Congratulations to Esther Ersfeld our organist who – with soprano Nikki Martin – has won 2nd prize in the prestigious Northern Aldborough Festival 2025 New Voices Singing Competition. Now in its third year, the nationwide search spanning concert halls and conservatoires has become a beacon for emerging talent, with a total £7,000 prize fund. Nikki as soloist and Esther as pianist went head-to-head with three other pairs for the £5k top prize in the final, and managed to secure second prize of £1,500 sponsored by The Yorkshire Music Fund.
Esther said: “The competition was held in the beautiful St. Andrew’s Church in Aldborough, a
stunning venue with a lovely acoustic – and getting the chance to perform on a £220,000 Fazioli piano, was a real highlight for me! Our programme featured a mix of English, German, and French song, as well as some traditional Scottish songs, and it was such a joy to share this music with an engaged and supportive audience.
“It’s always a joy to work with Nikki – we’ve been performing together for nearly two years now, and we’re both really looking forward to continuing our work together as a duo. The whole experience was incredibly welcoming, and it was a real honour to perform for a jury that included Sir Thomas Allen and Dame Jane Glover. It’s definitely something I’ll remember for a long time!”