Informazioni e contatti

San Marino, January 29 2009 – The 3rd edition of the Renata Tebaldi International Voice Competition will take place September 16 through the 27, 2009. The Competition held every two years is organized and promoted by the homonymous Foundation and once again will make the most prominent names of the international opera scene come together in San Marino on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the soprano’s passing which occurs this coming December 19.

Under the High Patronage of the Eccellentissimi Capitani Reggenti and in cooperation with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Cultural Institutions and Tourism, the 3rd Renata Tebaldi International Voice Competition is made possible by the support of the Fondazione San Marino, Ente Cassa di Faetano - Fondazione della Banca di San Marino and through a team of sponsors and partners who, in supporting the initiative, prove in concrete terms the possible sinergy between worlds only in appearance distant: institutions, business and culture.

Open with no citizenship-related distinctions to singers born between January 1, 1974 and September 20, 1991 the 2007 edition has registered 120 participants coming from 31 countries versus 94 in 2005 representing 26 different countries.

The contest features three phases which will take place at the Palazzo dei Congressi Auditorium: eliminatory (September 16 – 19); semi-final (22 and 23) and final (24), each conceived as a recital in which the voice is accompanied by piano.

Besides proving their skill of singing at least in three languages, the candidates will have to perform their works from memory, except for Messa and Oratorio Arias, in the original language and key, exclusion made for Lieder and Songs traditionally transported for the different voices, without interruptions and in full rispect of the duration of the programme, avoiding the repetition of passages previously performed. The order of appearance in the different phases will be arranged by the Artistic Direction of the Competition.

The application form is available online at www.renatatebaldi.info in the Competition-dedicated section and the deadline for submitting it is July 15, 2009.

On September 26 the Orchestra Camerata del Titano di San Marino under the baton of Eugène Kohn will accompany the Winners’ Concert during which the International Jury will assign the awards. The programme of the closing concert will be defined among the jury, the Artistic Direction of the Competition and the candidates, choosing among the repertoire performed during the semi-final and the final phases.

Besides the first three winners (the jury has the right not to assign the First Prize), the Competition also include: Premio Barocco, Premio Opera Italiana and Premio Lieder and Songs each of which requires the candidates a specific broadening of the repertoire presented during the semi-final and final and during supplementary sections of the auditions.

The total in cash prizes is Euros 70,000. First, Second and Third Award will be respectively awarded 20,000, 14,000 and 8,000 Euros while each other single award will be 2,500 Euros (Opera Italiana, Barocco, Lieder and Songs besides the Critics’ Choice Award, that for Best Promising Voice and the Audience Choice Award which do not require extra performances).

The definitive list of jury members, presided by the famous Spanish soprano Teresa Berganza, is at the moment in progress.

The high quality standards set by the Competition rules, the strictly oriented work performed by the international jury and the active attendance of decision makers of the international opera

casting world (for the 2009 edition the participation, among others, of La Scala and the MET has already been confirmed), besides the huge effort of the Fondazione Tebaldi with the priceless support of partners and sponsors, have ratified in record time the great international success of the Competition.

Today the Renata Tebaldi Voice Competition serves with no doubts as primary reference for the industry pros who attend it to single out the potential Flórez or Gheorghiu to come while a broader audience of aficionados attend the final phases – general public is admitted from the semi-final on – and the different events scheduled. It represents a qualified moment of approch to an expressive form which is part of a shared cultural heritage still strongly rooted nowadays, a sort of universal language which is at the same time both an element of identity and exchange.

A rich program of collateral events – masterclasses, meetings, lectures, etc. – is in progress and the detailed scheduled will soon be announced.

Preservation and development of the figure of Renata Tebaldi, both as a person and an artist on an international basis are the founding elements on which, on December 30, 2004, the Foundation in name of the soprano was constituted, an istrument through which the Competition is carried out and other cultural inititives focused on opera and classical music take place, as it was Tebaldi’s explicit will.

For more information: www.renatatebaldi.info

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Isella Marzocchi, Press Office – isella.marzocchi@progettocaffeina.com

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