20 young international stars revealed as BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017 finalists

Twenty of the world’s most promising classical singers will compete in this year’s BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. The names of the successful singers - who were chosen from almost 400 applicants - are announced today.

Published: 2 March 2017
It is a pleasure to introduce this new generation of up-and-coming stars to our audiences, and celebrate the joy of the classical voice.
— Jan Younghusband, Head of Commissioning, BBC Music TV

From 11-18 June 2017, Cardiff - and platforms across the BBC - will be alive with song as 20 of the finest young classical singers from around the globe compete for the title of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017.

Known throughout the classical music world as the premier showcase for opera and concert singers at the beginning of their careers, BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, will be broadcast extensively on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3, along with BBC Two Wales, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, S4C and online.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, patron of the eight day competition, and Nicholas Payne (Director, Opera Europa) were tasked with choosing the 44 singers who faced the judges in live auditions held in cities across the world. The final 19 were selected by Angela Livingstone, Head of Opera at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Isabel Murphy, casting director at Welsh National Opera and record producer Jeremy Caulton. The 19 will be joined by Welsh representative Sioned Gwen Davies.

Artistic Director BBC Cardiff Singer David Jackson says: "I’m very excited about the talent we’ve netted for this year’s Cardiff Singer. It’s going to be a thrilling week of singing.”

The singers, who will perform their own programmes of operatic and concert works at St David’s Hall, Cardiff in four competitive rounds which will be accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by their Principal Conductor Thomas Søndergård and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera conducted by their Music Director Tomáš Hanus. Judging the main prize will be the distinguished panel: opera director David Pountney (chairman), mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry, soprano Sumi Jo, baritone Thomas Quasthoff and conductor Anu Tali.

Established in 1983 by BBC Wales, 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 and the 2015 winner Nadine Koutcher.

Nadine says: “Winning BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 feels like a dream... it gave me so many opportunities. I’m so proud to be a Cardiff Singer winner.”

The winner of the main prize will receive £15,000 and the Cardiff Trophy, while the Song Prize, awarded to the best singer of Lieder and art song, carries a £7,000 prize and trophy. The rounds for the Song Prize will take place in the state-of-the-art Dora Stoutzker concert hall at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, with all the singers eligible to take part. Joining chairman, David Pountney, Grace Bumbry and Thomas Quasthoff on the jury, will be soprano Ailish Tynan and Director of Wigmore Hall John Gilhooly.

The Song Prize rounds will be broadcast in the BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert (Tuesday 13 - Friday 16 June) with the song prize final live on Radio 3 In Concert (Friday 16 June) and on BBC Four presented by Petroc Trelawny and American soprano Angel Blue (Saturday 17 June).The four concerts at St David’s Hall, Cardiff will be broadcast on BBC Four (Tuesday 13 - Friday 16 June) presented by Petroc Trelawny and Angel Blue. The Grand Final will be broadcast live on both BBC Four and BBC Radio 3 on Sunday 18 June, hosted by Petroc Trelawny and Angel Blue.

Jan Younghusband, Head of Commissioning, BBC Music TV, says: “I am delighted that BBC Cardiff Singer of the World is returning to our screens and putting some of the world’s most promising opera talent centre stage. It is a pleasure to introduce this new generation of up-and-coming stars to our audiences, and celebrate the joy of the classical voice.”

Alan Davey, Controller of BBC Radio 3, says: “BBC Cardiff Singer of the World brings the very best of a new generation of young and talented singers from across the world to our listeners at BBC Radio 3. At Radio 3 we are dedicated to supporting and nurturing emerging artists and exciting new musical talent through programmes such as our long-running New Generation Artists Scheme. We are thrilled to be supporting this year’s BBC Cardiff Singer of the World by presenting extensive coverage of the competition to our audiences across the UK.”

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, is part of BBC Music and organised by BBC Wales in association with Welsh National Opera and supported by The City of Cardiff Council.

Further details and ticket information can be found at bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger

Single Tickets are on sale now from the St David’s Hall website.

