Press
43rd International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
South Korean Baritone Geon Kim Wins in Bern
The 43rd International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition came to a successful close in the Swiss city of Bern, with South Korean baritone Geon Kim taking first prize. Second place was awarded to Russian soprano Valentina Pravdina, while fellow Russian mezzo-soprano Valeriia Gorbunova secured third place.
Both the media jury and the audience shared the same choice this year: Armenian soprano Tatev Baroyan received both the Audience Prize and the International Media Jury Award.
At the final gala concert on the evening of June 21, 2025, a total of five prizes were presented, along with 13 engagements and coaching sessions at prestigious opera houses around the world.
This year, the Belvedere Singing Competition held its final rounds in Switzerland for the very first time. “Both the city of Bern and Bühnen Bern gave a warm and heartfelt welcome to all the singers. It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved, including us as the organizing team,” said Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck, the organizers of the prestigious competition. “We extend our sincere thanks to Artistic Director Florian Scholz and his team for the outstanding coordination and support.”
“We had long been looking forward to this opera highlight in Bern, and the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition has exceeded even our highest expectations. It was an inspiring week filled with extraordinary talent, and the finalists’ concert marked a truly special moment in the history of our theatre,” expressed Artistic Director Scholz his excitement.
Thirteen singers advanced to the final round, performing their competition arias on the stage of the Bern Theatre, accompanied by the Bern Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Artem Lonhinov. Opera singer Claude Eichenberger skillfully guided the evening as the host. A total of 135 singers from 45 countries came to Bern. As in previous years, South Korea was the most represented nation, this year with 25 participants. Twelve young talents came from China, and ten from the United States. Prior to the finals, around 840 singers had taken part in 52 qualifying rounds held across the globe.
“The standard was exceptionally high – every one of this year’s semi-finalists is ready for professional engagement,” noted Holger Bleck. For many participants, the Belvedere Singing Competition served as the launching pad they had been hoping for: opera jurors extended invitations for auditions, coaching sessions, and even direct engagements.
Award winners:
1st Prize: Geon Kim, Baritone, South Korea
2nd Prize: Valentina Pravdina, Soprano, Russia
3rd Prize: Valeriia Gorbunova, Mezzo-Soprano, Russia
Prize of the International Media Jury: Tatev Baroyan, Soprano, Armenia
Audience Prize: Tatev Baroyan, Soprano, Armenia
Hans Gabor Prize: Jingyi Yu, Soprano, China (from the first round)
Jane Carty Memorial Prize, donated by her friends and awarded by colleagues in memory of the long-standing media juror in the Belvedere Singing Competition:
Annabel Soode, Soprano, Estonia (from the semifinals)
Engagements and Coaching Sessions:
Royal Opera House Covent Garden: Gosh Sargsyan, Bass, Armenia
Dutch National Opera Amsterdam: Ani Aghajanyan, Mezzo-Soprano, Armenia (from the semifinals)
The Metropolitan Opera New York, Lindemann Young Artist Development Program & Laffont Competition for an audition at Metropolitan Opera House: Lonwabo Mose, Bass, South Africa
La Monnaie/De Munt, Brussels: Molly Dzangare, Soprano, Zimbabwe
Wexford Festival Opera: Ivan Lyvch, Bass, Ukraine, Daria Akurlova, Soprano, Ukraine (from the semifinals)
Bühnen Bern: Sophie Kidwell, Mezzosoprano, United Kingdom (from the semifinals), Lonwabo Mose, Bass, South Africa
Deutsche Oper Berlin: Ivan Lyvch, Bass, Ukraine
Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden – Semperoper: Alma Ruoqi Sun, Soprano, China (from the first round), Ben Reisinger, Tenor, USA
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden: Ivan Lyvch, Bass, Ukraine
Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf: Ivan Lyvch, Bass, Ukraine
Monika Unegg
Press Officer
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
www.belvedere-competition.com
unegg@belvedere-competition.com
T: +436642436797
42nd International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
South Korean Baritone wins in Latvia
On Sunday evening, three young men won the three main prizes at the finals of the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in the Latvian town of Jurmala. The 1st prize went to the South Korean baritone Jungrae Noah Kim, the 2nd prize to tenor Daniel O'Hearn from the US and 3rd prize to the Canadian tenor Matthew Cairns. At the final gala concert, the singers were accompanied by the Jurmala Festival Orchestra under the direction of Mārtiņš Ozoliņš.
