31^st International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition 2012

For more than 30 years, the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition has brought together up-and-coming talents and international contacts who can further their future careers. The idea of arranging preliminary rounds on all continents and inviting the most promising artists to the main competition in Vienna is a tried and tested concept, and over the years, it has made engagements at opera houses the world over materialise for a large number of highly talented singers. In 2012, the preliminary rounds will take place in about 50 cities all around the globe from March to June. The best 150 to 160 singers will then travel to Vienna.

The composition of the jury is yet another special feature of the competition: the members are exclusively expert practitioners whose job it is to hire singers. The international jury consisting of opera managers and casting directors (this year the Washington National Opera, the Israeli Opera and the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg will be among the opera houses represented the jury) as well as agents and international media representatives have made the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition a veritable “Wall Street of Voices”.

The competition will continue its successful cooperation with Austrian universities and academies as the participation of Austrian voice students is a special concern to us, and this way, we will again be able to foster Austrian talents.

The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Vienna, is the main sponsor of the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition.

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Tickets for the finals (July 8, 2012)

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30^th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition 2011

Winners Opera

f.l.t.r.: Kammerdirektor Mag. Heinz Wollinger (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber)
3^rd Prize Opera: Simge BUYUKEDES (Türkei)
1^st Prize Opera and 1st Prize Operetta: Rachel WILLIS-SORENSEN (USA)
2^nd Prize Opera: Sehoon MOON (Südkorea)
President KR Brigitte Jank (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber)

In 2011 the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition will see a remarkable anniversary – for no less than 30 years, the contest organised by Wiener Kammeroper has brought together up-and-coming talents and international contacts who can further their future careers.

About 3000 young singers from all over the world took part in the qualifying rounds of the Competition 2011 in nearly 50 cities all over the world. 159 of them qualified for the final rounds in Vienna. Most singers came from Russia (25) and South-Korea (11) resp. USA (11). Finally 141 singers has arrived in Vienna to take part the second round (72 sopranos, 21 mezzo-sopranos, 1 counter-tenor, 16 tenors, 20 baritones, 5 bass-baritones, 6 basses), 3 of them from Austria.

13 singers of them has qualified for the public finals at the Vienna City Hall. (8 for repertory Opera, 4 for repertory Operetta und 1 for repertory Opera AND Operetta).

The idea of arranging preliminary rounds on all continents and inviting the most promising artists to the main competition in Vienna is a tried and tested concept, and over the years, it has made engagements at opera houses the world over materialise for a large number of highly talented singers. The preliminary rounds take place in about 50 cities all around the globe from March to June. The best 150 to 160 singers will then travel to Vienna. The composition of the jury is yet another special feature of the competition: the members are exclusively expert practitioners whose job it is to hire singers. The international jury consisting of opera managers and casting directors (this year New York's Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Vienna State Opera will be among the opera houses represented the jury) as well as agents and international media representatives have made the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition a veritable “Wall Street of Voices”.

How the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition Became the Biggest Singers' Stock Exchange in the World

Holger Bleck (Wiener Kammeroper), Isabella Gabor (Wiener Kammeroper), Direktor Dr. Günther Schön (Wirtschaftskammer Wien)

From the very beginning of his artistic career, Hans Gabor, the founder and long-term manager of the Wiener Kammeroper, was engaged in discovering and promoting young talented singers. Quite some singer who was to become a star of the operatic stage later tread the boards for the first time under its guidance.

These efforts were channelled into the successful concept of a very special singing competition: instead of academic vocal instructors, those who are in practice responsible for the engagement of singers were to assess the talents and maturity of singers - opera and festival managers, music promoters and representatives of the media industry. Artists' agencies were given observer status.

That was the background against which the 1^st Belvedere Competition took place in Vienna.

The registration

The idea of a trustworthy "singers' stock exchange" without a strictly academic orientation quickly gained popularity. Applications started to come in from around the world. Very soon the number of participants had to be restricted so as not to overtax the jury. In 1992 the decision was made to organise preliminary rounds all over the world. The first qualifying rounds were held in 13 cities, and by now that number has risen to more than 50. The winners of these qualifying heats then enter the finals in Vienna.

In organisational terms, all of this would not be possible without the assistance of many opera houses and cultural institutions as well as the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Thanks to their support, the Belvedere Competition has been able to develop into the biggest singers' stock exchange, the "Wall Street of Voices".

As early as in 1988, the competition – up until then reserved to the operatic repertory – was extended, also to encompass operetta. In 2000 the accompanists' competition was added.

Jury meeting: John M. Mordler, Isabella Gabor, Holger Bleck, Guy Montavon, Alfred Wilander

An ever increasing number of institutions have donated special prizes, be it in cash or in kind, or in the form of engagements. These include the opera houses of Barcelona, Milan, New York, Paris, Oslo and Rome as well as the Operetta Festival of Moerbisch. Apart from the main prizes, the much vied-for prize of the audience can be won; it is awarded by the audience of the public final concert in Vienna's city hall.

The traditional ending of the competition is a gala concert of the finalists at the Stadttheater of Baden. For an interested public, these two concerts are opportunities to encounter tomorrow's stars for the first time.

Since 1995 the name of Hans Gabor was added to the original name "Belvedere Competition" - after all, his work is inseparably linked with the contest.

Winners Opera Prize

Winners Operetta Prize