14-year-old singer Christabelle Borg is the winner of the first singing competition for 13- to 25-year-olds organised by the Malta Academy of Performing Arts.

The final of the competition, in which 18 young singers took part, was held during a special edition of Bla Agenda presented by Norman Hamilton and Anna Bonnet.

The judges of the competition were Pop Idol coaches and stars John Modi and CeCe who last April were also in Malta to conduct master classes and auditions.

Although the prize for the winner of this competition was supposed to be a trip to Belfast for participation in masterclasses and a concert, CeCe announced that they had decided to upgrade the prize so that the winner could take part in the Seth Riggs’ Summer Vocal Programme which will be held in Los Angeles, US between 27 July and 6 August.

Participants in this programme will study Speech Level Singing (SLS) with certified teachers and under the guidance of Seth Riggs, legendary vocal coach to the stars and inventor of the SLS technique. At the summer vocal programme, singers gain the know-how, training, and support to become the confident and compelling performers. With daily live performance opportunities and more than two dozen courses to choose from, singers will learn the artistry and business skills of the professional musician.

Christabelle Borg started singing at the tender age of four under the tutoring of Doreen Galea.

Besides singing, Christabelle hosts her own TV show, Teen Traffic on Net TV.

The academy will be holding a week-long intensive course later on this summer aimed at professional and upcoming singers. Local and foreign experts will be tutoring during this course. More details will be announced shortly. All the participants in the final have been invited to sing during an open air event which will be held in Gozo later this year.

This initiative was supported by Hamilton Travel, The Preluna Hotel, Vivaldi Golden Tulip Hotel and Xara Palace Hotel.