BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition

The Cardiff Singer of the World Competition (also the BBC Singer of the World in Cardiff Competition in 2003) is a singing competition held every two years. It is considered one of the most prestigious competitions in the opera world.

The competition was started by BBC Wales in 1983 to celebrate the opening of St David's Hall in Cardiff, Wales, home of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Auditions are held throughout the world in the autumn before the competition, with 25 singers being selected to take part in Cardiff the following June. Each singer represents their own country, and since 2003 a rule was introduced whereby two singers can take part from countries with very high populations. Only in Wales is there a competition to select the national representative. The winner of the Welsh Singers Competition represents Wales in BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition [ [http://www.welshsingerscompetition.com/ Welsh Singers Competition] ] .

Members of the jury will be internationally known singers Mary King, Dennis O'Neill and Neal Davies, Sarah Playfair, freelance Opera Casting Director and Julian Smith Music Adviser to BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, freelance conductor and former Head of Music at Welsh National Opera.

The competition is judged by a panel of distinguished singers, musicians and music professionals. In 2003 an audience prize was also introduced for the primary competition.

History

In 1983, the first year of the competition, eighteen singers participated. The winner was Finnish soprano Karita Mattila.

In 1987, a Lieder Prize was introduced, as artsong and opera are both important forms of song, but very different.

The 1989 competition was particularly noteworthy with Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel winning the Lieder prize and Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky taking the overall title with an interpretation of the aria "Eri tu" from Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera". Both singers have gone on to enjoy extremely successful careers with international acclaim.

In 1999, the Lieder Prize was renamed the Song Prize, to clarify that it applies to artsong and folksong rather than German Lieder only. The Song Prize became a separate event in 2003, as the "BBC Cardiff Singer Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize." It is not compulsory, and the only entry requirement is that the singer is taking part in the primary competition.

For the 2003 competition, 951 singers from 56 nations applied, of whom 483 were shortlisted for audition. They were heard in forty locations across thirty countries around the world. The shortlist was finally narrowed down to twenty-five singers, with two reserves. The winner was Finnish baritone Tommi Hakala.

For the 2005 competition, over 700 singers from 62 nations applied, of whom 507 were shortlisted for audition. They were heard in 39 locations around the world. The shortlist was finally narrowed down to 25 singers, with three reserves. The Prize was won by American soprano Nicole Cabell.

Many prominent singers have served in the jury, including Carlo Bergonzi, Geraint Evans, Marilyn Horne, Gundula Janowitz, Sherrill Milnes, Christoph Prégardien, Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame Anne Evans, René Kollo and Galina Vishnevskaya.

The competition is televised by BBC Two and BBC Four in the UK and followed with great interest by the music-loving public worldwide.

2007 Competition

The 2007 competition was won by the 23-year-old bass baritone Shen Yang from China. The English soprano Elizabeth Watts won the song prize.

See also

* List of classical music competitions

Notes

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/cardiffsinger BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition webpage]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/cardiffsinger/sites/content/pages/timeline.shtml History of the competition]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/cardiffsinger/sites/content/pages/performers_a-z.shtml List of all singers who have taken part]