[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] La Bella Opera Company will hold the 12th La Bella Vocal Competition this June. The La Bella Vocal Competition was first held in 2009 to discover talented newcomers and help vocalists debut on the adult stage, and this year marks its 12th edition.
Past winners who are currently active both domestically and internationally include the 1st competition general division runners-up bass Hwang In-su (2nd place) and Han Hye-yeol (3rd place), baritone Kim Jong-pyo (1st place in the 2nd general division), soprano Son Na-rae (2nd place in the 3rd general division), baritone Jang Cheol-jun (2nd place in the 4th general division), baritone Kim Han-gyeol (2nd place in the 5th general division), tenor Kim Yoon-kwon (3rd place in the 6th), and tenor Lee Myung-in (3rd place in the 7th).
The 12th La Bella Vocal Competition will also serve as the Korean preliminary round for the 2020 Sochi Competition del Opera, and winners will be granted the right to advance to the Sochi Competition del Opera finals.
The Competition del Opera is a contest utilizing Italian opera repertoire, first held in Hamburg, Germany in 1996, and since 2001 has been based in Dresden, continuing steadily to this day. International vocalists who have emerged from the Competition del Opera include Marina Mescheryakova, Ashley Holland, Rado Atanelli, Anja Harteros, Carla Maria Izzo, Kim Woo-kyung, and Kang Hyung-gyu.
La Bella Vocal Competition winners receive various benefits. The first prize winner in the Artist division receives 5 million KRW, and a total of 10 million KRW in prize money is awarded to six winners including the Young Artist division. Additionally, winners qualify for scholarship admission to La Bella Opera Company's specialized opera training program, 'La Bella Opera Studio,' and are given the opportunity to perform in the 2021 season productions of La Bella Opera Company.
Applications for the La Bella Vocal Competition are open until 6 PM on the 29th. Applicants can download the application form from the La Bella Opera Company website, fill it out, and submit it via email (labella91@daum.net). The participation fee is 100,000 KRW for all divisions.
Eligibility for the Artist division is women born in 1989 or earlier and men born in 1987 or earlier, while the Young Artist division is open to those born in 2000 or later.
The preliminary rounds for all divisions will be held in two stages on June 3rd and 4th, and the finals will take place on June 6th at Yeongsan Art Hall in a concert format.
In the Artist division, participants prepare four opera arias: the first preliminary round features a piece chosen by the participant, the second preliminary round features a piece designated by the judges, and the finals include two arias excluding those performed in the preliminaries. The Young Artist division prepares Italian or German art songs or arias: the first preliminary round features Italian art songs or arias, the second preliminary round features German art songs, and the finals feature Italian art songs or arias.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