The baritone Thando Zwane from Swaziland won the hearts of the audience and the Audience Award. Third-placed Matthew Cairns also won the Prize of the International Media Jury. Further prizes and numerous engagements were awarded.
Once again, young opera singers hoping for a great career met with international opera and casting directors looking for new talent. This year, nineparticipants won engagements or coaching sessions at renowned opera houses such as Covent Garden London, Metropolitan Opera New York, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Dutch National Opera Amsterdam. The Theater Bonn and the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden were new to the opera jury this year.
The international nature of the competition is not only reflected in the jury, but also in the young participants from many different nations:
There were 51 qualifying rounds worldwide in the run-up to the competition, in which around 800 singers took part. 121 of them from a total of 39 nations came to Jurmala for the finale week, 52 made it to the semi-finals. Nine of them competed in the final gala concert for the three main prizes and several special prizes. 20 participants came from South Korea, which was once again the most strongly represented nation this year. Ukraine followed in second place with 15 young talents. China was also strongly represented with ten and the USA with nine singers.
The fact that not only singers from the final round received prizes, but also some from the semi-final rounds were able to return home with engagements, shows that participation in the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition is worthwhile. "This reflects the high level of quality that we have seen in previous years," explained the organisers of the competition, Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck. "We are delighted for the young artists who came to Jūrmala and faced the strict opera jury," said the organisers. "We would also like to thank the director of the Dzintari Concert Hall, Guntars Kirsis, and his professional team for the perfect organisation, which made the success of this competition possible. This is the third time we have enjoyed the hospitality of this beautiful Latvian city and the extremely attentive care of the Dzintari Concert Hall team."
The Latvian audience showed great interest. From the very first day, interested listeners flocked to the qualifying rounds in the Dzintari Concert Hall to hear the singers from all over the world perform. In addition, all qualifying rounds and the final gala concert, which was presented by Ints Teterovskis, were streamed, opening up additional audiences worldwide for the young talents.
Guntars Kirsis, Director of the Dzintari Concert Hall, is delighted that his team, together with that of the Belvedere Singing Competition, has been able to organise the finals in Jurmala for the third time: "For the organisers of professional music life in Latvia, it is a fantastic opportunity to meet the best up-and-coming soloists right here in Latvia. The competitors are performing at an incredibly high level, promising to be great additions to the genre of opera. It is truly an honour for me to serve on a jury with the world's top opera professionals."
Next year, the finals of the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition will take place in Switzerland at the Stadttheater Bern.
Award winners:
1st Prize: Jungrae Noah Kim, Baritone, South Korea
2nd Prize: Daniel O'Hearn, Tenor, USA
3rd Prize: Matthew Cairns, Tenor, Canada
Prize of the International Media Jury: Matthew Cairns, Tenor, Canada
Audience Prize: Thando Zwane, Baritone, Swaziland
Hans Gabor Prize: JING YI YU, Soprano, China (Semifinalist)
Jane Carty Memorial Prize, donated by her friends and awarded by colleagues in memory of the long-standing media juror in the Belvedere Singing Competition, for a singer, 25 years old or younger, who shows real potential.
