Singing is what I used to do to get away from studies: Darwin Prakash

While the US has the largest representation in the competition followed by Russia, a participant from the UK — Liam James Karai — is of Indian descent. Part Scottish and Irish, the 26-year-old Hong Kong-born musician is a bass-baritone and currently a member of the Hamburg State Opera.

“I am extremely excited about Operalia happening in India. When I came to know that Mumbai is the venue, I felt my heart beating fast because it’s home for me,” says Prakash, who was born in Mumbai in a Tamil-speaking family and grew up in the Capital.

After his graduation, he met acclaimed British vocal coach Robert Alderson in 2014, when he was invited to give vocal masterclasses at The Neemrana Music Foundation. Alderson immediately spotted his innate talent. After a few lessons with Prakash, where he explored his voice “in a deeper fashion”, he told young Prakash that he has the potential to make opera a career. “He (Alderson) told me to think about dedicating just one year of my life and come to the UK to give opera singing a chance. He shared his personal story, where he left his secure job to chase his passion of becoming a vocal professor. I liked singing and his reasons really convinced me, so I decided to take a chance,” he explained.

Before leaving India, Alderson left young Prakash under the tutelage of Delhi-based vocal coach Situ Singh Buehler. She was asked to look after him and prepare him for his journey, including teaching him art songs in Italian through an Aria Antique Singing book. She also taught him his first German Lied (song).

“I didn’t have the means to go to the UK. Robert sir said he will help me out, and within two months he organised the funding for me to be there.” He adds, “So, it was really a leap of faith from both ends and thank god we trusted each other,” he says.

Prakash arrived in the UK on a six-month visa in 2014, while Alderson’s initial plan was twelve months. He lived with Alderson and his mother, who became like family to him. Within the first few days of his arrival, he was already studying the basics of singing, theory, keyboard skills, and other aspects of music, and had regular homework. “Whenever he would leave the house, he gave me homework to do. He was very meticulous, and he followed through; I’d just have to do it,” says Prakash.
Within the six months, he prepared for an audition to a master’s programme in opera at the Royal Academy of Music, London, on a scholarship. He graduated in 2019 with the Queen’s Commendation of Excellence.

Since then, he has made a living as a performer at Staatsoper Hannover (Germany) under their Young Artist Programme, which provides training for those at the beginning of their professional opera careers. In 2022, he was promoted to an ensemble member, performing much bigger roles in showcases, which he has been doing to date. Currently, he is back in the UK for the summer at the Longborough Festival Opera, where he will be performing Marcello in La Boheme. “Whenever Germany offers a position, we usually take it because traditionally singers live a freelancer’s life, and sometimes you will be out of a job for a while. A position in Germany is valued as you become an employed member of the theatre and get a contract. So, my job was secure, and I received a salary even during Covid,” says Prakash.

Winner of the 2019 National Mozart Competition in the UK and the Premio Extraordinario (Extraordinary Prize) at the 2021 Tenor Viñas International Competition in Spain, he also received the Gus Christie award at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival, one of the most celebrated opera houses.

He has been working for five years and has not had many opportunities to come to India. “As an Indian singer, I would like to perform in India which, of course, happens with opportunity along with the fact that it’s now work for me. I have to earn something. I can’t just do it for exposure anymore because I am past that age. That comes with good infrastructure, which I wish there was more of in India,” he says. “Classical music creates a different kind of sound compared to pop, so the space needs to reflect that and the people who organise the event need to know how to handle that. That’s why I’m happy that I get to come to Mumbai for Operalia and interact with the audience there who are familiar with the Western classical music community,” he elaborates.

While he feels that, at the moment, it is unavoidable to move abroad to make a career in western classical music, he believes that India has the potential to become a major market in the field. “India has a population of 1.7 billion people; even the smallest fraction of the number who like classical music would still be a big number, and that is enough. It’s more than the population of many western countries,” he says.