A Christchurch checkout operator is being groomed to be the world's newest popra diva.

First it was British singer Charlotte Church, then Christchurch's Hayley Westenra, and now 18-year-old Russian-born Julia Townsend is being set for pop-classical-crossover superstardom.

Townsend, born Yulia Beredenko, had already been snapped up by agent Gray Bartlett, who helped launch Westenra to international acclaim.

Townsend can still be found scanning groceries at Fresh Choice, in the Barrington Mall, in between preparing for her northern and southern hemisphere debuts.

Her career will be launched by Russian bass vocalist Ivan Rebroff, who has notched 12 million sales, when he performs in Christchurch this month.

She will sing Ave Maria with him on March 27 at the Christchurch Town Hall Auditorium.

In April she will share the bill with opera superstar Russell Watson when he performs with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.

Townsend discovered her voice singing in the karaoke haunts of her home town of Volgograd.

When she moved to New Zealand with her mother, Galina, who married Christchurch real-estate agent Bill Townsend, the homesick teenager sought solace in song-writing.

She began by penning songs in her mother tongue, but soon began writing in English.

"I am not Hayley Westenra or anyone else. I am Julia Townsend," she said.