BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2005: A preview (BK)

Tommi Hakala - Main Prize Winner 2003

 

It seems hardly five minutes since Finnish baritone Tommi Hakala won the Main Prize in 2003, but between the 11th and 19th of June, singers from around the globe will be welcomed once again to Wales for the 12th BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition.

 

Singers from every continent – from as far afield as the United States, New Zealand, Russia, Korea, Chile and South Africa – will gather in Cardiff to compete in the showcase event that has helped launch the careers of established artists like Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Karita Mattila, Inger Dam-Jensen, Lisa Gasteen and Bryn Terfel.

 

The final 25 singers have now been selected, the customary distinguished panel of jurors is appointed and the countdown has begun for what has become one of the world’s truly great international singing competitions. As usual, the event will receive extensive BBC television and radio coverage and there will also be a full online service (including the opportunity to nominate a competitor for the special Audience Prize) from the BBC's dedicated web site.)

 

Making a welcome return to the competition is its Patron, Dame Joan Sutherland. She said recently: “I am delighted to be returning to Cardiff this summer for what has become one of the world’s great singing competitions. I know that the competition will be both an exciting and enjoyable experience for audiences and competitors alike."

 

The standard of the competition has become so high, that winners and many other contestants have sprung to fame on the back of their performances at Cardiff. General Director of Welsh National Opera Anthony Freud, Chairman of the Jury for both the Song Prize and the Main Prize, said: “Cardiff Singer of the World is undoubtedly among the most important competitions.. for young singers. It has launched countless major international careers and has brought enormous pleasure to so many people who come to the Competition at St David's Hall, or have watched it faithfully on the BBC."

 

“This year's Competition is of particular importance to Cardiff as it will again turn the eyes of the musical world to the city as it celebrates its centenary. As Chairman of the Jury, and as General Director of Welsh National Opera, which has been working with this Competition since its inception, I am looking forward to welcoming all the competitors to Cardiff, and to another outstanding week of singing.”

 

 

Anthony Freud

 

Mr. Freud chairs a distinguished panel of jurors including some with great experience of judging the competition, such as the legendary singer Marilyn Horne and former WNO Director General Brian McMaster. New members of the Song Prize jury include Elly Ameling, René Kollo and Helmut Deutsch while the jury for the Main Prize welcomes the great Wagnerian soprano Dame Anne Evans, René Kollo and Sergei Leferkus again and the Director of Royal Swedish Opera, Menno Feenstra. Public master classes for selected contestants who don't get through to the finals will be given by Dame Anne Evans, Ms Ameling, Ms Horne and Messrs Kollo, Leferkus and Deutsch.

 

Many past winners have done particulalry well of course and Lisa Gasteen, 1991 winner, and Bryn Terfel, winner of the inaugural Lieder Prize in 1989 have recently shared the star billing for the Royal Opera’s new production of Wagner’s Die Walküre while Karita Mattila, the very first winner, is currently starring there in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera also. Tommi Hakala's diary for this year and next includes an appearance with WNO in Don Carlos as well as more in Savonlinna, Leipzig, Tel Aviv, Strasbourg and San Francisco. Ailish Tynan, winner of the 2003 Song Prize also appears at WNO this year (in The Merry Widow as Valencienne) this year and has many other future engagements.

 

 

Ailish Tynan in 2003

 

The Concerts

 

The Main Prize preliminary round concerts begin in St David’s Hall, Cardiff, on Sunday, June 12 and culminate in the final on Sunday, June 19. The winner receives the first prize of £10,000, a trophy donated by Welsh Royal Crystal, and engagements with both the BBC and Welsh National Opera.

 

All contestants are also eligible to take part in the competition for the Song Prize. The winner receives £5,000 and a trophy donated by Welsh Royal Crystal. The winner is also offered a recital as part of the prestigious Rosenblatt Recital Series at St John’s Smith Square, London. The winner will also be selected to be one of BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists.

 

 

Carlo Rizzi

 

The Orchestra of Welsh National Opera conducted by Carlo Rizzi accompanies competitors in three of the preliminary round concerts for the Main Prize. The BBC's National Orchestra of Wales provides the accompaniment for the other two conducted by Grant Llewellyn and Ralf Weikert respectively. The BBC orchestra accompanies the competitors in the final on June 19. The order of singing for the Main Prize is as follows:

 

Table 1: Main Prize Rounds

Date	Countries
June 12th	Spain, Greece, Russia, Ireland, Italy
June 13th	Bulgaria, USA*, S. Africa, England, Canada
June 14th	Australia, Latvia, USA *, Uruguay, Serbia and Montenegro
June 15th	Wales, Georgia, Moldova, Denmark, New Zealand
June 16th	Germany, Scotland, Lithuania, Korea, Chile

* USA has two entrants

 

All concerts start at 7.30pm except for the final (June 19th at 6.00pm with the audience seated by 5.45 for TV coverage).

 

For the Rosenblatt Recital Series Song Prize, preliminary round performances take place in Cardiff's New Theatre where the order will be:

Table 2: Song Prize Rounds

Date	Countries
June 11th	S. Africa, England, Canada, USA *, Bulgaria
June 12th	Serbia and Montenegro, USA *, Latvia, Scotland
June 13th	Korea, Georgia, Wales, New Zealand, Moldova
June 14th	Ireland, Russia, Spain, Greece

* USA has two entrants

 

The Song Prize final is in St. David's Hall on June 17th at 7.30. Accompaniments for the Song Prize competition are provided by Philip Thomas, Simon Lepper and Llyr Williams.

 

The public master classes offered by jury members to selected singers who have not reached the finals will take place at 11am and 3pm on Saturday, June 18 at the New Theatre, Cardiff.

 

The Audience Prize

 

The St David’s Hall, TV, radio and online audiences will once again be able to have their say in choosing a winner with the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World’s Audience Prize, sponsored by Wales Tourist Board.

Jonathan Jones, chief executive of WTB has said that: “The Wales Tourist Board is delighted to sponsor Cardiff Singer of the World’s Audience Prize for the second year in succession. The prize, which was a new innovation for 2003, was a tremendous success, and is a reflection of the growing importance of the event as the world’s leading vocal competition. With eight million viewers world-wide - the world’s most watched singing competition - Cardiff Singer plays a part in raising the profile of Wales. We look forward to working with BBC Cardiff Singer of the World again this year; the event will no doubt add to the City’s centenary celebrations during 2005.”

 

Ian Rosenblatt, whose Recital Series is supporting the Song Prize echoed this view and added that, “The Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize in 2003 produced a very worthy winner with the added bonus that I am a great fan of Ailish Tynan. I am extremely excited about this year’s competition and if it is only half as good as 2003 it will be a guaranteed world beater.”

 

I am sure that these expectations will more than fulfilled in this the 12th competition, and I will be reporting both the Song Prize and Main Prize finals for Seen and Heard.

 

 

Bill Kenny

 

 

Further Information:

 

Comprehensive information on the Competition can be found from the BBC's web site. bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger

 

For Competition Press and Publicity materials: e-mail Mike Smith at mediasmith.co.uk

 

Tickets for Song Prize recitals and the master classes are available from the New Theatre, Cardiff: 029 2087 8889.

 

Tickets for all Main Prize concerts and for the Song Prize Final are available from St David’s Hall, Cardiff 029 2087 8444 or online at www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

 

Photograph of Carlo Rizzi by Clive Barda