The Cardiff Singer of the World Competition (also the BBC Singer of the World in Cardiff Competition in 2003) is a singing competition held every two years. It is considered one of the most prestigious competitions in the opera world. The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ...

The competition was started by BBC Wales in 1983 to celebrate the opening of St David's Hall in Cardiff, Wales, home of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. BBC Wales (Welsh: ) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. ... Cardiff (English:  Welsh: ) is the capital, largest and core city of Wales. ... This article is about the country. ...

Auditions are held throughout the world in the autumn before the competition, with 25 singers being selected to take part in Cardiff the following June. Each singer represents their own country, and since 2003 a rule was introduced whereby two singers can take part from countries with very high populations.

The competition is judged by a panel of distinguished singers, musicians and music professionals. In 2003 an audience prize was also introduced for the primary competition.

History

In 1983, the first year of the competition, eighteen singers participated. The winner was Finnish soprano Karita Mattila. Karita Mattila Karita Mattila (born September 5, 1960 in Somero, Finland), is a leading opera soprano. ...

In 1987, a Lieder Prize was introduced, as artsong and opera are both important forms of song, but very different. The 1989 competition was particularly noteworthy with Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel winning the Lieder prize and Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky taking the overall title. Both singers have gone on to enjoy extremely successful careers with international acclaim. Lied (plural Lieder) is a German word, literally meaning song; among English speakers, however, it is used primarily as a term for European classical music songs, also known as art songs. Typically, Lieder are arranged for a single singer and piano. ... Baritone (French: baryton; Deutsch: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... Bryn Terfel The Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel, CBE (born November 9, 1965) is one of the best-known contemporary opera and concert singers. ... Dmitri Hvorostovsky (born 1962) is a top baritone opera singer from Russia. ...

In 1999, the Lieder Prize was renamed the Song Prize, to clarify that it applies to artsong and folksong rather than German Lieder only. The Song Prize became a separate event in 2003, as the BBC Cardiff Singer Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize. It is not compulsory, and the only entry requirement is that the singer is taking part in the primary competition.

For the 2003 competition, 951 singers from 56 nations applied, of whom 483 were shortlisted for audition. They were heard in forty locations across thirty countries around the world. The shortlist was finally narrowed down to twenty-five singers, with two reserves. The winner was Finnish baritone Tommi Hakala.

For the 2005 competition, over 700 singers from 62 nations applied, of whom 507 were shortlisted for audition. They were heard in 39 locations around the world. The shortlist was finally narrowed down to 25 singers, with three reserves. The Prize was won by American soprano Nicole Cabell. Nicole Cabell, American opera singer (born on October 17, 1977 in Panorama City, California), is the 2005 winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. ...

Many prominent singers have served in the jury, including Carlo Bergonzi, Geraint Evans, Marilyn Horne, Gundula Janowitz, Sherrill Milnes, Christoph Prégardien, Joan Sutherland, Dame Anne Evans, René Kollo and Galina Vishnevskaya. The Italian singer Carlo Bergonzi (born 13 July 1924) is one of the most admired tenors of the post-war period. ... The Welsh baritone Geraint Llewellyn Evans (16 February 1922 – 19 September 1992) was a well-known opera singer, noted for such roles as Papageno in The Magic Flute, Falstaff, and title-role of Wozzeck, among others. ... Marilyn Horne The American opera singer Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is a mezzo soprano who is particularly associated with the music of Rossini and Handel. ... Gundula Janowitz (born August 2, 1937 in Berlin, Germany) was one of the greatest lyric sopranos in modern history, renowned for her magnificent tone -- often described as creamy or silvery -- and her vocal control at the top of her range. ... Milnes as Scarpia in Tosca Sherrill Milnes (born January 10, 1935) is an American baritone famous for his Verdi roles. ... Joan Sutherland as Norma Dame Joan Sutherland OM, AC, DBE (born November 7, 1926) is an Australian opera singer noted for her contribution to the bel canto revival of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Dame Anne Evans DBE (born August 20, 1941, London) is an internationally successful Welsh soprano, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000. ... René Kollo (born November 20, 1937) is a German tenor. ... Galina Vishnevskaya The Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya (Гали́на Па́вловна Вишне́вская) (born 25 October 1926) is well-known opera singer and recitalist. ...

The competition is televised by BBC 2 and BBC 4 in the UK and followed with great interest by the music-loving public worldwide. BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC. History The channel was scheduled to begin at 7:20pm on April 20, 1964 and show an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show The Alberts and... BBC Four is a BBC television channel available to digital TV (Freeview, satellite and UK. Contents // Categories: Stub | BBC television channels | British TV channels ...

See also

• List of classical music competitions

The European Classical art music idiom has long relied on the institution of music competitions to provide a public forum that identifies the strongest young players and contributes to the establishment of their professional careers. ...

External links

• BBC Singer of the World Competition webpage
• History of the competition