Wesfarmers Arts Young Artists

West Australian baritone Benjamin Del Borrello holds a Bachelor of Music (Classical Vocal: Performance) from The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). He is part of the West Australian Opera Wesfarmers Arts Young Artist Program in 2024/25. Benjamin’s Italian heritage had a profound impact on his musical development from a young age, where he often heard folk tunes and Canzoni Napoletane at family gatherings. This style of music has become one of his favourite to perform for his family and friends. Recent career highlights include: Marcello: La Bohème (Opera Australia National Tour 2024 and 2025) and Baritone Soloist: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (Darwin Symphony Orchestra). Benjamin had his Austrian debut in January 2025 in a concert performance with Stimme, Leib und Seele. Other roles include Figaro: Rapunzel (Il barbiere di Siviglia) (FFO), Quinault: Adriana Lecouvreur (FFO), Apollo/Somnus: Semele (HIP Company), Peter: Hansel and Gretel (WAAPA). Benjamin has also been a semi-finalist in the IFAC HANDA Australian Singing Competition 2023 and was awarded the Rogers and Thick Award for 2023 through Freeze Frame Opera.

Ruth Burke is an Irish-Australian mezzo-soprano. Ruth graduated from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2022 and is currently a 2024/25 Wesfarmers Young Artist with West Australian Opera. In 2024 Ruth made her principal artist debut in WAO’s production of Dido and Aeneas singing the roles of Second Woman and Second Witch. This year, Ruth will be singing the role of Kate Pinkerton with West Australian Opera and making her debut with WASO as Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus. Ruth has also performed as the mezzo-soloist with Darwin Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven 9 in 2022. Ruth has performed the roles of Rosina in Barber of Seville (Schools tour), Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, La Zelatrice in Suor Angelica, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi and Dangeville in Adriana Lecouvreur with Freeze Frame Opera. In 2024/25 Ruth travelled to Austria to study at Stimme Leib und Seele where she worked with conductor Jennifer Condon as well as guest artists.

Kohsei Gilkes is a half-Japanese, half-Australian tenor born and raised in Perth. Kohsei is currently training under the tutelage of Michael Lewis whom he has been working with since he was accepted into WAAPA in 2018. During his time at WAAPA, Kohsei performed roles such as Mars from Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld and The Pirate King from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. Kohsei made his professional debut in 2021 after 4 years of study and continues to work with West Australian Opera. Having transitioned from baritone to tenor in late 2023, Kohsei debuted his first tenor role L’Abate di Chazeuil from Adriana Lecouvre with Freeze Frame Opera. Kohsei is glad to continue his studies for an additional year with the Wesfarmers Arts Young Artist Program and hopes to further study the voice and language through the support provided. Kohsei is glad that WAO has provided artists like him with consistent work and opportunities including teaching. He hopes to use his experience from the program to further his career and to continue his career abroad. Kohsei is grateful to participate in West Australian Opera's Wesfarmers Arts Young Artist Program in 2025.

Perth-born Brett Peart, a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Music in classical vocal performance, is a Wesfarmers Arts Young Artist at WAO for 2024 and 2025. He has been described by The West Australian as 'full of braggadocio but also beguiling charm' and by Seesaw Magazine as 'especially successful in getting into his vocal stride.' Regularly performing with WAO and Freeze Frame Opera (FFO), Peart also has training in musical theatre and contemporary musical performance. His WAO roles include The Mayor (Our Little Inventor), Montano (Otello), Benoit/Parpignol (La Bohème), and The Hunter (Rusalka). With FFO, he has performed Ashby/Jim Larkens (La Fanciulla del West), The Prince (Adriana Lecouvreur), The Businessman (The Little Prince), and the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Peart has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Rosario La Spina, Rachelle Durkin, and Paul O’Neill.