CROATIAN NATIONAL THEATER “IVAN PL. ZAJC” IN RIJEKA IS PROUD TO INAUGURATE: International Competition for Young Opera Singers “Zinka Milanov” 14 – 18 July 2015, Rijeka – Croatia

16. travnja 2015.
Application deadline: 15 of June 2015
 
Croatian National Theatre “Ivan pl. Zajc” in Rijeka is initiating the International Competition for Young Opera Singers – “Zinka Milanov”, named after one of the greatest dramatic sopranos of the 20thcentury.  The competition is intended for all opera singers who are keen to gain on-stage experience that would facilitate the launch of their international singing careers.

Zinka Milanov, born in Zagreb, Croatia as Zinka Kunc, studied with the famous Wagnerian soprano Milka Ternina. She was discovered by Bruno Walter who recommended her to Arturo Toscanini for a performance of Verdi’s Requiem in Salzburg in 1937. There she was heard by Edward Johnson, then general manager of the Metropolitan Opera. In the same year she made her debut in New York as Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. At that time she adopted the name Milanov and continued as the leading dramatic soprano of the Metropolitan Opera for nearly 30 years until her retirement in 1966 at the closing night of the old Met. She then devoted herself to teaching – among her pupils were Grace Bumbry, Christa Ludwig and Regina Resnik.
“It was generally acknowledged that Zinka Milanov was the greatest dramatic soprano after Rosa Ponselle, who retired early in 1937. (…) Her singing was refined, subtle, powerful, sensitive or dramatic, as the music demanded. She produced a big, warm sound and had an equalized scale up to a secure high C. In the Aida ‘Nile scene’ she was able to take a haunting pianissimo on the C that will forever float in memory.” (Harold C. Schoenberg, The New York Times, May 31, 1989)

COMPETITION PROTOCOL, REGULATIONS, JURY AND PRIZES:
 
1.
Competitors, male and female, of any nationality born before 30 June 1994 are welcome to apply
2.
The competition is organized in three rounds:
–  1st round  – 1 opera aria of own choosing – with piano accompaniment
–  Semi-final round – 2 opera arias of own choosing – with piano accompaniment
–  Final round – 2 opera arias selected from the enclosed list – concert accompanied by the Orchestra of the Croatian National Theatre “Ivan pl. Zajc” in Rijeka
A singer may not repeat the same aria in the different stages of the competition. All competition rounds are public.
3.
The organizer will provide accompanists and an opportunity for rehearsal prior to each round of the competition. The competitors are allowed to bring their own accompanists at their own expense
4.
An international jury comprised of distinguished singers, conductors, opera company directors and music agents will evaluate the competitors according to the following criteria: technical preparedness, musicality, voice quality and artistic personality.
5.
The decisions of the jury are irrevocable and not subject to any kind of appeal
6.
Competition jury (2015):
Fabrizio Melano – opera director, New York City
Kms Olivera Miljaković – vocal pedagogue, Vienna State Opera
Mariano Horak – artists manager, Agentur “Caecilia”, Zürich
Tibor Bogányi – Chief-conductor of the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra
Kalle Kanttila – artists manager, International Opera Artists
Marin Blazevic – professor of performance studies and opera dramaturgy, Opera Company Director and Dramaturge, Croatian National Theatre “Ivan pl. Zajc” in Rijeka, co-founder of the «Zinka Milanov» competition
Vlatka Oršanić – singer, Slovenian National Theatre in Ljubljana, Head of Department of Voice – Academy of Music, University of Zagreb, co-founder and director of the «Zinka Milanov» competition

7.
 
Prizes:
1st prize –  €3,000
2nd prize –  €2,000
3rd prize –  €1,000
Special award: appearances in the projects of the Croatian National Theatre “Ivan pl. Zajc” in Rijeka, either opera production or a concert.

