Press releases

MINSK, 24 October (BelTA) – More than 220 singers have applied for the fourth Minsk International Christmas Signing Competition, BelTA learned from the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus.

The competition will feature singers from Belarus, Russia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Poland, France, Germany, Israel, China, Mongolia, the USA, and South Africa. A total of 229 applications have been submitted for the event which will be running in Minsk from 14 to 20 December.

The fourth installment of the Minsk International Christmas Singing Competition will have three rounds: the first and the second one will take place with piano accompaniment, the third round with orchestral accompaniment. The final will see the competitors sing a lead role in a scene from an opera of classical or modern repertoire together with stars of the Belarusian Bolshoi Theater. This year, they will be evaluated by both the jury and the audience: a gala concert will be held in the theater’s Big Hall on 20 December to present diplomas and prizes along with an audience award.

The contest’s prize fund expressed in US dollars totals $28,000. The Grand Prix winner will receive $10,000 in prize money; the winner of the first prize will get $8,000. The winner of the second prize will collect $6,000, and $4,000 will be given to the winner of third prize.

Moreover, many young artists will be invited to join the world’s leading opera theaters and companies. The jury panel will be chaired by Vladimir Gridyushko, Director General of Belarus’ Bolshoi Theater, and will include directors of opera theaters, impresarios, and renowned musicians. The jury panel will also comprise Nicholas Payne, Director of Opera Europa (Brussels, Belgium); John Allison, editor of Opera Magazine (London, UK); Robert Koerner, Artistic Director of the Opera National de Lyon (France); Erki Pehk, Artistic Director of the Parnu International Opera Music Festival PromFest (Estonia); and Dmitry Vdovin, Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Theater Youth Opera Program (Russia).