Thomas Quasthoff and Sumi Jo to join the jury for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017
It was announced today that Thomas Quasthoff and Sumi Jo will join the jury for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017 competition.
Published: 8 July 2016
An event on the scale of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World is a true collaborative effort, and I’m so pleased to have partners of the calibre of Thomas Quasthoff and Sumi Jo to be part it
English language version
German bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff ended his incredible singing career in 2012, having performed internationally for more than 30 years. Now focussing on the next generation of singers, Thomas teaches at the Hanns Eisler Music Academy in Berlin and delivers masterclasses alongside performances as narrator, moderator, jazz singer and actor. He will join the jury for the Main Prize and Song Prize competitions, which are broadcast on BBC Television, radio and online.
Known for her thrilling coloratura soprano voice, Sumi Jo, from South Korea, is known as one of the great singers of her generation. Her repertoire consists of many of the most spectacular soprano roles ever written, including Lucia di Lammermoor, I Puritani, La Sonnambula and she is especially renowned for her interpretation of the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute. She will join the Main Prize jury.
Thomas Quasthoff says: “I am honoured to be asked to join the jury of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, and I hope to find some wonderful talent performing at the competition.”
Sumi Jo says “I’m delighted to be joining the jury of Cardiff Singer, and I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing all the talented young singers next year in Cardiff.”
Thomas and Sumi will join the competition’s patron Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and fellow jury members for the eight day competition, which will now take place between 11-18 June 2017.
David Jackson, Artistic Director, BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, says: “We’re very proud of the competition, which draws on the talent of people from different backgrounds and from every corner of the globe. The competitors follow different paths in life to reach the competition, but one thing brings them all together - their incredible singing voices.”
“An event on the scale of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World is a true collaborative effort, and I’m so pleased to have partners of the calibre of Thomas Quasthoff and Sumi Jo to be part it. Organizing an event with so many elements is always complicated, and the unexpected often crops up. One of these has meant that this year we have had to move the dates of the competition, and I’m incredibly grateful to all of our Cardiff Singer partners for their help in to making this happen.”
Established in 1983 by BBC Wales’ then Head of Music, J Mervyn Williams, BBC Cardiff Singer of the World was devised to identify the classical singing stars of the future, and the ambition is to deliver the lucky break all artists need to get them launched on the road to success. Past winners include the very first winner Karita Mattila, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Anja Harteros, Jamie Barton, and the 2015 winner Nadine Koutcher.
During the competition, all competitors perform their choice of music with orchestra in front of a distinguished jury at St David’s Hall, Cardiff. The Song Prize, awarded to the best singer of Lieder and art song, takes place in the Dora Stoutzker Hall at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. The singers will be accompanied by Simon Lepper and Llŷr Williams, and the Song Prize Final takes place at St David’s Hall. Highlights and extensive coverage of all the rounds and more are broadcast on television, radio and online by the BBC.
Singers can still enter the 2017 competition; applications close at midnight on 15 July 2016. Full rules and information can be found on the website.
Notes to Editors
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World was previously scheduled for 18-25 June 2017; it will now take place a week earlier, from 11-18 June 2017.
The application window for the 2017 competition is currently open, with a revised deadline of midnight on 15 July 2016, to allow singers who may previously have fallen outside the eligible dates to now apply. Full details and rules can be found on the website.
Ticket and booking information for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017 will be announced in December 2016. For more information see bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger
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Wales language version
THOMAS QUASTHOFF A SUMI JO YN YMUNO Â PHANEL BEIRNIAID CYSTADLEUAETH BBC CANWR Y BYD CAERDYDD 2017.
Heddiw, mae’r BBC yn cyhoeddi y bydd Thomas Quasthoff a Sumi Jo yn ymuno â’r panel beirniaid ar gyfer cystadleuaeth BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd 2017.
Daeth Thomas Quasthoff, y bas-bariton o'r Almaen, â’i yrfa ryfeddol fel canwr i ben yn 2012 ar ôl 30 mlynedd a mwy o berfformio ar lwyfannau rhyngwladol. Erbyn hyn, mae'n canolbwyntio ar y genhedlaeth nesaf o gantorion y mae’n eu dysgu yn Academi Gerdd Hanns Eisler yn Berlin ac yn cynnal dosbarthiadau meistr, ac yn perfformio fel adroddwr, canwr jazz ac actor. Bydd Thomas yn ymuno â’r panel ar gyfer Cystadleuaeth y Brif Wobr a’r Wobr Datganiad, sy’n cael eu darlledu ar draws y BBC ar deledu, radio ac ar-lein.
