I first heard soprano Nicole Car ten years ago at a master class in Melbourne. Her voice was beautiful. The conductor turned to the audience and said, ‘Melbourne sure knows how to produce a good singer!’ And he was right. Car, unlike many young Australian singers today, trained almost exclusively in Melbourne. She eschewed the well-worn path of study at a UK conservatoire and subsequent participation in a European young artist program, and yet she is blessed with a glorious voice and a budding stellar international career. Last year, Car made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, singing Tatyana in Eugene Onegin. And this is the music she presents on her debut album, The Kiss. Another anomaly: rather than a recital disc or a collection of obscure orchestral songs, Car has aimed right for the heart of the lyric-soprano repertoire, and, in doing so, has pitted herself against the greatest singers today and of the last fifty years.

Alongside Slavic arias, Car sings such favourites as Mimi’s ‘Si, mi chiamano Mimi’ from La Bohème – a role she recently performed with Opera Australia. How does Car compare? Not only does she hold her own against the competition, she sings with intelligence and individuality. Her voice is smooth and full, and, on the higher notes – such as the climactic B flat at the end of Dvorák’s ‘Song to the Moon’ – the sound freely unfolds and blossoms. It’s sumptuous and lovely and deserves repeat listenings. My personal favourite, however, is the opening ‘Jewel Song’ from Faust. Car exuberantly portrays the young Marguerite, enchanted by her own beauty, while maintaining metronomic and tonal accuracy. Car’s voice really is uncommonly beautiful, and I wonder what the next ten years will hold for her.

Alexandra Mathew