With three remaining heats episodes left this season, Episode 8 will feature performances from baritone Daniel Felton and pianist Jay Brendan Del Rosario. Daniel and Jay will present programmes featuring the works of Mahler, Mozart, Uehara, Rachmaninoff, and more before receiving on-air feedback from our mentors. Evan J Lawson returns and is joined by guest mentor – baritone Michael Lampard. Continue reading to learn more about Daniel and Jay.

---

Baritone Daniel Felton

Lyric baritone Daniel Felton has over 20 years of experience in dance, various musical instruments, and professional operatic and choral performance. After performing in VCAA’s Top Class Concert of 2013, Daniel completed his Bachelor of Music with Honours from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. 

Since then, he has worked with numerous opera companies in Australia, such as Opera Scholars Australia, BK Opera, iOpera, Lyric Opera, Melbourne Opera, Opera Australia, and Australian International Productions. His chorus credits include Le Nozze di Figaro, Carmen, Fidelo, Götterdämmerung and La Traviata. Some major roles to his name are ‘Dwarf 7’ in the world premiere of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, ‘Schaunard’ from La Boheme, and ‘Jack Point’ in GSOV’s 2022 production of Yeoman of the Guard. 

Most recently, Daniel has been working with the Australia Contemporary Opera Company as a resident artist. He was heavily featured in Kate Kelly and Figatroll with the 2020 Yarra Valley Opera Festival, and continued to be involved with the company’s 2022 opera season.

Outside of classical music, Daniel continues to sing with other vocal ensembles. After completeing tertiary studies, he has performed and competed in Australia and overseas with Australian a Cappella champion group: Burgundy Blue, and recently released an album with them collating music arranged and recorded throughout the pandemic. Moreover, Daniel has been singing with Exaudi Youth Choir since 2013, and was part of the National Youth Choir of Australia’s 2021 season. 

Daniel will perform:

• T.Mallis: “War” from The Burning Marl
• G.Mahler: “Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen” from Rücket Lieder
• W.A.Mozart: “Hai Gia Vinta La Causa” from Le Nozze Di Figaro

With associate artist Geoff Urquhart

---

Pianist Jay Brendan Del Rosario

For much of his childhood, Jay studied the piano independently, relying on chord charts and lead sheets to learn music. His formal pianistic tuition did not begin until 2018 where he studied under Eddie Dorn. During this time, Jay developed a love for jazz, studying music ranging from Herbie Hancock to Chris Potter. Jay was an active member of his high school concert band and orchestra, leading to him conducting ensembles and arranging instrumental and vocal music for intra-school competitions.

It was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that Jay began seriously exploring solo piano Western Art Music, subsequently leading to him enrolling at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, where he currently studies under Kristian Chong. He has furthered an interest in Japanese jazz music, notably presenting material composed by Hiromi Uehara.

As an experienced musical theatre pianist, Jay has been involved in high school productions of We Will Rock You (Queen), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and Chicago. He was also invited to be the Assistant Music Director for the February 2022 Broadway Unplugged concert, presented by Be You Inc. He has also recently begun exploring early Baroque music, studying basso continuo under the guidance of Donald Nicolson.

Jay wishes to continue exploring piano works beyond standard repertoire, bringing forth rhythmic and harmonic concepts not always heard in Western literature.

Jay will perform:

• H.Uehara: Spectrum
• G.Ligeti: Étude Book 1 no. 4 “Fanfares”
• S.Rachmaninoff: Étude in D Major, op. 39 no.9

Tune in to The Talent every Tuesday night at 7pm to 103.5FM 3MBS Melbourne. You can also stream the live broadcast at 3mbs.org.au or catch up later on our podcast! Just search for “The Talent 3MBS“ in your favourite podcast app and subscribe.