Lieder prize
DEBUT 2020 will give even greater prominence to lieder as a separate art form.
DEBUT is an international Classical Singing Competition, which supports young opera singers embarking on their career. The contest is open to the following voice types: soprano, mezzo-soprano & alto, tenor, countertenor and baritone & bass. It gives young soloists an opportunity to appear in a competition with a strong international profile in the presence of a distinguished judging panel. The event is held every second year in Weikersheim, which following a three-month entry phase serve as the venue for the preliminary rounds and the competition.
This year the competition will take place from 13 to 20 September 2020. Applications can be submitted online between 1 April and 14 June.
DEBUT 2020 will give even greater prominence to lieder as a separate art form.
The composer of this year's lied for the DEBUT Classical Singing Competition, Giorgio Battistelli, was born in Albano Laziale, a suburb of Rome, on April 25, 1953. In 1972 he was among the founders of the Edgar Varèse Musical Research and Experimentation Group, as well as the Beat 72 Instrumental Group in Rome.
In 1975 he attended composition seminars held by Karlheinz Stockhausen and Mauricio Kagel in Cologne. He graduated from the Alfredo Casella Conservatory in L’Aquila, where he majored in composition, in 1978; during that time, he also studied music history and esthetics under Claudio Annibaldi. In 1978-79 he attended courses in technique and interpretation in contemporary musical theater held by Jean Pierre Drouet and Gaston Sylvestre in Paris. In the 1980s he claimed his place as one of his generation’s finest and most sought-after composers, thanks to works like Experimentum mundi, which has been performed hundreds of times throughout the world (in 2009 the work earned Battistelli a prestigious Herald Angel Award, assigned by Scottish music critics); Aphrodite, a “monodrama of ancient customs”; Jules Verne, a chamber music fantasy, with book by Battistelli; Le combat d’Hector et d’Achille, représentation de corps et de mémoire, for two musical orators; Globe Theatre, Ballet zur Jahrtausendwende, with choreography by Virgilio Sieni; Anarca, Hommage à Ernst Jünger, for orchestra. In 1983 he received a grant to study radio in Baden-Baden. In 1985-86 he took up residency at the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst in Berlin.
The competition is sponsored by companies and institutions in the local region.
For the 10th time in a row the DEBUT Classical Singing Competition is also in its anniversary year managed without any form of public funding. This is first and foremost the achievement of its initiator and founder, Dr. Manfred Wittenstein, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of WITTENSTEIN SE. His longstanding commitment – to providing opportunities to young soloists starting out on a musical career, networking them together and introducing them to a broad public – is meanwhile emulated by numerous other sponsors in the lovely Tauber Valley.
Weikersheim Castle and the TauberPhilharmonie at Weikersheim are the perfect setting.
Both the qualifying rounds and the semifinal will take place against the historic backdrop of Weikersheim Castle while the location for the lieder recital will be the “Roter Saal” of the Deutschordensschlosses Bad Mergentheim . The week will end with the traditional gala concert and in the new TauberPhilharmonie in Weikersheim.
The young singers will be accompanied by the Würzburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Würzburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Enrico Calesso, will abandon the orchestra pit to demonstrate its excellent qualities as a concert orchestra.
The application period for the next DEBUT Classical Singing Competition starts on April 1, 2020.
All applications must be submitted online by June 14, 2020 at the latest.
Here you can find this year's repertoire list with the mandatory arias.
| 1st prize: | Golden Victoria and € 10,000 |
| 2nd prize: | Silver Victoria and € 7,000 |
| 3rd prize: | Bronze Victoria and € 5,000 |
Lieder prizes: |
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Special prizes: |
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The opera singer Pia-Marie Nilsson will teach all DEBUT participants 2020 in a two-day workshop. The main focus of the common work is on tips for voice training and stage presence.
The first prize, the Golden Victoria and €10,000 in cash, was won by Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, a mezzo-soprano from Russia. She was convincing in every respect: voice quality, interpretation and personality. Second prize and €5,000 went to the Chinese mezzo-sporano Yajie Zhang. The German baritone Konstantin Krimmel was delighted with the bronze Viktoria and a prize of € 2,500.
