Anna Netrebko And Yusif Eyvazov Perform Igor Krutoy In Sochi

Hip Opera Stars: Yusif Eyvazov and Anna Netrebko during rehearsals in Sochi, Russia, for "New Wave."

Soprano Anna Netrebko, currently singing Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera, was joined by her fiancé Yusif Eyvazov in singing music of Igor Krutoy a the opening of the popular singing competition known as "New Wave" in Sochi, Russia. The October 5 event drew spectators like the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedeva and wife Svetlana, singer Philipp Kirkorov, singer Joseph Kobzon, actor Vladimir Vinokur, singer Lev Leshchenko, and more. This new musical project is based on poems of Lilia Vinogradova set to music of Igor Krutoy. The conductor for the evening was Nikita Mikhalkov. Ms. Netrebko has previously discussed the duets album she is recording with her fiancé of the Krutoy music. She has stated in an interview she is not interested in doing crossover music, but the lyrical songs of Igor Krutoy are just too beautiful not to sing. [Source] More photos, and a couple videos from the concert, after the jump.

Music Lovers: The happy couple backstage after singing Igor Krustoy in Sochi, Russia.

Finale Of XV International Tchaikovsky Competition Voice Division

Opera Fresh highlighted some outstanding soprano and mezzo-soprano voices that entered the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition. All four choices made it to the second round, with two making it to the finals. These are the artists and the selections they sang with orchestra:

 Antonina Vesenina (Russia)

"Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" from Die Zauberflöte by Mozart

"Hymn to the Sun" from The Golden Cockerel by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Click here to watch the performance

Yulia Matochkina (Russia)

"Prostite vy, holmy, polya rodnye" from The Maid of Orleans by Tchaikovsky

"Acerba voluttà" from Adriana Lecouvreur by Cilea

Click here to watch the performance

Did one of these singers win the prize? See results after the jump.

Fiorenza Cedolins And Pietro Ballo Honored At Grand Prix Dell'Opera

Mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cedolins was 
bestowed "Italian Voice of the World."

"Brillanti i giovani talenti lirici, Fiorenza Cedolins interprete magistrale, brillante direzione orchestrale del M° Roberto Gianola. Stasera alle 21,15 andrà in onda su Tv Parma uno special sul Grand Prix dell’Opera, spettacolo andato in scena nel Teatro Regio sabato scorso: un’occasione per dare visibilità a cinque «nuove proposte» della lirica, prescelte dall’organizzatore Maurizio Macaluso con la supervisione tecnica del celebre soprano Fiorenza Cedolins....Invitato per l’assegnazione del premio alla carriera, il grande tenore palermitano Pietro Ballo ha interpretato «I’ te vurria vasà», lasciando poi spazio al baritono Giovanni Tiralongo, suo allievo. Tra i premiati, il direttore dell’Orchestra del Grand Prix – Parma 2015, Roberto Gianola (premio direzione orchestrale). Il premio «Voce italiana del Mondo» è stato quindi assegnato a Fiorenza Cedolins: una presenza prestigiosa, arricchita da un’interpretazione magistrale della «Vergine degli angeli» (Forza del Destino) e «Io son l’umile ancella» (Adriana Lecrouveur). Briosa e signorile la conduzione dell’amato presentatore televisivo Fabrizio Frizzi che, a fine serata, si è prestato a «un gioco», come lo ha definito lui stesso: il duetto della Vedova Allegra cantato a fianco della Cedolins. Accanto a lui la giornalista di Tv Parma, Manuela Boselli, nel ruolo di co-conduttrice." [Source] Other singers on the program included Pietro Adaini, Daniel Giulianini di Forlì, Paolo Ingrasciotta, Veronica Marini, Francesca Pierpaoli, and Giovanni Tiralongo. Watch a video clip after the jump.

Tenor Pietro Ballo was honored with a career lifetime award.

