, Radio Community Chest, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Ecumenical Choir, and St Paul’s College Choir where she worked as a soprano choral scholar.
In 2023, Molly joined the ensemble at Musgrove Opera for a Sydney Schools schools tour performance of Sid the Serpent (Fox), including a performance at the Sydney Opera House.
Her Masterclasses include that by Dr Graham Johnson OBE, Zoe Zeniodi, David Miller AM, Lynne Dawson, Justin Williams, Michael Smallwood and Christian Mueller. Molly holds a Bachelor of Music (Performance) with High Distinction from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she also received prizes in Academic Merit and was recognised on the Dean’s List of Academic Excellence.
Biography not to be reproduced without permission. Please contact Molly for an up-to-date or condensed version.
CV available upon request.