Bocelli-Jameel scholar Henna Mun wins the prestigious John Christie award at Glyndebourne

Community Jameel congratulates Henna Mun, a 2023 Bocelli-Jameel scholar at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London, on receiving the John Christie award at the 2024 Glyndebourne festival.

Named in honour of the founder of Glyndebourne Opera House, the award was established in 1965 to advance the career of outstanding young talent in the Glyndebourne Festival company who can still benefit from an opportunity for further study. John Christie’s grandson, Gus Christie, executive chairman of Glyndebourne, presented the award to Henna.

During the summer, Henna participated in Glyndebourne’s 2024 festival as a Jerwood young artist, appearing in ‘Carmen’ and ‘The Merry Widow’ among other productions throughout the season.

Henna is studying at the international opera studio at the RCM, where she received the Andrea Bocelli Foundation-Community Jameel scholarship in 2023. She will shortly begin the second year of her artist diploma in opera at the RCM.

Now a world-famous opera venue, the Glyndebourne Opera House in Lewes, England, began in 1934 with a love story, when John Christie met his wife, soprano Audrey Mildmay. Together, they built a world-renowned auditorium and opened an opera festival within in the grounds of their home, inspired by their shared passion for music.

Launched in 2019 to support students at the RCM, the Andrea Bocelli Foundation-Community Jameel scholarship is awarded to talented musicians, on the basis of both merit, assessed at audition, and their need for support to overcome barriers and access the world-class training available at the RCM.

The scholarship was established by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, founded by world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli, and Community Jameel, an international organisation advancing science and learning for communities to thrive.  

Previous recipients of the scholarship have come from France, Egypt and South Korea.