8.
Participation fee is €80 payable to the following bank account:
HNK “Ivana pl. Zajca” Rijeka
Uljarska 1
51000 Rijeka
IBAN: HR2623600001102027960
SWIFT: ZABAHR2X
OIB: HR 73674241432

 
 
APPLICATION FORM:

Full name:
Date of birth:
Voice type:
Copy of an ID document:
Photograph  (JPG, 1 MB max):
Brief CV:
Contact:
Participation fee payment confirmation:
Repertoire for the competition, divided by rounds:
 
Application deadline: 15 of June 2015
Please send in your applications to the following address:
zinkamilanov.competition@hnk-zajc.hr

HNK can recommend you accommodation in: 
Grand Hotel “Bonavia” http://www.bonavia.hr/en and Jadran hoteli d.d.,
http://www.jadran-hoteli.hr, which are our business partners, but there are numerous other possibilities for accommodation in Rijeka, here are some links with information that can help you:http://www.visitrijeka.eu/Where_To_Stay/Hostels_and_Hostelry

COMPETITION SCHEDULE:
 
14 July 2015 
11.00  –  Participant registration
12.00  –  Rehearsals with accompanists
15.00  –  Drawing of numbers for participants’ order of appearance
16.00  –  Rehearsals with accompanists

15 July 2015 
10.00 – 14.00 – 1st Round
16.00 – 20.00 – 1st Round – continued
21.00 – Announcement of results – semi-finalists

16 July 2015  
11.00  –  14.00  – Semi-final round
16.00  –  19.00 – Semi-final round – continued
20.00  –  Publication of results – finalists

17 July 2015   
Finalists’ rehearsal with the orchestra

18 July 2015 
Concert by the finalists followed by the announcement of winners and awards ceremony

Accompanying program of concerts, opera and dance performances will be announced by May 1.

LIST OF ARIAS FOR THE FINAL ROUND:
 
Soprano
V. Bellini: La sonnambula – Ah, non credea mirarti
Norma  –  Casta diva
I Capuletti e I Montecchi – Oh, quante volte
G. Bizet: Carmen – Je dis, que rien ne m’épouvente
F. Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur – Io son l’umile ancella
Poveri fiori
G. Donizetti: L’elisir d’amore – Prendi
Linda di Chamounix – O luce di quest’anima
Lucia di Lammermoor – Regnava nel silenzio
A. Dvořak: Rusalka – Měsičku, na neby hlubokem
Ch. Gounod: Faust – Ah, je ris
J. Massenet: Herodiade – Il est doux, il est bon
W. A. Mozart: Zaide – Ruhe, sanft
Così fan tutte – Come scoglio
In uomini, in soldati
Le nozze di Figaro – Porgi amor
Don Giovanni – Batti, batti o bel Masetto
Non mi dir
Mi tradì quel’alma ingrata
Die Zauberflöte – Der Hölle Rache
J. Offenbach: Les contes d’Hoffmann – Les oiseaux dans la charmille
G. Puccini: La bohème – Mi chiamano Mimì
Quando men vo
Madama Butterfly – Un bel dì vedremo
Tu, tu, piccolo iddio
Gianni Schicchi –  O mio babbino caro
Tosca – Vissi d’arte
Manon Lescaut – In quelle trine morbide
Sola, perduta, abbandonata
Suor Angelica – Senza mamma
Turandot – Signore ascolta
G. Rossini: Guglielmo Tell – Selva opaca
Semiramide – Bel’ raggio lusinghier
G. Verdi: Aida – Ritorna vincitor
I vespri siciliani – Mercè dilette amiche
La forza del destino – Pace, pace mio dio
La traviata – E strano
Addio del’passato
Rigoletto – Caro nome
Un ballo in maschera – Morro, ma prima in grazia
Saper vorreste
R. Wagner: Tannhäuser – Dich teure Halle
I. Zajc: Nikola Šubić Zrinjski – On ode