Multi-Cultural Coloratura Soprano Will Represent Armenia At Eurovision

Mary-Jean O'Doherty at the Paris Opera Awards

"Opera singer Mary-Jean O'Doherty who is representing Armenia in the 2015 Eurovision contest is revealed to be an Australian citizen. She will enter the upcoming Eurovision song contest as a member of Armenian supergroup, Genealogy. However, talented Opera singer Mary-Jean O'Doherty has been revealed to be an Australian citizen who was trained while living in Sydney. While actually born in Houston, Texas, the performer was born to an Australian father and a Greek-Armenian mother, giving her a very global heritage. Due to her heritage and the fact that ARIA Award-winner Guy Sebastian was announced as the Australian representative last week, Mary-Jean was eligible for selection elsewhere. She was personally picked by the first lady of Armenia, Rita Sargsyan to join the group made up of six members, all from different continents. Only formed this year in support of the annual singing competition, Mary will perform alongside Armenian native Inga Arshakyan, Vahe Tilbian from Ethiopia, American Tamar Kaprelian, Stephanie Topalian from Japan and French-born Essaï Altounian. Mary completed her studies in the States and graduated from high school and college in North Carolina, before receiving a Bachelor Of Music degree in voice and flute performance. She moved back to Australia to continue her music career where she won the ABC Symphony Australia Young Vocalist Award in 2007. The next year she was the first ever recipient of the Australian International Opera Award. Genealogy released the single earlier this week that they will be performing at the competition in Austria this May, 'Don't Deny' which has been received positively by critics." [Source] Watch three performances by the soprano after the jump.

World Sopranos Announced For Cardiff Singer Competition 2015

Competitors have been announced for the 2015 Cardiff Singer of the World. The list of sopranos inlcudes Nadine Koutcher (Russia), Aviva Fortunata (Canada), Anaïs Constans (France), Kelebogile Besong (South Africa), Regula Mühlemann (Switzerland), Lauren Michelle (USA), and Céline Forrest (Wales). Watch videos featuring all of these women after the jump. Learn more about all the singers in the competition by clicking here. Sopranos Soile Isokoski and Kiri Te Kanawa will be on the jury for the competition, the full list is here. Cardiff Singer of the World will take place June 14-21, 2015.

Soprano Lella Cuberli To Preside Over Jury Of Vocal Competition

Lella Cuberli in the title role of
Semiramide at the Metropolitan Opera.

"Il soprano Lella Cuberli presiederà la giuria internazionale della Sessantanovesima edizione 2015 del Concorso 'Comunità Europea' per Giovani Cantanti Lirici, che si terrà al Teatro Nuovo di Spoleto dal 24 al 28 febbraio. Gli altri membri della giuria sono: Antonina Boneva (docente al Conservatorio di Sofia-Bulgaria), Carlo Donadio (rappresentante della Direzione Artistica del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma), Claudio Desderi (baritono), Enrico Girardi (critico musicale del 'Corriere della Sera' e docente di Storia della Musica all'Università Cattolica di Milano e Brescia), Karen Stone (sovrintendente del Teatro di Magdeburgo) e Michelangelo Zurletti (direttore artistico del Teatro Lirico Sperimentale di Spoleto 'A. Belli'). " [Source] The competition will feature a new "Cesare Valleti Prize" of € 8,000.00. There are also prizes for 1st place (€ 4,000.00), 2nd place (€ 3,000.00), and 3rd place (€ 1,000.00). Learn more about the competition by clicking here. Watch a video of Lella Cuberli singing "A che il morir non è," from Rossini's Tancredi, after the jump.

Szilvia Vörös Wins Grand Prix At Éva Marton Singing Competition

The mezzo-soprano was the only
Hungarian in the competition.

"The jury of eight members, all of them outstanding representatives of the international opera world, awarded as a result of their discussion far into the night the 26-year-old mezzosoprano, Szilvia Vörös the Grand Prix at the Liszt Academy. On Saturday the Final round of the competition, which started on Monday, was full house. The eleven competitors (Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese (from China and Hong Kong), Romanian and Polish) sang in the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy, and were accompanied by the MÁV Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ádám Medveczky. This has been the first international competition organized by the institute itself since the renovation of the Liszt Academy was finished last autumn. The 29-year-old Romanian baritone, Aghenie Alexandru was awarded the First Prize, which is worth 12,000 euros. He sang one aria from Gounod's Faust and one from Verdi's Il trovatore. The 30-year-old Ukranian soprano, Tetiana Zhuravel got the Second Prize, that is, 9,000 euros, while the 28-year-old Polish soprano, Marcelina Beucher won the Third Prize, which is worth 6,000 euros. The audience could also vote for singers and give their votes in the intermission of the Final. Thus, the Audience Prize of 500,000 HUF and the china replica of one of the Faun figures of the music palace on Liszt Ferenc Square was given to the Second Prize winner Tetiana Zhuravel. Szilvia Vörös studied at the Richter János Secondary School of Music.

