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BBC Cardiff Singer Of the World 2009: Italian Tenor wins the 5th Concert round, the Main Prize finalists are announced and there is a change to the Song Prize finalist line-up (MS)

Giordano Lucà

The youngest competitor in BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, which is organised by BBC Wales, last night (Thursday) won not only the last of the preliminary concerts in the Competition but secured a place in Sunday’s final.

Chairman of the panel of international judges John Fisher made the announcement that Italian tenor Giordano Lucà was the evening’s winner at the end of the concert at a packed St David’s Hall, Cardiff. Mr Fisher chief executive and artistic director of Welsh National Opera then announced the five finalists for Sunday.

The five finalists who will compete on Sunday at St David’s Hall for the title BBC Cardiff Singer of the World are: soprano Eri Nakamura, aged 31, from Japan; soprano Ekaterina Shcherbachenko, aged 32, from Russia; tenor Giordano Lucà, aged 21, from Italy; bass Jan Martiník, aged 26, from the Czech Republic 30-year-old counter-tenor Yuriy Mynenko, from Ukraine.

This morning (Friday) a change was also announced to the finalists for the Song Prize competition which takes place this evening. Tomislav Lučić the 31 year old bass from Croati has withdrawn and is replaced by Eri Nakamura.

Main Prize Finalists :L-R Yuriy Mynenko, Ekaterina Shcherbachenko, Jan Martiník,
Eri Nakamura and Giordano Lucà

Huw Edwards and Aled Jones present the final of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World from St David's Hall on Sunday  with expert analysis and comment on BBC Two from 5.30pm. BBC Radio 3 live coverage of the final is presented by Petroc Trelawny with commentary from Catherine Bott from 5.30pm. Nicola Heywood Thomas presents coverage of the final on BBC Radio Wales from 5pm and Sian Pari Huws, Alwyn Humphreys and Beti George present BBC Radio Cymru’s coverage from 5pm.

The Song Prize Final broadcasts are  as follows on BBC Radio 3 and BBC TV:

Radio 3 Friday 12th June, 1pm: Fiona Talkington presents extended highlights from the Song Prize  competition and reports from the previous evening's opera round with commentary from Catherine Bott.

Radio 3 Saturday 13th June : Coverage of the Song Prize final, presented by Fiona Talkington with commentary from Catherine Bott.

BBC Four Friday 19th  June, 7.30pm: Petroc Trelawny and Josie D'Arby present extensive coverage of the Song Prize final with expert comment and analysis from Barbara Bonney.

The other singers in the fifth  preliminary concert were 28-year-old bass Wade Kernot, from New Zealand; Helen Kearns, soprano, aged 27, Ireland; Marc Canturri, 32-year-old baritone from Andorra and Dora Rodrigues, soprano, aged 30 from Portugal. 

Their full concert programmes were as follows:

Wade Kernot - New Zealand
Gremin's aria (Eugene Onegin) - Tchaikovsky
Madamina, il catalogo è questo (Don Giovanni) - Mozart
A te l'estremo addio ... Il lacerato spirito (Simon Boccanegra) - Verdi

Helen Kearns - Ireland
Kommt ein schlanker Bursch gegangen (Der Freischütz) - Weber
Regnava nel silenzio (Lucia di Lammermoor) - Donizetti
Chanson du Rossignol (Le Rossignol) - Stravinsky.

Giordano Lucà - Italy
Questa o quella (Rigoletto) - Verdi
Che gelida manina (La bohème) - Puccini
La mia letizia infondere (I lombardi) - Verdi
È la solita storia del pastore ... Anch'io vorrei dormir così (L'arlesiana) - Cilea
Pourquoi me réveiller (Werther) - Massenet

Marc Canturri - Andorra
Mab, la reine des mensonges (Roméo et Juliette) - Gounod
Deh, vieni alla finestra (Don Giovanni) - Mozart
Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen (Die tote Stadt) - Korngold
In dura schiavitù - D'una tradita madre (Emilia di Liverpool) - Donizetti

Dora Rodrigues - Portugal
Je voudrais bien savoir ... Ah! je ris (Faust) - Gounod
Donde lieta uscì (La bohème) - Puccini
Ich weiss es selber nicht ... Meine Lippen sie küssen so heiss (Giuditta) - Lehár

Mike Smith

Pictures © Brian Tarr

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