Etīna Saulīte, Soprano, Lettland
Engagements and Coaching Sessions:
Royal Opera House Covent Garden: Janice van Rooy, Soprano, Namibia (Semifinalist)
Dutch National Opera Amsterdam: Singing lessons with Rosemary Joshua: Etīna Saulīte, Sopran, Latvia
The Metropolitan Opera New York, Lindemann Young Artist Development Program & Laffont Competition for an audition at Metropolitan Opera House: Michael Mensah, Bass, Ghana (Semifinalist)
Dzintari Concert Hall Jurmala: Etīna Saulīte, Soprano, Latvia | Adrian Janus, Baritone/Bass, Poland (Semifinalist)
Stadttheater Bern: Nicole Chirka, Mezzo-Soprano/Alto, Ukraine (Semifinalist)
Deutsche Oper Berlin: Teona Todua, Soprano, Ukraine | Volodymyr Morozov, Bass, Ukraine (Semifinalist)
Theater Bonn: Andrew Hyunjung Kim, Tenor, South Korea (Semifinalist)
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden: Thando Zwane, Baritone, Swaziland
About the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
The opera competition for young singers was founded in 1982 by the then director of the Vienna Chamber Opera, Hans Gabor. His idea was to offer young artists a springboard for an international opera career. To this day, the jury consists exclusively of opera and casting directors from renowned opera houses. In this way, many talents such as Lise Davidsen, Angela Gheorghiu, Aigul Akhmetshina, Joshua Lovell, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Matthias Rexroth and Pretty Yende have been discovered over the decades.
Photos:
Belvedere 1: The three winners (Left to right: Matthew Cairns, Jungrae Noah Kim, Daniel O’Hearn)
Belvedere 2: 1st Prize Winner Jungrae Noah Kim
Belvedere 3: The nine finalists
Photo credit: Dzintari Concert Hall – Pauls Zvirbulis
Monika Unegg
Press Officer
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
www.belvedere-competition.com
unegg@belvedere-competition.com
T: +436642436797
41st International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
Difficult decision at the final concert in Dortmund
German soprano wins first place
The German soprano Ann-Kathrin Niemczyk won the 41st International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition on Sunday evening. The 23-year-old singer thrilled the audience with a Wagner aria and also won the audience prize. Another four prizes and 14 engagements or coaching sessions were awarded. 15 singers made it to the final gala concert, which took place in the Dortmund Opera House. The Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Motonori Kobayashi accompanied the young talents.
The second prize went to Croatian tenor Filip Filipović, with Spanish tenor Kevin Jose Simerilla Romero in third place. The Media Award went to baritone/bass Neven Crnic from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Several singers who did not sing in the final gala concert also received engagements from the opera directors.
"We would like to thank all our sponsors and partners who have demonstrated unwavering loyalty throughout the years, playing a pivotal role in enabling aspiring young talents to pursue their dreams of a flourishing opera career", say organizers Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck.
In qualification rounds in 53 cities worldwide, more than 900 young talents took part in this year's competition. 132 of them presented their skills in the final rounds in the German city of Dortmund. They came from more than 40 nations and all continents. 49 singers reached the semifinals.
"The level of the finalists was very high this year, not an easy task for the jury," summed up the organizers. It was noticeable that an above-average number of sopranos competed, 18 of which made it to the semifinals. Only four mezzo-sopranos were in the semifinals. Among the male voices, bass-baritones, with 16 participants, were mainly heard in the semifinals. They were opposed by six tenors, five of whom made it to the final concert. Two countertenors also sang in the final gala concert. As in previous years, South Korea was the most represented nation with 28 participants, followed by Ukraine with 12 artists.
The International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, founded by the director of the Vienna Chamber Opera, Hans Gabor, was held for the 41st time this year. Since 2013, the final rounds have been held outside Vienna. In 2024, the team and finalists will be hosted by the Dzintari Concert Hall in the Latvian city of Jurmala for the third time.
The Latvian audience showed great interest. From the very first day, interested listeners flocked to the qualifying rounds in the Dzintari Concert Hall to hear the singers from all over the world perform. In addition, all qualifying rounds and the final gala concert, which was presented by Ints Teterovskis, were streamed, opening up additional audiences worldwide for the young talents.
