A gala production of Stanisław Moniuszko’s Halka at Warsaw’s National Opera opens the 7th International Vocal Competition tonight, named after the father of Polish national opera.

A record number of 131 singers from 25 countries compete for the awards. Singers from Iceland, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Moldova participate in the event for the first time.

The singers have been selected from 229 applicants from around the world. In the first stage of the competition they present a recital including a classical 18th-century aria, a 19th-century operatic aria, an aria or song from the 20th-century repertoire as well as songs by Moniuszko and Chopin.

Among past prizewinners of the Moniuszko Competition are such prominent singers as Małgorzata Walewska, Aleksandra Kurzak and Mariusz Kwiecień.

An international jury, chaired by the Polish tenor Wiesław Ochman, includes such household names as the singers Gwendolyn Bradley, Izabela Kłosinska, Elena Obraztsova, the pianist Larisa Gergieva, the Director of the Vienna Opera Ioan Holender and opera critic Sergio Segalini.  A prizewinners’ concert will be held on 28 May.

Founded in 1992, the Competition is the brainchild of the Polish singer and opera producer Maria Fołtyn. She has staged Moniuszko’s operas in Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, Russia, Romania, Japan and Cuba. (mk)

Related link: Moniuszko ever green , 17.05.2010  polishradio.pl

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