Mezzosoprano

V. Bellini: I Capuletti e I Montecchi – Se Romeo t’uccise il figlio
G. Bizet: Carmen – Habanera
Seguidille
F. Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur – Acerba voluta
G. Donizetti: La favorita – O, mio Fernnando
Ch. Gounod: Faust – Faites lui mes aveux
P. Mascagni: Voi lo sapete o mamma
J. Massenet: Werther – Ces lettres
W.A. Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro – Non so piu cosa son
Così fan tutte – Smanie implacabili
La clemenza di Tito – Parto, parto
A. Ponchielli: La Gioconda – Voce di donna
G. Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia – Una voce poco fa
La Cenerentola – Nacqui all’affanno
C. Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila – Mon coeur
G. Verdi: Don Carlo – Nel giardin del bello
O don fatale
Il trovatore – Stride la vampa
Un ballo in maschera – Re dell’abisso, affrettati
I. Zajc: Zlatka – Vari, vari

Tenore

P. I. Čajkovski: Jevgenij Onjegin – Kuda, kuda
G. Donizetti: L’elisir d’amore – Quanto e bella, quanto e cara
Una furtiva lagrima
Lucia di Lammermoor – Fra poco a me ricovero
U. Giordano: Andrea Chenier – Improvviso
Ch. Gounod: Faust – Salut, demeure chaste et pure
R. Leoncavallo: I Pagliacci – Vesti la giubba
J. Massenet: Werther – Pourquoi me réveiller

W. A. Mozart: Così fan tutte – Un aura amorosa
Die Zauberflöte – Dies Bildnis
                          Don Giovanni – Dalla sua pace
Il mio tesoro
G. Puccini: Tosca – Recondita armonia
La bohème – Che gelida manina
Turandot – Nessun dorma
G. Verdi: Aida – Celeste Aida
Il trovatore – Ah, si ben mio
La traviata – Lunge da lei
Macbeth – O figli
Rigoletto – Ella mi fu rapita
Questa o quella
La donna e mobile
Luisa Miller – Quando le sere al placido
R. Wagner: Lohengrin – In fernem Land

Baritone

V.Bellini: I Puritani – Ah, per sempre
P. I. Čajkovski: Jevgenij Onjegin – Kagda bi žiznj
Pikova dama – Ja vas ljublju
G. Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor – Cruda funesta smania
L’elisir d’amore – Come Paride vezzoso
U. Giordano: Nemico della patria
Ch. Gounod: Faust – Avant de quitter ces lieux
W. A. Mozart: Don Giovanni – Fin ch’han dal vino
Così fan tutte – Donne mie
Le nozze di Figaro – Hai gia vinta la causa
G. Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia – Largo al factotum
G. Verdi: Don Carlo – Per me giunto
Falstaff – E sogno
La traviata – Di provenza il mar
Un ballo in maschera – Eri tu
Il trovatore – Il balen
Rigoletto – Cortigiani
R. Wagner: Tannhäuser – O du, mein holder Abendstern
I. Zajc: Nikola Šubić Zrinjski – Gle kako divno sjaji grad

Basso

V. Bellini: La sonnambula – Vi ravviso
P. I. Čajkovski: Jevgenij Onjegin – Ljubvi vse vozrastji pakorni
G. Donizetti: L’elisir d’amore – Udite, o rustici
Ch. Gounod: Faust – Le veau d’or
Vous qui faite l’endormie
W. A. Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro – Non piu andrai
Die Zauberflöte – O Isis und Osiris
In diesen heil’gen Hallen
Don Giovanni – Madamina
G. Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia – La calunia
Un dottor della mia sorte
La Cenerentola – Miei rampolli femminini
G. Verdi: Don Carlo – Ella giammai m’amo
Ernani – Infelice
Macbeth – Come dal ciel precipita
Simone Boccanegra – Il lacerato spirito
I vespri siciliani – O, tu Palermo
Nabucco – Vieni, o Levita