A MULTI-TALENTED Halton musician is set for a distinguished ca­reer in opera after she was ac­cepted for the Royal Northern Col­lege of Music
Hanna-Liisa Midwood-Kirchin, 17, a Widnesian who now lives in Runcorn, beat more than 140 other musicians from around the globe to land a place on the course after a series .of, suc­cessful auditions.
She now becomes one of a select few and is probably the only Halton person in decades to do 'voice' at the world famous college"
Hanna, who is currently A-levels in music, music technology, theatre studies and English Literature at the Widnes and Runcorn Sixth Form College in Cronton Lane.wi1l embark on a intense four-year course in which she will have to crack a tough regime of singing, theatre and acting lessons as she begins her first step to becoming a fully fledged .opera singer.
'I'm really looking forward to the challenge,' said Hanna.
'I went to a number of auditions throughout the country but managed to get through at the Royal Northern Col­lege of Music in Manchester and I'm really pleased to be going there in September.
'There were people from all .over the country auditioning and even girls from other countries. One girl from

HIGH NOTE: Hanna-Liisa Midwood Kirchin has won a place at the Royal Northern College of Music to study opera.

Japan had come over especially for this particular audition, so the competition to get accepted was quite hard.’
The teenager has already had her first taste of success after she brought the house down at the Vikings v Brad- ford Bulls match early last season and is an accomplished singer.
 Hanna showed early signs of her talent at Fairfield High in Peelhouse Lane after she picked up the saxophone and flute and went to reach a high standard of music.
She had already been perfecting the piano when she arrived at the Widnes school after 10 years of hard training. However, she points to her old music teacher at the school Janet Whittingham, as the catalyst for- her recent success.
  Hanna added: 'Janet was the inspiration for me. She puts a lot of hard work and education. into the pupils at the school and she has been a' great in­fluence in my music career so far. She's. a great teacher and gave me the con­fidence that I have I have now.
Hanna had only been singing under
  the guidance of Mrs Whittingham for.
just over a year before she gained the necessary qualifications to set her up for future auditions and, come September, she will join 18 other students on the college course.