Singer Sophie wins festival gold medal

The award, made at the discretion of adjudicator David Kirby-Ashmore, also carried with it a 250 prize and was the pinnacle of a highly successful series of performances by Sophie, now 22.

For the past three years she has won the title of Most Promising Young Singer at the Hastings event, and this time also secured the Molly Townsend Cup for English Song; the Paul Hamburger Cup for International Song; the Conchita Supervia Cup for Operatic Women and the June Elgar Memorial Championship Trophy.

Sophie is a born and bred Bexhillian and attended All Saints and King Offa schools, Bexhill High School and Bexhill College.

She later attended Leeds University to read Maths, and is now working in London where in her spare time she is studying with Patricia Rozario and being coached on various opera-singing courses.

Proud father David Pullen said: "Sophie's interest in singing only came to light in her teens, when she joined the youth opera group at Glyndebourne in 2004 with little singing or stage experience.

"It was suggested she should have singing lessons with Jane Metcalfe in Hastings, who from 2005 to 2009 helped her to develop her voice."

Sophie sang with Leeds Youth Opera, taking several major roles in full-length, staged opera productions, and last autumn she sang in performances of a rare Donizetti opera at the Royal Opera House.

A recording of the opera is due to be released later this year.

Next year, Sophie plans to attend a full-time, post-graduate singing course at one of the major London Music Colleges in order to advance her career as a soprano.

She recently performed in two of the Mayoress's charity concerts, including a 30-minute recital with Francis Rayner last Saturday at the Cooden Beach Hotel.