Cardiff Singer of the World

International soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is part of a stellar line-up for Cardiff University’s fringe events for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.

Organised by the University’s School of Music, an international public conference, Carmen Singer of the World, will celebrate the most widely performed opera globally.

Running from 14-16 June 2017, the conference will bring together a group of academics from across Europe, Australia and the Americas to explore Carmen, its first performances, production, and worldwide reception.

As part of the conference, in a public lunchtime event, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, one of the world’s best known sopranos, will recount her experiences of Carmen, having sung both the title role and that of Micaëla in the course of her prestigious career.

Student singers and professional actors

A workshop by operatic director, Annabel Arden - whose first production of Carmen opens in June 2017 – is also open to the public and will explore a selection of the dialogue and ensemble scenes of the opera with a cast of student singers and professional actors.

Other events held in collaboration with the School of Music include a season of opera-related films to be screened at Chapter Arts Centre, an interview with Grace Bumbry, one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, about her life in music (11^th June), and a masterclass with operatic soprano Ailish Tynan (17^th June).

Clair Rowden, School of Music who is organising the Carmen Singer of the World Conference and its associated events, says: “While tension mounts in the lead up to the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, here at Cardiff University we’re gearing up for a sequence of exciting events which bring together scholarship and practice in the best possible way for a wide-ranging audience.

“Annabel Arden’s workshop about dealing with a spoken and sung form in opera theatre today promises to be a treat and to spark academic debate with those international scholars in attendance. Interviews with the legends Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Grace Bumbry will yield a different sort of practical knowledge that, as academics, we sometimes overlook.

“This exchange of knowledge and praxis will continue at Chapter Arts Centre where my colleague and film music specialist Carlo Cenciarelli has helped devise a series of opera films which he will introduce each day...”

The premier showcase for opera and concert singers

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World is known throughout the classical music world as the premier showcase for opera and concert singers at the outset of their careers.

This year, 20 young international stars are taking part in the competition.

The event culminates on 18^th June 2017, with the awarding of the Main Prize, the Song Prize and The Audience Prize. This year, the Audience Prize is sponsored by the University’s School of Music. Winners receive The Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize, £5,000 and a crystal trophy.

Full details of the conference, associated fringe events and links to booking can be found here.