Award winners:
1st Prize: Ann-Kathrin Niemczyk, Soprano (Germany)
2nd Prize: Filip Filipović, Tenor (Croatia)
3rd Prize: Kevin Jose Simerilla Romero, Tenor (Spain)
Audience Award: Ann-Kathrin Niemczyk, Soprano (Germany)
International Media Jury Award: Neven Crnic, Baritone/Bass (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Hans Gabor Prize: Annie Fassea, Soprano (Greece)
Engagements and Coaching Sessions:
Royal Opera House Covent Garden: Sanele Mwelase, Countertenor (South Africa)
Dutch National Opera Amsterdam: Fabian Homburg, Baritone/Bass (Netherlands) for a Coaching Session, Théo Imart, Countertenor (France) for a Coaching Session and Audition on Main Stage
The Metropolitan Opera New York, Lindemann Young Artist Development Program & Laffont Competition for an audition at Metropolitan Opera House: Filip Filipović, Tenor (Croatia)
Israeli Opera Tel Aviv: Katleho Mokhoabane, Tenor (South Africa)
Dzintari Concert Hall Jurmala: Serhii Moskalchuk, Baritone/Bass (Ukraine)
Stadttheater Bern: Ian Castro, Tenor (USA)
Deutsche Oper Berlin: Nina Solodovnikova, Soprano (Russia)
Sächsische Staatsoper – Semperoper: Oleh Lebedyev, Baritone/Bass (Ukraine), Mikolaj Bońkowski, Baritone/Bass (Poland)
Deutsche Oper am Rhein: Filip Filipović, Tenor (Croatia), Grisha Martirosya, Baritone/Bass (Armenia)
Theater Erfurt: Jeremy Boulton, Baritone/Bass (Australia)
Theater Dortmund: SeongBeom Choi, Tenor (South Korea)
Oper Köln: Grisha Martirosya, Baritone/Bass (Armenia): Thando Zwane, Baritone, Swaziland
40th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
40 Years Belvedere Singing Competition
Countertenor wins the final
Key’mon Murrah from the United States is the big winner of the 40th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition. He did not only win first prize but also the media prize and received an engagement in Cologne. The Ukrainian Nikita Ivasechko came second, and Rueben Mbonambi from South Africa won the third prize. The Jurmala Festival Orchestra conducted by Martins Ozolins accompanied the 15 finalists through the glamorous final gala concert.
The renowned Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, which offers young artists a springboard to international opera careers, was successfully held for the 40th time. The anniversary was celebrated with a brilliant finale in Latvia with participants from all over the world.
A total of 119 singers from 41 nations came to Jurmala to participate in the final rounds. 53 young artists made it to the semifinals and 15 of them performed at the grand gala concert on Saturday evening in the Dizintari Concert Hall. Nearly 900 singers took part in the qualifying rounds, which were held beforehand in around 50 cities worldwide.
"Just as there are special vintages in wine, 2022 seems to be an outstanding vintage in the Belvedere Singing Competition. The quality of all final round participants was outstanding. The best of the best made it to the finals and were awarded cash prizes and singing engagements. Especially in today's world, our competition can also be seen as a reflection of global togetherness. Enthusiasm, joy, appreciation and mutual acceptance of the participants from over 40 nations was noticeable throughout the entire competition," said the general managers of the competition, Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck.
For the second time, the final was hosted in the Dzintari Concert Hall in Jurmala and was again a great success thanks to the wonderful cooperation with director Guntars Ķirsis. "We sincerely thank Guntars Ķirsis and the team of the Dzintari Concert Hall for the perfect organization and great cooperation," say Gabor and Bleck.
Ķirsis is also enthusiastic about this year's competition: "I am grateful to the organisers of the competition for the honour and opportunity I have had to be part of the competition jury and take over the chairmanship obligations this year. Every singer's dream when starting his or her professional career is to perform for such a competent and prestigious audience at least once in their life. The experience of my jury colleagues in the world of opera art is a guarantee that the evaluation will be balanced and objective. I think this is very important for young singers, regardless of the final results."
What makes the Belvedere Singing Competition stand out is the fact that the jury is exclusively composed of international opera and casting directors. Thus, the many young singers not only have the opportunity to win one of the prizes, but also the unique chance to be heard by the directors of the best houses in the world and to receive engagements. Ten of the singers went home with an engagement (see list below).
Ķirsis is especially pleased that the competition was back in Latvia in its anniversary year: "I am very glad that we can celebrate the 40th anniversary of the competition in Jurmala and it seems that the singers also feel the spirit of this anniversary, because the performance of each contestant was well prepared, and the jury had to listen carefully to choose the best of the best. I would also like to thank everyone who ensured the selection of participants for the final in so many countries, as this work has been done excellently. I would like to wish good luck to all the participants!"
