Major singing competition takes place almost without trace
mainThe Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, normally based in Vienna, migrated to Cape Town for its latest edition – not that you would know.
Although the contest was live-streamed, there has been no international coverage, not even of last night’s final round – except on one Dutch-language music site.
The winner was American bass-baritone Nicholas Brownlee.
Second was South African soprano Noluvuyiso Mpofu. Third was American mezzo Raehann Bryce-Davis.
There is also no international coverage for the yearly IFAC Australian Singing Competition, Australia’s premier competition of its kind since 1982. It is open to young opera & classical singers from Australia and New Zealand and provides cash prizes, awards and career development opportunities. It is also the home of the Marianne Mathy Scholarship (the “Mathy”). This year’s five finalists were treated to a masterclass by
Barbara Frittoli and will perform in the Finals Concert on August 18 in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood at the Concourse Theatre.
Absolute untested nonsense. Slipped disc always try to be first with the news and as controversial as they can be. I was one of the organisers here in Cape Town and ignore Norman Lebrecht and his colleagues flippent comment with contempt.
Not untested. As an observer of this competition for many years, I can attest that it has seldom achieved so little resonance beyond its physical venue. The contempt belongs at source, Mr Heyneman.