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BBC Cardiff Singer of the World to be streamed to a global audience for the first time, bringing money back to BBC programming
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World returns from 14 – 21 June to showcase the world’s most promising classical singing talent. As they take to the stage in the Welsh capital to compete for the coveted title, the 20 singers will not only be seen and heard across the BBC on television, Radio 3 and online but for the first time anyone in the world can sign up to watch all the BBC broadcasts following a new partnership with subscription service sonostream.tv …
As well as making the world class performances available internationally, the partnership means even better value for UK audiences, with the BBC reinvesting revenue from the deal back into home-grown programming and content.
The biennial competition known throughout the classical music world as the premier showcase for opera and recital singers at the start of their careers is in its 32nd year, with David Jackson as Artistic Director for the first time.
David Jackson commented, ‘We’re really keen to make the best use of the licence fee and for many years we’ve had requests from music-lovers all over the world asking if they can see the competition for themselves. Now, for the first time, I’m absolutely delighted to be able to say Yes – if you have online access, Cardiff Singer can be yours to watch and enjoy. And with the value of the partnership reinvested into BBC programmes, it’s great news for UK audiences who love BBC content.’
The 20 finalists, from across the globe, will perform their own programmes of operatic and concert works throughout the week at St David’s Hall and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, competing for three prizes; the title of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize and The Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize. Judging the main prize is a panel comprising chairman and director of Welsh National Opera David Pountney, music director of The Norwegian Opera & Ballet John Fiore, Finnish soprano, and Cardiff Singer Alumna Soile Isokoski, American soprano Claron McFadden and Welsh operatic tenor Dennis O’Neill. For the Song Prize, John Gilhooly, Artistic Director of Wigmore Hall, and pianist Julius Drake will take the places of John Fiore and Dennis O’Neill on the jury.
Audiences in the UK can watch on BBC Four and BBC Two Wales. Broadcasts on BBC TV to be streamed at the same time on sonostream.tv (subscription required)
· Song Prize Final: BBC Four, Saturday 20 June, 7.30pm presented by Petroc Trelawny and American soprano Angel Blue.
· At St David’s Hall throughout the week, the finalists compete against each other in four rounds for a place in the Grand Final. The four rounds concerts will be broadcast on BBC Four presented by Petroc Trelawny and Angel Blue: Tuesday 16, Wednesday 17, Thursday 18, and Friday 19 June, 7.30pm.
· The competition reaches its climax in the Grand Final at St David’s Hall on Sunday 21 June broadcast on BBC Four presented by Petroc Trelawny and Angel Blue.
Audiences in the UK Nearly 350 opera and concert singers entered for a place in the competition from 55 different countries and this was whittled down to the final 20 singers. The singers were auditioned in eight locations including Helsinki, London, Milan, New York, Paris, Toronto, Vienna and Zurich.
Mongolia and Malta will be represented for the very first time this year, with two singers representing Belarus and three from South Korea and the USA. Each will also receive a trophy. The two orchestras for the competition will be the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Thomas Søndergård and the Welsh National Opera Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins.
Past winners include the very first winner Karita Matilla, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Anja Harteros and the 2013 winner Jamie Barton. The winner of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World will receive £15,000; and the Song Prize winner £5,000.
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For tickets and more details about BBC Cardiff Singer of the World visit bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger.
To subscribe to sonostream.tv visit www.sonostream.tv
For further press information about Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 please contact:
Rebecca Driver Media Relations – [email protected] | 020 7247 1894 | 07989 355446
Notes to Editors
The subscription service through sonostream.tv will cost €4.99 for one broadcast or €14.99 for all six TV broadcasts across the week.
Sonostream.tv has since 2012 built a worldwide reputation as an online broadcaster of events in classical music and opera. The Vienna-based platform has streamed from prestigious venues such as the Vienna Musikverein and Grafenegg Festival, featuring artists from Diana Damrau to Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Committed to the highest artistic and technical standards, Sonostream has drawn viewers from over 150 countries. It continues to expand its global reach with the first international broadcast outside the UK of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.
Some tickets are still available for the evening concerts and Finals, full details of which are available atbbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger. This year, due to overwhelming demand, the Song Prize recitals at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama will be relayed live to Cardiff University Concert Hall, including the pre-concert talks by distinguished baritone Donald Maxwell.
On Friday 19 June, as part of a three-day BBC Radio 3 residency at St David’s Hall and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Friday 19 – Sunday 21 June), Radio 3’s In Tune broadcasts a Cardiff Singer of the World special, live from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama presented by Sean Rafferty. Other highlights include a live Lunchtime Concert by tenor Ben Johnson (former BBC New Generation Artist and winner of the Audience Prize at Cardiff Singer of the World 2013), and a Live in Concert from Cardiff Singer of the World 2013 finalist, Ukrainian soprano and BBC New Generation Artist Olena Tokar on Saturday 20 June. More details of BBC Radio 3’s mini residency in Cardiff which forms part of Radio 3’s wider three-week season, The Classical Voice, will be announced in due course.
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 is part of a season across BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC Radio 3 in June and July celebrating the classical voice in the BBC’s Year of Song and Dance. A BBC Two documentary La Traviata: Love, Death and Divas, presented by Amanda Vickery and Tom Service, will explore the real-life drama behind one of the world’s most popular operas, and in a four-part series on BBC Four, Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Sir Antonio Pappano, examines the art and science behind the four major voice types. More details of Radio 3’s The Classical Voice season (Monday 15 June – Saturday 4 July) will be announced in due course.
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World is organised by BBC Wales in association with Welsh National Opera and supported by The City of Cardiff Council.
For tickets and more details about BBC Cardiff Singer of the World visit bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger.