Award winners:
1st Prize: Key’mon Murrah, USA
2nd Prize: Nikita Ivasechko, Ukraine
3rd Prize: Rueben Mbonambi, South Africa
Wil Keune Prize - Euro 800.- : Ava Dodd, Ireland
Audience Award: Vittorio De Campo, Italy
International Media Jury Award: Key’mon Murrah, USA
Hans Gabor Prize: Annie Fassea, Soprano (Greece)
Carinthischer Sommer Villach Music Festival - Rising Stars 2023 - A performance at the Carinthian Summer 2023: Maya Gour, Israel
Engagements and Coaching Sessions:
Special Prize to enhance further development - Royal Opera House Covent Garden: Mateusz Lugowski, Poland (from the semifinals)
Christian Christoff, Bulgaria (from the semifinals)
Dzintari Concert Hall Jurmala: Vittorio De Campo (Italy), Ava Dodd (Ireland)
Deutsche Oper Berlin: Taejun Jeong (Korea South)
Sächsische Staatsoper – Semperoper: Albert Memeti, Polen (from the semifinals)
Deutsche Oper am Rhein: Filip Filipović (Croatia), Grisha Martirosya (Armenia)
Theater Erfurt: Jeremy Boulton (Australia)
Oper Köln: Key’mon Murrah, USA
39th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
Many winners at the Finals in Erfurt
First prize of the 39th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition was awarded to Joshua Lovell form Canada. The tenor also won the international media jury prize. Elena Villalón from the US was also one of the big winners of the night. She received four prizes and two engagements. Second prize went to two participants this year. Despite difficult travelling conditions due to the pandemic, 97 singers made it to the Finale in Erfurt, Germany.
This year, a total of nine prizes and seven engagements at opera houses and festivals have been awarded. Most participants, namely 21, came from South Korea; 16 singers came from Germany, followed by Russia with seven participants. Israel and Ukraine were represented by six singers each.
“The fact that despite the difficult conditions so many young artists travelled to the final rounds in Germany is a testament to the significance of the International Belvedere Singing Competition. However, it also shows the global importance of opera and that many young people are striving for an international opera career” say the general managers of the Competition, Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck. “We would like to thank Guy Montavon, general director of the Erfurt Theatre, for organising the finale week on relatively short notice and for making sure that everything went well.”
The festival managers are very sorry that many young talents, who had qualified for the finale, could not make the journey to Erfurt due to travel restrictions. This year, the Competition was missing all participants from South Africa. Many singers from Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom had to cancel as well. The Belvedere Singing Competition is not only popular for its prizes, but young singers also appreciate the opportunity to perform in front of a jury of international opera and casting directors and the possibility to maybe be discovered.
Due to the pandemic, the finals of the 39th Belvedere Singing Competition had to be postponed from 2020 to 2021. All singers who had already qualified in 2020 did not have to do so again this year and could join the Competition in Erfurt. In both years, a total of 1246 artists attended 52 qualifying rounds worldwide. 146 singers qualified, however, 49 of them had to cancel because of the travel restrictions.
Award winners:
1st Prize: Joshua Lovell, Can
2nd Prize: Elena Villalón, USA, Verity Wingate, GB
3rd Prize: Kangyoon Lee, KR
Wil Keune Prize: Elena Villalón, US
Special Prize: Ilia Kazakov, RU
Prize of the Audience: Elena Villalón, US
Prize of the International Media Jury: Joshua Lovell, Can
CS Rising Star 2021: Elena Villalón, US
Engagements:
Dzintari Concert Hall Jurmala: Dorothee Bienert, D
Konzert Theater Bern (CH). Verity Wingate, UK
Deutsche Oper Berlin: Kangyoon Lee, KR
Sächsische Staatsoper – Semperoper: Ilya Silchuk, RU
Deutsche Oper am Rhein: Elena Villalón
Theater Erfurt: Changdai Park, KR
Seattle Opera: Elena Villalón
39th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
Finals set to take place at the Theater Erfurt in June 2021
The preparations are in full swing – the finale week of the 39th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition will take place from 20th to 27thJune 2021 at the Theater Erfurt in Germany. All Singers who qualified in 2020 or will qualify in 2021 will participate. The 2021 qualifying rounds have already started.
