Ninth International Opera Conducting Competition BLUE DANUBE 14-21 September, Stara Zagora 2023

News публикувана на: 14.09.2023

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14 to 21 September 2023 Stara Zagora State Opera hosts the ninth edition of the BLUE DANUBE International Opera Conducting Competition. The aim of the event is to support young musicians from different countries by giving them a chance to perform over the next two years in different opera houses and orchestras.

According to the status of the competition, the best performing participants will receive an invitation to tour to the National Opera Cluj-Napoca and Opera Brasov, Romania /in the 2024-2025 season/, the State Philharmonic Targu Mures, Romania (opera gala) in the 2025-2026 season, State Opera Stara Zagora, Bulgaria (two engagements), opportunity for engagement with the Stanislav Binitsky Symphony Orchestra, Belgrade, Serbia, guest conducting an opera performance on the stage of the Serbian National Opera Theatre in Novi Sad. The award winners will conduct the gala performance of the opera Tosca on the stage of the Stara Zagora Opera House at the closing of the competition on 21 September.

The competition is being held for the ninth time and for the second time in Stara Zagora.

26 conductors from more than 15 nationalities take part inthe 9th Blue DanubeInternational Opera Conducting Competition . An authoritative jury will evaluate the candidates in three rounds. The State Opera-Stara Zagora Orchestra also takes part in the evaluation of the candidates. All contenders for the awards appear anonymously - under numbers determined by a pre-drawn lot.

This year the jury of the competition is composed of. The programme of the competition includes the opera performances " The Magic Flute" by W.A. Mozart, " Rigoletto" by Verdi, "Tosca" by Puccini with the participation of soloists, choir and orchestra of the State Opera-Stara Zagora.

The first tour will take place from 14 to 16 September, starting at 10.00. The regulations include evaluation of all participants, who are given the opportunity to conduct rehearsals of the respective opera titles. On 16 September, after the end of the regulated competition time, the admitted participants in the second round will be announced. The second round will take place from 17 to 19 September. 12 conductors will be admitted. Qualified conductors for Round Three will be announced on 19 September after the regular competition time. Four conductors will be admitted to the Third Round; the Third Round begins on September 20 with two dress rehearsals of the opera Tosca, from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and from 6 to 9:45 p.m., in which the finalists conduct one act each. The winners will be announced after the evening dress rehearsal.

The award ceremony is on 21 September, at 19.00, after which the winners /First, Second and Third Prize/ will conduct the performance of the opera Tosca on the stage of the State Opera-Stara Zagora with the participation of the soloists Rusalina Mochukova, Boris Taskov, Alexander Krunev and others, the orchestra and the choir of the State Opera-Stara Zagora.

Tickets for the Award Ceremony and Gala performance of the opera Tosca can be purchased online and at the Stara Zagora Opera House box office.