Jonathan Lemalu has won two prestigious music awards in London recently.

Mr Lemalu (26) is a Dunedin opera singer who studied singing with Honor McKellar and law ay Otago University.

The former Mobil Song Quest winner won the Royal Philharmonic Society's Young Artist award yesterday and was the joint winner of the 47th Kathleen Ferrier Awards on April 26.

The Royal Philharmonic Society award celebrates musical achievement in Britain during 2001. The Kathleen Ferrier awards are named in memory of the much-loved British contralto.

The Ferrier prizes were awarded at a function at the Dorchester Hotel by Sir Thomas Allan CBE, a celebrated baritone. Mr Lemalu and Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill (26) each received £7500, a Wigmore Hall recital and a web site.

Details of the Royal Philharmonic Society prize could not be obtained last night. Attempts to contact Mr Lemalu in London were also unsuccessful.

Mrs McKellar said last night she had just heard the news of Mr Lemalu's most recent success in the Royal Philharmonic society awards. The awards acknowledged all musicians, not just singers, and confirmed Mr Lemalu was highly regarded as an artist.

She was pleased for her former student, who began private tuition with her as a young tertiary student. "The first time I heard him perform in the novice section of competitions, I knew I had heard something quite extraordinary,"Mrs McKellar said.

Marjorie Cook, May 2002, Otago Daily Times - www.odt.co.nz