The 39th Belvedere Singing Competition which already began in 2020 and was interrupted due to the pandemic will continue in 2021. The final rounds originally planned for June 2020 in Jurmala in Latvia will now take place in the German city of Erfurt.
Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck have been managing the Belvedere Singing Competition together since 1999 and are excited about the current prospects. “We are delighted that Guy Montavon, General Director of the Theater Erfurt, has invited us to come to Germany. Guy Montavon has been a juror of the Belvedere Competition for years. We highly appreciate his invitation, especially during these trying times.”
“The Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition is one of the few top-class competitions in its field. Through high standards and a renowned jury, the Competition functions as a steppingstone for young talents to launch their careers. We, the Theater Erfurt, are delighted to be this year’s hosts. The fact that the Competition is one of the first to take place again this year is a silver lining on the horizon” says Mr. Montavon.
Because of last year’s circumstances special rules for this year’s Competition have been agreed on. All singers who qualified in 2020 will automatically compete at the final rounds in Erfurt, even if they are past the age limit this year. In 2020, 594 candidates applied for participating. The Belvedere Competition hosted qualifying rounds in 25 of, originally planned, 70 cities. 59 singers could already qualify last year for the final rounds. Information concerning the terms 2021 will be found at the Competition’s website www.belvedere-competition.com.
“We are very happy that we can continue to offer young people the opportunity of an international opera career. This year, we have again invited opera and casting directors of renowned opera houses around the world,” say the organisers. This includes the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf, the Sächsische Staatsoper – Semperoper, The Israeli Opera Tel-Aviv-Yafo, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera New York and the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia among others.
The finals of the 38th International Belvedere Competition took place in July 2019 in the Austrian city of Villach and hosted by the Carinthian Summer Music Festival, during which eight prizes and ten engagements to opera houses and festivals have been awarded.
Monika Unegg
Press Officer
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
T +43 664 2436797
unegg@belvedere-competition.comm
www.belvedere-competition.com
International Belvedere Singing Competition: Finals 2020 in Jurmala cancelled
The final rounds and the finals of this year's International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition have to be cancelled. All singers who have already qualified will automatically be in the final rounds next year.
"We are very sorry. We tried until the very end to make the finale week happen. However, the worldwide effects of the pandemic make it impossible to hold a final event and award the prize winners this year," explain organisers Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck. Initially, it seemed that a postponement to autumn was possible, but now our partners in the Latvian city of Jurmala, where the finals should have taken place, have finally cancelled the event.Therefore, the qualification rounds still planned for this year were stopped and postponed to next year – with the exception of the qualifying rounds on 21st August in Irkutsk (Russia), on 4th September in Varazdin (Croatia), on 13th September in Zurich (Switzerland) and on 23rd September in Madrid (Spain). All these auditions will count towards the final rounds in 2021. So far 201 out of 619 already registered singers have participated in qualifying rounds in 20 (out of 70 planned) cities, 38 of them have already qualified. Their commitment has not been in vain; they now have the chance to prove their skills in the 2021 final rounds and win cash prizes and attractive engagements at the world's most important opera houses. Singers whose qualifying rounds could not take place may decide whether their applications remain valid for 2021 or whether they would like to have their fees refunded.
The International Belvedere Competition will be continued next year. "We want to continue to offer young people the chance of an international opera career," say the organisers. Negotiations for a venue for the final rounds and the 2021 finals are already under way. Current developments will be announced as soon as possible on the homepage www.belvedere-competition.com.
Monika Unegg
Press Officer
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
T +43 664 2436797
unegg@belvedere-competition.comm
www.belvedere-competition.com
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Finals of the 2020 Belvedere Singing Competition in Latvia
For the second time after 2018, the finals of the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition will be held in the Latvian city Jurmala. The Gala Concert, during which the winners will be chosen, will take place at the Dzintari Concert Hall on 6th June 2020. Online applications are now open.
