Shanul SharmaTenor

Born in India, Shanul studied Information Technology at Charles Sturt University in Australia. He launched his singing career as lead vocalist for Heavy-Metal bands releasing three studio albums and fronting national tours over 8 years. Concurrently he explored the classical singing technique as a stylistic expression and in late 2012 relocated to Melbourne to privately commence his classical singing studies.

Shanul has since appeared regularly on the concert, recital and theatrical stages in Australia. During 2014 he made his operatic debut as ‘Don Ramiro’ in Rossini’s La Cenerentola for Opera Australia’s Victorian schools tour and was later engaged to sing the titular role of Massenet’s Werther with Lyric Opera of Melbourne. He also featured on the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir’s CD ‘In the Spirit’.

During 2015 Shanul joined Cheryl Barker and John Bolton-Wood as a featured artist at Stonnington’s ‘Opera in the Park’ and Marina Prior at Gippsland Opera’s ‘Opera by the Lakes’ gala concerts. He sang as a featured artist with the Penrith Symphony Orchestra at ‘Opera in the Q’ under the baton of Paul Terracini and also took part in Opera Australia’s season of Verdi’s Aida on Sydney Harbour. He was also offered a coaching residency at Opera Australia with Joshua Hecht during this time.

2016 saw Shanul as a featured soloist at ‘Opera in the Alps’ and ‘Opera in the Market’ gala concerts, starring alongside Greta Bradman and Teddy Tahu Rhodes under the baton of Guy Noble. He joined David Hobson for his second ‘Opera by the Lakes’ and starred in ‘Canzoni Di Mio Padre’ (a selection of Neapolitan, Roman and Italian songs) at the Melbourne Recital Centre. During this time he also made his oratorio debut with the Frankston Symphony Orchestra as the tenor soloist/Obadiah in Mendelssohn’s Elijah and sang the role of ‘Florville’ in Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino with Lyric Opera of Melbourne.

In late September 2016 Shanul relocated to Cardiff, UK to commence an MA in Advanced Vocal Studies at the Wales International Academy of Voice under the directorship of renowned tenor and vocal coach Mr.Dennis O’Neill CBE. While at WIAV Shanul has worked and studied with several distinguished coaches including Mo.Richard Bonynge and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

Shanul briefly returned to Australia in early 2017 to take part in his second ‘Opera in the Alps’ and ‘Opera in the Market’ gala concerts and through WIAV has appeared as a soloist at various music festivals in Wales.

In April 2017 Shanul was awarded the ‘Canto Lirico’ and ‘2017 Rossini International’ awards at the ‘Concorso Internazionale Musicale Citta di Pesaro’ (CIMP), an annual competition held in Pesaro, Italy to celebrate the works of G.Rossini and in September 2017 he made his Italian debut as 'Ernesto' in Donizetti's opera Don Pasquale.

In 2018 Shanul will be debuting the role of 'Il Conte Almaviva' in Lucca, Italy and Australia (touring) while also making his third appearance at the annual 'Opera in the Market' gala.