The competition's namesake: Ms. Marton
(Photo: Emmer László)

As a student of Veronika Dobi-Kiss she won first prize at the Simándy József Singing Competition in 2008. In the same year she attended the Liszt Academy of Budapest where she studied in the class of Éva Marton. She graduated in 2013. She participated in masterclasses given by Éva Marton, Andrea Meláth, Leonardo de Lisi, Alberto Gazale and Nicholas Clapton. During her studies she performed the alto solo parts of Bach's Johannes- and Matthäus-Passion and also some oratory pieces by Mozart, Buxtehude, Arvo Pärt and György Orbán. Latest roles played by her include the Third Dame in Die Zauberflöte at the Liszt Academy. She also appeared in Elektra by Strauss at the Hungarian State Opera House." [Source] Listen to mezzo-soprano Szilvia Vörös sing "O don fatale" from Verdi's Don Carlos sung in July 2013 at the Hungarian State Opera honoring Éva Marton, after the jump.

Éva Marton International Singing Competition Accepting Applications

Click here to start filling out the application. Grand-prize winner will walk away with 15,000€. Start brushing up on your Liszt, it's part of the audition requirements. Good luck!

Nicole Car Wins Neue Stimmen Vocal Competition In Germany

"Australian soprano Nicole Car has won joint first prize in Germany’s Neue Stimmen vocal competition. She takes home 15,000 euros. The American soprano, Nadine Sierra was the co-winner amongst the women with Russian soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan placed third. Nicole, who can be seen next year with Opera Australia as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, Mimi in La Bohème and Desdemona in Otello, was in excellent voice....Nicole, who received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Melbourne in 2007 was awarded the title Symphony Australia Young Vocalist the same year. Her debut as Donna Anna at Victorian Opera followed in 2009. Since 2011 Nicole has appeared as Donna Anna, Mimi and Micaëla with Opera Australia in Sydney....The televised competition held in Gütersloh is billed as the world’s biggest and has previously thrown up names such as Nathalie Stutzmann, Kristīne Opolais, Vesselina Kasarova and René Pape. This year’s jury included such vocal luminaries as Anja Silja, Siegfried Jerusalem and Francisco Araiza." [Source] Watch an interview video about the soprano after the jump, as well as a stupendous rendition of "Caro nome" by Nadine Sierra.

Watch Jamie Barton's Winning Performances At CSOTW

Watch one more performance after the jump.

Opera Star Power Comes Out For Cardiff SOTW Master Classes

The class of 2013: Singers from around the globe ready to compete for a main prize of £15,000 (Photo: Facebook).

Cardiff Singer of the World Competition began this past weekend, but the real event may take place this Saturday. Check out the scheduled opera stars that will be giving master class:

Saturday 22 June
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Dora Stoutzker Hall – with competition non-finalists
11am, Håkan Hagegård, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
3pm, Elena Obraztsova, Neil Shicoff

Richard Burton Theatre – with vocal studies students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
12.30pm, Christoph Prégardien
4pm, Dame Felicity Palmer
Each session lasts more than one hour and times are likely to overlap.
[Source]

Check out more of the television and radio broadcast schedule by clicking here. And watch a preview of the BBC special celebrating 30 years of the competition after the jump.

Young Singers Earn Top Prizes in Vienna Singing Competition

"A South Korean tenor beat out 3,000 other up-and-coming opera talents Sunday to win first prize in the 31st annual International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in Vienna. The bespectacled Beomjin Kim, 22, soared to the top with his rendition of Italian composer Gabriele [sic] Donizetti's 'Tombe degli avi miei,' pocketing a 7,000-euro ($8,600) cash prize in the contest aimed at pairing up young talent with industry contacts. Fellow South Korean soprano Sang-Ah Yoon won third place, with South African soprano Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi coming in second, at the top voice competition named after a former head of the Vienna Chamber Opera. Following preliminary rounds in 50-some cities across the globe from March to June, the best 138 singers took the stage in Vienna in early July before being whittled down to the top 14 in Sunday's finals. Along with her 3,500-euro second-place prize, Mkhwanazi, 26, won both the audience award and the media prize, each worth 1,500 euros. Sang-Ah Yoon, 24, went home with a 2,500-euro third prize." [Source]

Marcello Giordani Foundation International Vocal Competition 2012

Legendary soprano Renata Scotto with tenor Marcello Giordani

Check out more pictures of the singers from the competition, as well as opera administrators and voice teachers at the post-program reception by clicking here.