Mae Sumi Jo, sy'n adnabyddus am ei llais soprano coloratwra gwefreiddiol, yn un o gantorion mawr ei chenhedlaeth. Mae ei repertoire yn cynnwys y rolau mwyaf nodedig i gael eu hysgrifennu erioed ar gyfer llais soprano, gan gynnwys Lucia di Lammermoor, I Puritani a La Sonnambula, ac mae hi'n enwog am ei dehongliad o aria Queen of the Night yn The Magic Flute. Fe fydd hi’n ymuno â phanel beirniaid y Brif Wobr.
Dywedodd Thomas Quasthoff, “Mae’n fraint cael ymuno â phanel beirniaid BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd talentau arbennig yn perfformio yn y gystadleuaeth.”
Dywedodd Sumi Jo, “Mae’n bleser cael ymuno â phanel beirniaid cystadleuaeth BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at weld a chlywed yr holl gantorion ifanc talentog yn canu y flwyddyn nesaf yng Nghaerdydd.”
Bydd Thomas a Sumi yn ymuno â noddwr y gystadleuaeth, y Fonesig Kiri Te Kanawa, ac aelodau eraill y panel ar gyfer y gystadleuaeth wyth diwrnod, a gynhelir erbyn hyn rhwng 11 ac 18 Mehefin 2017.
Dywedodd David Jackson, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig, BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd, “Mae digwyddiad ar raddfa BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd yn sicr yn ymdrech gydweithredol, ac rwy'n hynod o falch o gael partneriaid o'r radd flaenaf fel Thomas Quasthoff a Sumi Jo yn rhan o’r digwyddiad. Mae trefnu digwyddiad sy'n cynnwys cynifer o elfennau bob amser yn gymhleth, ac yn aml iawn mae pethau annisgwyl yn codi. Dyna pam ein bod wedi gorfod mynd ati eleni i symud dyddiadau’r gystadleuaeth, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar tu hwnt i bartneriaid BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd am eu help wrth wneud hynny.”
Sefydlwyd BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd ym 1983 gan Bennaeth Cerdd BBC Cymru ar y pryd, J Mervyn Williams, gyda’r bwriad o ddod o hyd i sêr canu clasurol y dyfodol. Yr uchelgais yw rhoi’r cyfle euraid hwnnw y mae pob artist ei angen i lansio ei yrfa. Ymhlith enillwyr y gorffennol mae’r enillydd cyntaf un, Karita Mattila, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Anja Harteros, Jamie Barton, ac enillydd 2015, Nadine Koutcher.
Yn ystod y gystadleuaeth, bydd pob cystadleuydd yn perfformio cerddoriaeth o’i ddewis gyda'r gerddorfa o flaen panel arbennig o feirniaid yn Neuadd Dewi Sant, Caerdydd. Cynhelir y Wobr Datganiad – a roddir i’r sawl sy’n canu cân gelf a Lieder orau – yn Neuadd Dora Stoutzker yng Ngholeg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru. Simon Lepper a Llŷr Williams fydd yn cyfeilio i'r cantorion, a bydd Rownd Derfynol y Wobr Datganiad yn cael ei chynnal yn Neuadd Dewi Sant. Yn ogystal â’r uchafbwyntiau, bydd y BBC yn rhoi sylw helaeth i bob rownd ar y teledu, ar y radio ac ar-lein.
Mae’n dal yn bosib i gantorion gofrestru i gymryd rhan yng nghystadleuaeth 2017; y dyddiad cau yw hanner nos ar 15 Gorffennaf 2016. Mae’r rheolau a’r wybodaeth ar gael yn llawn ar y wefan.
NODIADAU I OLYGYDDION:
Roedd BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd i fod i gael ei gynnal rhwng 18 a 25 Mehefin 2017; erbyn hyn, bydd yn cael ei gynnal wythnos yn gynt, rhwng 11 ac 18 Mehefin 2017.
Mae’r cyfnod cyflwyno ceisiadau ar gyfer cystadleuaeth 2017 ar agor ar hyn o bryd, gyda dyddiad cau diwygiedig – sef hanner nos ar 15 Gorffennaf 2016 – er mwyn rhoi cyfle i gantorion a allai yn flaenorol fod wedi bod y tu allan i’r dyddiadau cymwys ymgeisio. Mae’r manylion a’r rheolau ar gael yn llawn ar y wefan.
Bydd gwybodaeth am docynnau ac archebu tocynnau ar gyfer cystadleuaeth BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd 2017 yn cael ei chyhoeddi ym mis Rhagfyr 2016. I gael rhagor o wybodaeth ewch i bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger
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