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Only three months
have passed since the emotional moment when, faced with the sort
of hushed reverence usually reserved only for acknowledged virtuosos,
the finalists walked up onto the temporary stage erected in the
square in front of the Rocca delle Macìe Winery –
setting for the 13th International Opera Singers Competition -
and started to perform before a judging panel made up of some
of the ‘sacred monsters’ of the international opera
world, including Renato Bruson, Vincenzo De Vivo, Roberto Gabbiani,
Henry Mary, Marcello Panni, Gianni Tangucci, alongside Artistic
Director Marzia Zingarelli and a large audience. Maurizio Lo Piccolo,
a twenty-seven year-old basso from Palermo, came out on top in
the Rocca delle Macìe Competition, followed by Se-Jin Lee,
a soprano all the way from Korea, who was joint second with the
Spanish baritone Javier Franco, while Milijana Nikolic, a Yugoslavian
mezzosoprano was named equal third along with Korean tenor Sin
Mo Kang. The time has now come for them to reap the rewards for
years of study, discipline and sacrifice they have put in, as
the finalists have since been inundated with offers of works to
perform, and have already taken part in some of the concerts scheduled
as part of the jackpot up for grabs at the competition. In the
coming months, their schedules are set to become even more tightly
packed as they perform in many more opera houses throughout Italy.
The three youngsters - Lo Piccolo, Lee and Nikolic - accompanied
at the piano by Maestro Luciano Di Giandomenico, will be the main
attraction at two concerts to be held at the Teatro dell’Olivo
di Camaiore (Lucca) and the Teatro dei Varii di Colle Val d’Elsa
(Siena) on the 22nd and 23rd of November, respectively. They will
perform a selection of some of the most famous arias from the
rich international heritage of opera.
Even so, the opportunities laid on as part of the Rocca delle
Macìe International Opera Singers Competition do not end
there. Just the other day, Maestro Sergio Rendine, artistic director
of the Teatro Marrucino di Chieti, listened to a recital by Maurizio
Lo Piccolo and was so taken with the young Sicilian’s virtuoso
performance that he set about finding a specifically-written role
for him in an upcoming opera. Rendine also signed up Ms. Nikolic,
not only for the role of the Marquise in The Daughter of the Regiment
by Donizetti - to be staged in Chieti on the 2nd and 4th of April
2004 - but also for a series of recitals in Bergamo, as well as
featuring her in a new cd recording. Additionally, Lo Piccolo
and Lee will take part in a concert to be held at the Istituzione
Sinfonica Abruzzese (date still to be confirmed), accompanied
this time by Maestro Piero Corradino Giovannini.
In recent years, Rocca delle Macìe has gone to great lengths
to ensure that the youngsters who participate in the International
Opera Singers Competition are offered a series of engagements
with music institutions in Italy and overseas - the idea being
that the finalists have the opportunity to perform in what is
becoming an ever more high-profile showcase, and in the process
make their mark on the international musical stage. It has certainly
worked out well for some of the winners of previous years’
competitions, such as Patrizia Ciofi and Patrizia Cigna, to name
but two.
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