Does Competition and Foundation Prize Money Help Singers?

Angela Meade (l) with 1986 Richard
Tucker Award winner Dolora Zajick
(Photo: Ruth Fremson/NY Times)

Anthony Tommasini wrote in the New York Times: "Since 1975 the Richard Tucker Music Foundation, named for the great American tenor, has fostered the careers of emerging singers." The annual gala concert was held on Sunday (November 7) evening. "The evening’s main business was to honor this year’s Tucker Award winner, the young soprano Angela Meade, who receives a $30,000 prize, the foundation’s largest grant. Ms. Meade recently sang three performances of the title role in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena in the Met’s new production, and she returns to the company in February for Verdi’s seldom-heard Ernani. Her first offering here was a fiery aria from Verdi’s Attila. Her sound was enormous, rich and unforced; her coloratura runs and passagework were dispatched with aplomb and precision. Vocally, Ms. Meade was even better in the Act I finale of Bellini’s Norma, for which she was joined by the mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick as Adalgisa and the sturdy tenor Frank Porretta (substituting for Mr. Giordani) as Pollione." But how much fostering does Ms. Meade's career need at this point? According to the Metropolitan Opera, a top-earner makes $16K/performance. Even a newcomer like Meade (who actually was a winner of the National Council Auditions in 2007 and made her debut at the MET in the 2008 production of Ernani) could easily pull in $9K/performance at the low-end estimate. So at this stage of the game, does a singer like Angela Meade need the help of the Richard Tucker Foundation? Looking back at past Tucker Award winners might show that most of these singers were well on their way and didn't need much "fostering." Check out examples, as well as video performances of these past winners at the Richard Tucker Gala, after the jump.

Watch Gala Concert for Finalists of "Concours Régine Crespin"

Check out coverage by Opera Cake by clicking here. Watch the full video of the finalists concert below:

Russians Win Competizione dell'Opera at Bolshoi Theatre

Champion: Baritone Roman Burenko

"Up-and-coming Russian opera singers have scooped a roster of awards, including the coveted first prize of 10,000 euros, at one of the world's leading vocal contests - the Competizione dell’Opera. First prize went to baritone Roman Burdenko with fellow baritone Igor Golovatenko and bass Mikhail Korobeinikov picking up the other two top awards. They ousted finalists flying the flag for South Korea, Mongolia, South Africa and Lithuania. An international competition for singers specializing in Italian opera, the Competizione dell'Opera took place in the Russian capital for the first time in its history. Although traditionally based in the German city of Dresden, this time around the semi- finals and the last round of the competition were held at Moscow's landmark Bolshoi Theatre. Over the last 14 years, the Competizione dell´Opera has been recognized as one of the largest singing competitions worldwide. It is the only competition that uses the great repertoire of Italian opera, from the delicate tones of old music to such giants as Mozart, Verdi and Puccini, and even going further, reaching into the stylistic diversity of the 20th century. The competition originated in Hamburg as 'I Cestelli' Competizione dell´Opera.

Baritone Igor Golovatenko and bass Mikhail Korobeinikov.

However, since 2001, it has established itself in Dresden, though its cultural importance has spread far beyond the boundaries of the city on the River Elbe. With 2011 being widely celebrated as the Italian Year of Culture across Russia, it was suggested that the competition bring its semi-finals and finals to Russia, where operatic traditions have enjoyed a long history. Performing on one of the most beautiful stages of opera – the historic Bolshoi Theatre – the aspiring singers were judged by famous opera and festival directors and singers, as well as important representatives of media and agencies." [Source] Click here to find out more about the competition.