The winner of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World will receive £15,000; and the Song Prize winner £7,000. Each will also receive a trophy.

Singers were auditioned in six locations:

  • Berlin
  • Hamburg
  • Houston
  • London
  • New York
  • Warsaw

The competition will be broadcast on BBC Four, BBC Two Wales, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru, S4C and online at bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger.

The Patrons - past and present

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa became the second Patron following the late Dame Joan Sutherland who was the competiton's first patron. Keenly involved in the competition, Dame Kiri is a passionate believer in nurturing young singing talent.

SG

Singers/Cantorion

20 o sêr ifanc rhyngwladol wedi'u henwi ar gyfer BBC Canwr Y Byd Caerdydd 2017

Bydd ugain o gantorion opera mwyaf addawol y byd yn cystadlu yng nghystadleuaeth BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd eleni. Cyhoeddwyd enwau yr 20 canwr llwyddiannus - a ddewiswyd o blith bron i 400 o ymgeiswyr – heddiw.

Rhwng 11 a’r 18 o Fehefin 2017, bydd dinas Caerdydd, heb sôn am donfeddi’r BBC, yn llawn lleisiau persain yr ugain o gantorion ifanc gorau y byd sydd wedi eu dewis i gystadlu am deitl BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd 2017.

Mi fydd y gystadleuaeth, sy’n adnabyddus ym myd cerddoriaeth glasurol fel y prif lwyfan i gantorion opera a chantorion cyngerdd ar ddechrau eu gyrfa, yn cael ei darlledu yn estynedig ar BBC Four, BBC Radio 3, yn ogystal a BBC Two Wales, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, S4C ac arlein.

Y Fonesig Kiri Te Kanawa, noddwr y gystadleuaeth, a Nicholas Payne (Cyfarwyddwr Opera Europa) gafodd y dasg o ddewis y rhestr fer o 44 o gantorion opera a chyngerdd aeth i wynebu’r beirniaid yn y clyweliadau byw a gynhaliwyd mewn dinasoedd ar draws y byd. Dewiswyd y 19 terfynol gan Bennaeth Opera Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru, Angela Livingstone, Isabel Murphy, Cyfarwyddwr Castio Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru, a’r cynhyrchydd recordiau profiadol, Jeremy Caulton. Mi fydd cynrychiolydd Cymru, Sioned Gwen Davies, yn ymuno â’r 19.

Dywedodd David Jackson, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig Canwr y Byd: “Dwi wedi cyffroi’n llwyr am y talent ry’n ni wedi llwyddo i’w fachu ar gyfer Canwr y Byd eleni. Mae hi am fod yn wythnos wefreiddiol o ganu.”

Yn cyfeilio i’r cantorion, a fydd yn perfformio eu rhaglenni eu hunain o waith opera a chyngerdd yn Neuadd Dewi Sant, Caerdydd mewn pedair rownd gystadleuol i gyfeiliant Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Cymru y BBC o dan arweiniad eu Prif Arweinydd, Thomas Søndergård, a Cherddorfa Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru o dan arweiniad Tomáš Hanus. Bydd panel anrhydeddus yn barnu’r brif wobr: Cadeirydd, David Pountney, y mezzo-soprane Grace Bumbry, y soprano Sumi Jo, y baroiton Thomas Quasthoff a’r arweinydd Anu Tali.

Sefydlwyd BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd yn 1983 gan BBC Cymru ac fe’i cynlluniwyd yn wreiddiol i 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 at lwyddiant. Ymhlith enillwyr y gorffennol mae’r enillydd cyntaf un Karita Mattila, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Anja Harteros ac enillydd 2015 Nadine Koutcher.

Meddai Nadine Koutcher: “Mae ennill BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd 2015 yn teimlo fel breuddwyd… dwi wedi cael gymiant o brofiadau ers hynny. Dwi mor falch o fod yn enillydd Canwr y Byd.”

