Soprano Anna Marmion is the winner of this year’s RCS Tony and Tania Music Prize.

Established by the late Tony and Tania Webster, the annual award for piano and voice returned to RCS on Tuesday 14 January for an hour-long showcase of Russian song.

The prize, which alternates each year between voice and piano, sees musicians perform works from often rarely heard composers from the Russian repertoire.

This year, four students took part in the competition in RCS’s Ledger Recital Room, which was adjudicated by RCS graduate and Russian award-winning baritone Alexey Gusev.

Joining Anna and Valeri were Luca-Zsuzsana Cerveni, soprano (accompanied by Max McWhirter), Mariana Rybakova Crespo Da Silva, soprano (accompanied by Max McWhirter) and Alex White, bass (accompanied by Elina Purina).

Anna, who is studying on the MMus Opera, said: “I am delighted to have won the RCS Tony and Tania Music Prize with my duo partner Valeri Ayvazyan. We had a fantastic time preparing our repertoire and delving into the colourful world of Russian song.

“This competition encouraged participants to find more unusual repertoire alongside well-known favourites and discovering new composers is always exciting.

“All the repertoire in our programme was new to me, and half the composers I’d not heard of when we started planning. A particular highlight for me was programming a song by composer Sofia Gubaidulina.”

A love story that spans cultures and a shared passion for music and the arts lies at the heart of the RCS Tony and Tania Music Prize. It not only provides a platform for emerging artists to excel, but also ensures the couple’s legacy lives on.

For their daughter, Tamara Schellander, it’s more than a competition – it celebrates her parents’ commitment to the arts, their belief in the transformative power of music and nurtures the next generation of musical talent.

Anna said: “Awards like this are so valuable for young singers as it enables us to carve time out of our busy schedules to explore and rehearse new repertoire, put together a cohesive programme, and have the chance to perform it.

“The financial award gives us the opportunity to pursue further coaching, which we’re really excited about. We are so grateful to Tamara for supporting this prize.”

Anna and Valeri have been performing  in Haydn’s L’infedeltà delusa at RCS (Anna pictured below) and are looking ahead to The Magic Flute in March, where Anna will sing the role of the Queen of the Night.

“As a duo, we also have some ideas for concert programmes which we look forward to planning!”

Read more about Tony and Tania Webster’s love for the arts and their RCS legacy.