How a "Hot Chick" Got Tenor Geoffrey Knight Into Opera

The tenor with the object of his affection.
(Photo: Patrick Hamilton)

"Nelson aria competition winner Geoffrey Knight has gone full circle after being inspired to get into opera singing by Dame Malvina Major. The Sydney-based tenor took top prize with his delivery of 'E Lucevan le stelle' from Puccini's Tosca and 'Ah la paterna mano' from Verdi's Macbeth at the Nelson School of Music on Saturday night. Eleven vocalists performed during two vocal recitals on Friday at Warwick House. Eight of those were asked to compete in Saturday's aria competition. The vocalists were competing for a prize pool of $11,000, which includes the top prize of $5000 from the Dame Malvina Major Foundation. Mr Knight said being presented with his award by Dame Malvina on Saturday night was significant, as she was the one who inspired him to get into opera. He approached an opera company in 2001 and said: 'Everyone reckons I should be an opera singer so I thought I better check it out.' He was an actor in Christchurch, based at the Court Theatre, and used to sing while making coffees at a cafe nearby. The first opera he saw was Tosca, with Dame Malvina. 'I wasn't really into opera, but there was this really hot chick on the poster so I thought I would go and check it out. I said to her on Saturday night: `Your production of Tosca was the first opera I had ever seen and I absolutely loved it'. That was pretty special.'" [Source]

Sumi Jo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Lara Fabian Close Festival

The trio rocking out "La Melodia" 

Baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky was joined by soprano Sumi Jo and Belgian pop star Lara Fabian for the final concert of New Wave 2011, which is an international competition for young singers. The concert, celebrating its 10th anniversary, was recorded live for television on July 31, 2011, at the "Dzintari" concert hall in Jūrmala, Latvia. Conductor Constantine Orbelian led the Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir. There are plans for a new concert program that will begin at the Kremlin in Moscow beginning in October 2012 with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Russian producer/composer Igor Krutoy. For more information about New Wave 2011, click here.

BONUS: Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Lara Fabian in rehearsal for the big closing show of New Wave 2011:

Valentina Naforniţă Wins Cardiff Singer of the World Prize

Valentina Naforniţă accepts her grand prize. Watch her performances in the video clips below:

Some exceptional stand-out performances came in the competition for the Song Prize. The first is American soprano Leah Crocetto who manages marvelously to sing Liszt back-to-back with Gershwin. The second is Ukranian baritone Andrei Bondarenko who went on to win first place. Both are outstanding. Two additional singers in the concert rounds also stood out. One especially worth listening to is Russian mezzo-soprano Olesya Petrova. The other is the wonderful coloratura soprano Hye Jung Lee.

Outstanding Young Singers Emerge in Brussels Competition

Korean soprano Haeran Hong took first place prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition this last weekend in Brussels at La Monnaie with the De Munt Symphony Orchestra under conductor Carlo Rizzi. Her program for the final concert was comprised:
SEMI-FINALS
Mozart "Giunse alfin il momento –
Deh vieni, non tardar" Le Nozze di Figaro
Händel "Se tanto piace al cor" Ariodante
Wolf "Auch kleine Dinge können uns entzücken - Du denkst mit einem Fädchen mich zu fangen"Italienisches Liederbuch
Liszt "Oh! quand je dors"
Schubert "Im Frühling"
Rossini "La fioraia fiorentina"
FINALS
Massenet "Je suis encore tout étourdie" Manon
Mozart "Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben" Zaïde
Mozart "Bester Jüngling" Der Schauspieldirektor
Ravel "Je réchauffe les bons" L’enfant et les Sortilèges
Bellini "Care Compagne, teneri amici – Come per me sereno –
Sovra il sen la man mi posa" La Sonnambula

Russian soprano Elena Galitskaya took Third Place in the competition with a program that included:
SEMI-FINALS
Mozart "Geme la tortorella" La Finta Giardiniera
Bellini "Eccomi in lieta vesta – Oh! Quante volte"
I Capuleti e i Montecchi
Fauré "Notre amour"
Wolf "Ich stand in dunkeln Träumen" Liederstrauss: Sieben gedichte aus dem buch der lieder von Heinrich Heine
Tchaikovsky "Otchego eto prezhde ne znala" Yolanta
Donizetti "C’en est donc fait" La Fille du Régiment
FINALS
Händel "E pur così in un giorno –
Piangerò la sorte mia" Giulio Cesare
Mozart "Una donna a quindici anni" Così fan tutte
Rimsky-Korsakov "Vielikii Tsar" The Snow Maiden
Rossini "Una voce poco fà" Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Puccini "O mio babbino caro" Gianni Schicchi
Gounod "Ah, je veux vivre" Roméo et Juliette



To watch a high definition video of the superb singing in the finals, click here and select a name from the pull-down menu. Biographies are after the jump.