As the 38th Belvedere Singing Competition has just successfully wrapped, the preparations for the next one have already begun. Date and location for the finals have been chosen. “We are very happy, that the director of the Dzintari Concert Hall, Guntars Ķirsis, has again invited us to come to the Baltic Sea. We fondly remember the 2018 finals, the hospitality and the perfect organisation”, say Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck, general managers of the renowned competition for opera singing.Guntars Kirsis, artistic director of Dzintari Concert Hall: “I highly appreciate the opportunity to host the Belvedere Competition Finals in Dzintari Concert Hall for the second time already. I consider this not only to be an appreciation of the work of our team, but also the view which the organisers Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck, the prestigious jury and the members of the competition have on Latvia as a country, where music occupies a special place. The Hans Gabor Belvedere International Singing Competition for opera singers continues to unveil talent, and I believe that the participation of singers in the competition and the special atmosphere at Dzintari Concert Hall will provide the young talents with an important starting point for their future professional work.”
Around 1.000 contestants are again expected worldwide to enter the 39th Belvedere Singing Competition. 150 to 160 of them will qualify for the final rounds. This year 1.061 singers competed in 71 qualifying rounds, 151 of them made it to the finals in the Austrian city Villach, where the Competition’s brilliant grand finale was organised in cooperation with the “Carinthian Summer Music Festival”. In total, eight prizes were awarded, and several young talents received engagements for opera houses and festivals or were invited to auditions.
Online registration on the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition website is now open. The qualification rounds will take place in more than 70 cities worldwide from early February to mid-May.
Monika Unegg
Press Officer
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
T +43 664 2436797
unegg@belvedere-competition.comm
www.belvedere-competition.com
21-jährige Russin gewinnt den 38. Belvedere-Gesangswettbewerb
Die erst 21 Jahre alte Valeriia Savinskaia aus Russland gewinnt den ersten Preis und den Preis der internationalen Medienjury beim 38. Internationalen Hans Gabor Belvedere Gesangwettbewerb. Platz zwei geht an Boikhutso Owen Metsileng aus Südafrika, den dritten Preis bekam Slávka Zámečníková aus der Slowakei. Vier weitere Preise und neun Engagements an internationalen Opernhäusern oder bei Festivals wurden vergeben.
Das Finale fand in diesem Jahr in der österreichischen Stadt Villach und erstmals im Rahmen eines großen Musikfestivals statt. Denn das Gala-Konzert, bei dem die Preisträger ermittelt wurden, war gleichzeitig das Eröffnungskonzerts des Carinthischen Sommers, der heuer sein 50-Jahr-Jubiläum feiert. 15 junge Talente aus elf Ländern standen im Finale. Insgesamt hatten sich 1.110 Sängerinnen und Sänger in 71 Qualifikationsrunden um die Finalplätze beworben. 151 hatten es nach Villach geschafft, wo sie sich der internationalen Opernjury stellten.Wie schon im Vorjahr war das Teilnehmerfeld aus Südkorea sehr groß, aber auch aus Russland und der Ukraine sowie aus Südafrika kamen zahlreiche Sängerinnen und Sänger. Waren im Vorjahr mehrheitlich Tenöre und Baritone im Finale, so befanden sich diesmal die Frauen in der Überzahl. Sechs Sopranistinnen und drei Mezzosopranistinnen/Altistinnen standen im feierlichen Gala-Konzert, bei dem sie vom Kärntner Sinfonieorchester unter der Leitung von Alexander Joel begleitet wurden, drei Baritonen und drei Tenören gegenüber.
„Der diesjährige Bewerb hat gezeigt, dass das Interesse junger Menschen an einer Opernkarriere ungebrochen ist“, erklärten Isabella Gabor und Holger Bleck, die Organisatoren des Wettbewerbs. „Herzlich bedanken möchten wir uns bei der Stadt Villach. Ihre Unterstützung machte es möglich, das Finale dieses beliebten und renommierten Wettbewerbs für Operngesang diesmal in Kärnten beim 50-Jahr-Jubiläum des Carinthischen Sommers durchzuführen“.
