One lone British singer in Glyndebourne’s finalists
mainTomorrow’s Glyndebourne Opera Cup finalists are:
Francesca Chiejina, 27, soprano (USA)
Samantha Hankey, 25, mezzo-soprano (USA)
Elbenita Kajtazi, 27, soprano (Kosovo)
Eléonore Pancrazi, 27, mezzo-soprano (France)
Emily Pogorelc, 21, soprano (USA)
Cody Quattlebaum, 24, bass-baritone (USA)
Jacquelyn Stucker, 28, soprano (USA)
Gemma Summerfield, 27, soprano (UK), pictured
Charles Sy, 26, tenor (Canada)
Hubert Zapiór, 24, baritone (Poland)
From the PR puff:
Among the finalists is soprano Elbenita Kajtazi (27), who as a young girl was forced to flee her home in war-torn Kosovo with her family, and live as a refugee in Albania. She fell in love with opera after watching clips of Maria Callas on YouTube. Soprano Francesca Chiejina (27), born in Lagos, Nigeria, had first planned to be a doctor before she caught the singing bug, as had her fellow semi-finalist, Canadian tenor Charles Sy (26). American bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum (24) was a chef for six years before he decided to commit to his musical career.
Yeah, well …
Strange competition.
1) Only opera arias by Mozart – who liked high female voices and low male voices so there’s a bit of a repertoire challenge for any other voice, which will become more of a problem as the competition progresses and arias can’t be repeated.
2) Reality TV style approach with Sky on board — i.e. please have a back story. Perhaps, like The Voice, they’ll manage to find a close relative gravely ill in hospital for whom each is singing.
3) Expensive entry requirements involving professional videoing.
4) More artistic directors than singers judging.
Rather strong North American representation, most major European countries not on the list at all.
Americans are more willing (and used to) to cough up the substantial expenses upfront. One reason I guess.