The prestigious Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition hopes to bring the opera world to Cape Town by holding its 2016 finals here.
Chairman and general manager Holger Bleck ”would like to see the Cape Town finals become a big international event involving many South Africans in the arrangement and enjoying strong audience support”.
The Belvedere, in its 33rd year, is described as ”the world’s best networked singing contest” and carries a first prize of €20,000.
The July 2014 competition in Düsseldorf will attract about 1,000 competitors.
The goal of the competition is to help young singers launch their professional careers. This is boosted by casting directors who offer finalists engagements in opera houses.
This year 15 will get the chance to perform publicly, which is a huge incentive. The lucky trio from Cape Town who won through to the finals, bass-baritone Siyabelele Ntlale, soprano Linda Nteleza and baritone Owen Metsileng, hope to emulate the success of Pretty Yende who won 1st Prize Opera 2009 and was a sensation, not only for herself but also for the competition.
Yende went on to La Scala Milan and now is performing all over the world. She says “I would not be where I am, if I had not participated in the Belvedere Singing Competition. I was able to present myself in only one audition to many international opera and casting directors, without having to travel from one audition to another.”
Acknowledgement Fiona Chisholm, Cape Times