Bydd enillydd y brif wobr yn derbyn £15,000 a Thlws Caerdydd, a bydd enillydd Gwobr y Gân, a ddyfernir i ganwr gorau’r Lieder a’r gân gelf, yn cael gwobr o £7,000 a thlws. Cynhelir rowndiau Gwobr y Gân yn neuadd gyngerdd fodern iawn Dora Stoutzker yng Ngholeg Cerdd a Drama Brenhinol Cymru, gyda’r holl gantorion yn gymwys i gymryd rhan. Yn ymuno â’r Cadeirydd, David Pountney, Grace Bumbry aThomas Quasthoff ar y rheithgor fydd y soprano Ailish Tynan a Chyfarwyddwr Wigmore Hall, John Gilhooly.

Bydd yr ymgiprys am y Wobr Datganiad yn cael ei adlewyrchu ar draws Cyngherddau Amser Cinio BBC Radio 3 (Mawrth 13-Gwener 16 Mehefin) cyn darlledu Rownd Derfynol y Wobr Datganiad yn fyw ar Radio 3 (Gwener 16 Mehefin, 7.30pm), ac ar BBC Four (Sadwrn17 Mehefin) wedi’i chyflwyno gan Petroc Trelawny a’r soprano Americanaidd Angel Blue. Bydd y rownd derfynol yn fyw ar BBC Four a BBC Radio 3 ddydd Sul 18 Mehefin, wedi ei chyflwyno gan Petroc Trelawny ac Angel Blue.

Meddai Jan Younghusband, Pennaeth Comisiynu, Teledu BBC Music: “Rwy wrth fy modd fod BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd yn dychwelyd i’r sgrin ac yn rhoi llwyfan i rai o gantorion mwyaf addawol byd opera. Mae’n bleser pur i gyflwyno’r genhedlaeth nesaf o sêr i’n cynulleidfaoedd, a dathlu hyfrydwch y llais clasurol.”

Meddai Alan Davey, Rheolwr BBC Radio 3: “Mae BBC Canwr y Byd yn dod â’r gorau o genhedlaeth ifanc a thalentog ar draws y byd at ein gwrandawyr ar Radio 3. Drwy raglenni fel y New Generations Artists Scheme, ry’n ni yn Radio 3 wedi’n hymrwymo i gefnogi a meithrin artistiaid a thalent cerddorol sefydledig a newydd . Ry’n ni wir wedi’n cynhyrfu i gael cefnogi BBC Canwr y Byd eleni drwy gyflwyno darlledu cynhwysfawr o’r gystadleuaeth i’n cynulleidfaoedd ar draws y DU.”

Mae cystadleuaeth BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd yn cael ei threfnu gan BBC Cymru ar y cyd ag Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru, ac yn cael cefnogaeth gan Gyngor Dinas a Sir Caerdydd.

Mae manylion pellach a gwybodaeth am docynnau ar gael ar bbc.co.uk/canwrybyd.

Mae tocynnau unigol ar gael o 10am fore Mercher 1 Mawrth ar wefan Neuadd Dewi Sant.

Bydd enillydd BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd yn cael £15,000; ac enillydd Gwobr y Gân yn cael £7,000. Bydd y ddau’n derbyn tlws hefyd.

Cynhaliwyd clyweliadau ar gyfer y cantorion mewn 6 lleoliad:

  • Berlin
  • Efrog Newydd
  • Hamburg
  • Houston
  • Llundain
  • Warsaw

Bydd y gystadleuaeth yn cael ei darlledu ar BBC Four, BBC Two Wales, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Wales a BBC Radio Cymru, S4C ac ar-lein yn bbc.co.uk/canwrybyd

Y Noddwyr – o’r gorffennol a'r presennol

Daeth y Fonesig Kiri Te Kanawa yn ail Noddwr y gystadleuaeth yn dilyn y diweddar Fonesig Joan Sutherland. Mae'r Fonesig Kiri yn chwarae rhan flaenllaw yn y gystadleuaeth ac mae’n credu’n angerddol mewn meithrin talent canu ifanc.

SG

 

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