1. Preis und Preis der internationalen Medienjury: Valeriia Savinskaia, Sopran, Russland
2. Preis und Hans Gabor Preis: Boikhutso Owen Metsileng, Tenor, Südafrika
3. Preis: Slávka Zámečníková, Sopran, Slowakei
Publikumspreis: Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Sopran, Südafrika
Wil Keune Preis für einen Sänger/eine Sängerin mit großem Potenzial, geboren nach 1993: Egor Zhuravskii, Tenor, Russland
CS Rising Star 2019: Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha
Engagements:
Deutsche Oper Berlin (D): Valeriia Savinskaia
Operngala der Deutschen AIDS-Stiftung (D): Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha
Theater Dortmund (D): Valeriia Savinskaia
Theater Erfurt (D): Katia Ledoux, Mezzosopran/Alt, Frankreich
JPYAP at Royal Opera House Covent Garden (GB): Boikhutso Owen Metsileng und Egor Zhuravskii
Teatro alla Scala, Mailand (I): Hugo Laporte, Bariton/Bass, Canada
Stadttheater Klagenfurt (A): Pablo Martinez, Tenor, Kolumbien
Dzintari Concert Hall, Jurmala (LV): Pablo Martinez
Bild: Boikhutso Owen Metsileng, Valeriia Savinskaia and Slávka Zámečníková (von links)
Fotos: Ferdinand Neumüller, Abdruck honorarfrei
Monika Unegg
Press Officer
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
T +43 664 2436797
unegg@belvedere-competition.com
www.belvedere-competition.com
38th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition will start off the Carinthian Summer Music Festival 2019
Two important cultural events will form a symbiosis this year. On 7 July, the finals concert of the renowned International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition will open the most important music festival of Austria’s state of Carinthia, the Carinthian Summer Music Festival, which is also celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. Qualification rounds for the 38th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition kick off on 5th of March in Toronto, Canada. Applications are possible as from 1 February.
1.125 participants from 78 countries competed last year in over 70 qualifying rounds around the world for the finals in the Latvian city Jurmala. In the end, 147 contestants won the chance to present their talent to an international jury comprised of representatives of the world’s most renowned opera houses. This is why the competition is so exceptional: The young singers are exclusively judged by artistic, opera and casting directors, who offer engagements to finalists every year. In 2018 renowned opera houses and festivals engaged 9 singers. This makes this competition so popular: it has already catapulted many young talents to international stardom.
Stars like Angela Gheorghiu, Elīna Garanča, Marina Mescheriakova, Ildikó Raimondi, Joseph Calleja, Antonio Poli, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Pretty Yende, Lise Davidsen or Aigul Akhmetshina, who debuted in Austria at the Carinthian Summer Music Festival 2018 and wowed as Carmen at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden London, are only a few of the Competition’s participants and winners.
The first qualifying round will take place on 5 March in Toronto, Canada. In the subsequent weeks, among others, the Viennese State Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden London and the Teatro Real Madrid will follow. Again, around 70 qualification rounds on all continents are expected until the end of June.
Since 2013, the final rounds of the Belvedere Singing Competition, which was founded by Hans Gabor, long-standing director of the Vienna Chamber Opera (Wiener Kammeroper), are held in different cities. Thus far, these cities included Dusseldorf, Cape Town, Moscow, Amsterdam and last year Jurmala, and this year the Carinthian city Villach will be hosting.
The final rounds will start on 2 July in Villach, one of the event locations of the Carinthian Summer Festival, which offers around 40 concerts from diverse genres from classic to Jazz and Crossover at different locations in the state of Carinthia. The main locations are Villach and Ossiach, where this music festival was also founded in 1969.
“We are very happy to be able to combine these two important cultural events in one location this year. Thereby we offer the audience of the Carinthian Summer Music Festival the possibility to get to know this competition, which has already produced so many opera stars. And the finalists can experience the atmosphere of a festival”, say the competition’s managers Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck, who is also the Carinthian Summer Music Festival’s director. The 12-15 young singers in the finals gala concert on 7 July will be accompanied by the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra (Kärntner Sinfonieorchester) under the musical direction of Alexander Joel.
Monika Unegg
Press Officer
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition
T +43 664 2436797
unegg@belvedere-competition.comm
www.belvedere-competition.com