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The winner of
the 14th International Opera Singers’ Competition –
a prestigious event organized annually by Rocca delle Macìe
that has become a fixture of the opera calendar – is the
young French Soprano, Manon Strauss Evrard. This remarkable talent,
born in 1982, gave a consummate demonstration of the sort of character
and determination that are pre-requisites for those hoping to
work professionally within an art form that demands innumerable
sacrifices and a rock-solid sense of discipline. Not only does
she have a powerful voice, she is already an accomplished stage
presence.
At the climax of the final evening of the Competition, following
the last performances by the finalists on the temporary stage
in the evocative village where the winery is located, the prize-giving
ceremony got underway in front of an audience that becomes ever
more numerous with every passing year. Sergio Zingarelli –
President of both Rocca delle Macìe itself and of the Friends
of Opera Committee – bestowed the first prize of €4,000
upon Miss Manon. The Competition Jury, presided over by Maestro
Renato Bruson, awarded second prize (€2000) to Japanese Mezzo
Soprano Ikuko Nakajima and equal third prize (€1000 each)
to two baritones, Alessandro Luongo from Italy and Kwang Yul Wang
from Korea.
Sergio Zingarelli: “The proof that the ever increasing amount
of preparation the competitors are putting in allows them to perform
better year after year lies in the ever increasing audience numbers
that our event – which is orchestrated with a great deal
of valuable input from the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Bank –
manages to attract.”
Eleven hopefuls – having made it through the qualifying
rounds against a total of 130 entrants from all over the world
(Italy, France, Germany, Korea, Japan, Spain, Canada, Russia,
Hungary and the Czech Republic) – were asked to perform
at the final concert.
The evening was presented by television personality Paola Saluzzi,
who for several years now has been a sponsor of the Rocca delle
Macìe event – a contest that has functioned as a
springboard for several young singers who have gone on from here
to make a name for themselves on the international music scene.
Also in the audience on the night was World Cup medal winner Paolo
Rossi
Undoubtedly, one of the main advantages of the event is that the
finalists are subsequently offered roles in productions by such
respected institutions as the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, the
Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Teatro Marrucino di
Chieti–Teatro Lirico d’Abruzzo, the Romanian Philharmonic
Academy and the Istituzione Sinfonica Abruzzese.
Manon Strauss Evrard was also the winner according to the Peoples’
Jury, made up of the audience members at the concert, with a landslide
victory over the other competitors.
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