BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2009: Sue Loder interviews two of the finalists and looks forward to the competition (SL)

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BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2009: Sue Loder talks with the two UK finalists and looks forward to the competition (SL)

An amazing 68 different countries’ singers – some 600 in all – auditioned for a place at the prestigious Cardiff Singer of the World competition this year, and today we learned the names of the 25 who will go forward to the final phases in Cardiff itself. Among these 600 just two come from the UK, which just proves how truly international this competition has become, and how seriously young classical singers from around the world view its importance to their careers.

Held every two years, under the aegis of BBC Wales and the Patronage of the legendary Australian diva, Dame Joan Sutherland, the competition has never failed to bring into the limelight some of the best young singers in the world – although not necessarily as winners. Just appearing here, where some of the opera world’s most influential people congregate, gives young artists a really effective showcase for their talents and sometimes it is those who miss out on the top titles who go on to the most glittering careers.

Interestingly, the two UK finalists are at very different stages in their careers: Anna Stéphany , a mezzo-soprano near the top of the permitted age-range for the competition, is already an established young singer with critical success on the opera stage and recorded work on CD. In contrast at just 22 years old is Natalya Romaniw, a soprano from Swansea who recently won the 2008 Welsh Singers Competition and is only just about to start her Masters course in opera studies at the Guildhall School of Music in London. So, how do these singers themselves feel about the Cardiff experience?

Anna Stéphany - England

“It’s a very good thing all round I think” said Anna. “How else could you get so many important music people around all together for a whole week? It’s a marvellous shop-window for your talent and that all-important exposure”.

Natalya Romaniw - Wales

Natalya was equally positive: “I’m obviously very excited and it’s a real privilege at my age to be representing my country. Mind you, I don’t think competitions are the be-all and end-all for young singers and some people don’t like them as they find they don’t sing their best in them – but I don’t mind at all, I really like them, and it’s a real shot of adrenaline!”

Choosing repertoire for an important competition like this, with semi-finals and, hopefully, finals to consider is something both singers have thought about carefully. Anna: “At this stage of my career I’m trying to just show “me”, not just present the more usual “competition” programme. I shall be trying to work to my strengths of course, and not be too obvious in my choices – but avoiding being so off-the-wall that nobody recognises the music!” Natalya too is aware of expectations: “I shall be singing works which I know from my lessons and which are I hope appropriate to my age and voice-type, which I suppose I should call “lyrical soprano” at this stage.”

Both singers are looking forward to competing in both the Rosenblatt Song Prize as well as the Main Singer of the World prize but both also are keeping their eyes on the future. Anna Stephany, who recently moved to Amsterdam to live, is looking to expand her roles at the major houses in Europe (she’s particularly keen on the Handelian mezzo roles) whilst Natalya knows that she needs to complete her full-time course at the Guildhall as well as her cover-work for Glyndebourne so she can start to develop those all-important professional working relationships within the world of opera. Having got this far, it’s a fair bet that both will look back on Cardiff 2009 with satisfaction.

Sue Loder

The full list of singers competing in June is below and clicking individual names will access more information about them: