Vocal Competition

The Mastersingers Wagner Vocal Competition

 

2024 The Carole Rees Awards, London October 5

took place at St. John’s Waterloo. The Finalists in order of singing:

Cressida Sharp

Der Männer Sippe saß hier im Saal  Die Walküre Act 1

Allmächt’ge Jungfrau, hör mein Flehen!   Tannhäuser Act 3

Alistair Sutherland

Die Frist ist um!  Der fliegende Holländer Act 1

Schwüles Gedünst schwebt in der Luft  Das Rheingold scene 4

Lorna McLean

Allmächt’ge Jungfrau, hör mein Flehen!  Tannhäuser Act 3

Einsam in trüben Tagen  Lohengrin Act 1

Leo Selleck

Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge  Das Rheingold scene 4

Was duftet doch die Flieder so mild, so stark, und voll!  Die Meistersinger Act 2

Zofia Hanna

Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage!  Götterdämmerung Act 1

Entweihte Götter!  Lohengrin Act 2

James Schouten

Ein Schwert verhieß mir der Vater  Die Walküre Act 1

Immer ist Undank Loge’s Lohn! Das Rheingold scene 2

Iúnó Connolly

Dich, teure Halle, grüss ich wieder  Tannhäuser Act 2

Einsam in trüben Tagen  Lohengrin Act 1

Jakob Mahase

Was duftet doch der Flieder so mild, so stark, und voll!  Die Meistersinger Act 2

Mögst du, mein Kind, den fremden Mann  Der fliegende Holländer Act 2

Music Director: Kelvin Lim

Adjudicating panel:

Sir John Tomlinson, Dame Felicity Palmer, Alwyn Mellor, James Black

The winners were:

The Carole Rees Awards:

First prize: James Schouten

Second Prize: Lorna McLean

Audience Prize donated in memory of Eric Adler: James Schouten

 

 

2023 The Carole Rees Awards, Aldeburgh September 22

took place at the Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh. The Finalists were

in order of vocal appearance:

Sky Ingram

Einsam in trüben Tagen Lohengrin

Hinweg! Hinweg! Flieh die Entweihte! Die Walküre

William Stevens

Mein Herr und Gott Lohengrin

Was duftet doch der Flieder Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Rozanna Madylus

Wo in Bergen du dich birgst…So ist es denn aus Die Walküre

Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage! Götterdämmerung

Eleanor Dennis

Du bist der Lenz Die Walküre

Der Männer Sippe Die Walküre

Phil Clieve

Winterstürme  Die Walküre

Immer ist Undank Loges Lohn! Das Rheingold

Grace Maria Wain

Wo in Bergen du dich birgst…So ist es denn aus Die Walküre

Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage! Götterdämmerung

Music Director: Kelvin Lim

Adjudicating panel:

Dame Anne Evans, Isabel Murphy, James Rutherford, Malcolm Rivers

The winners were:

Carole Rees Awards: Eleanor Dennis, Grace Maria Wain

Audience Prize donated in memory of Eric Adler: Rozanna Madylus

 

CAROLE REES AWARDS FOR ADVANCED MUSICAL STUDIES

The first presentations of the Carole Rees Awards were made in her memory in 2014. Carole Rees was a passionate educator who in her latter years became particularly interested in the development of musicians whose aspirations included that of adding the work of Richard Wagner to their repertoire. She thus became known among those engaging in career development programmes organised by Mastersingers.

Roger Lee

 

The Mastersingers Wagner Vocal Competition 2022

took place on January 30, 2022 at 2pm at

The Peacock Room, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

The winners were:

Carole Rees Awards: Georgia Mae Bishop and Simon Grange

The Goodall Ring Award: Simon Grange

from left: Lawrence Thackeray, Wendy Silvester, Angharad Shanahan, Kristel Vinter Knudsen, Isabel Murphy, Dame Anne Evans, Simon Grange, Georgia Mae Bishop, James Rutherford, Meeta Raval

This new competition for emerging Wagner voices, presented in association with Trinity Laban Conservatoire, presents two Carole Rees Awards of £1000 each given by Roger Lee and one audience prize The Goodall Ring Award of £250 donated by Jim Pritchard

Competitors in the Final in order of singing:

Kristel Vinter Knudsen soprano

Dich, teure Halle Tannhäuser; Elsas Traum Lohengrin

Lawrence Thackeray tenor

Mein Lieber Schwann Lohengrin; Immer ist Undank Loges Lohn Das Rheingold

Angharad Shanahan soprano

Elsas Traum Lohengrin; Der Männer Sippe Die Walküre

Simon Grange bass

Wer bist du, kühne Knabe Siegfried; Hier sitz ich zur Wacht Götterdämmerung

Wendy Silvester mezzo-soprano

So ist es den aus Die Walküre; Höre mit Sinn Götterdämmerung

Georgia Mae Bishop mezzo-soprano

Weiche, Wotan Das Rheingold; Höre mit Sinn Götterdämmerung

Music Director: Kelvin Lim

Adjudicating panel:

Dame Anne Evans, Isabel Murphy, Meeta Raval, James Rutherford

The competition was followed by James Rutherford working with baritone Julian Debreuil and Richard Black piano on Wagner repertoire

Competitors’ biographies are available here: https://mastersingers.org.uk/?page_id=641

Texts & translations are available here: https://mastersingers.org.uk/?page_id=646

Competition Rules, Terms and Conditions 2024

  • The Competition aims to identify singers with the potential to perform Wagner and annually gives Carole Rees Award bursaries to emerging young singers for study and coaching with distinguished British Wagnerian singers headed by Dame Anne Evans and Sir John Tomlinson. Mastersingers will arrange coaching sessions dependent on the individual requirements of the bursary winners and with artists determined by us. Two first prizes (equivalent to six specialised coaching sessions) are usually awarded, and other Finalists may receive other support for coaching as deemed appropriate. There is also an Audience prize generously donated by Wendy Adler in memory of her late husband Eric.
  • The Competition Musical Director is Kelvin Lim, who will accompany all singers at the live auditions in London on July 27, 2024 and at the Final which will be held at St. John’s Church, Waterloo, London on October 5th, 2024. If singers would prefer to use their own accompanist for the live audition, they may do so at their own expense. For the Final, Kelvin Lim will be the accompanist for all Finalists.
  • The competition is open to singers who are resident in the UK and are aged 38 or under on October 5th, 2024. All Applicants must be able to demonstrate a pre-existing right to work in the UK and documentary proof should be submitted with the entry application. You are invited to apply for an audition by replying to this email at: mastersingersuk@gmail.com
  • Applicants must provide the following:
  • A current CV/resumé and/or a letter of recommendation from a music college/conservatoire or other educational establishment, or from a current singing teacher, indicating that the Applicant has potential in the Wagnerian repertoire
  • An audio or video recording made within the past 2 years of the Applicant singing an aria in German, with piano or live orchestra, either via a link to YouTube or attached as an MP3 file including the date and place of the recording
  • The Applicant is required to submit their repertoire choices at this stage for both the live audition and the Final. For the live auditions, Applicants must offer three arias, in German: one by Wagner and two arias or Lieder by Wagner or another composer, ideally Beethoven, Weber or Richard Strauss. Singers will be asked to present one piece of their own choice and one to be selected by the judging panel. For the Final, singers will sing two arias both of which must be by Wagner and sung in German. Singers may repeat arias from the live audition at the Final if they so choose.
  • A photocopy of the Applicant’s current passport page showing their date of birth and nationality status
  • All applications must be received by midnight on Sunday May 12th. Mastersingers guarantees to listen to all submissions and will invite approximately 12 singers to audition in person in central London on Saturday July 27. From these, 5 or 6 Finalists will be chosen to compete on October 5th.
  • The Final will take place in front of a paying audience at St. John’s, Waterloo and be adjudicated by Sir John Tomlinson, Dame Felicity Palmer, Alwyn Mellor and Keith Warner. There will be a rehearsal in the morning of October 5th before the Competition, which will begin at 2pm. Finalists will be entitled to two complimentary tickets for their guests. The prize-winners will be announced at the end of the Competition.
  • There is no entry fee for the Competition. Mastersingers is unable to assist with travel costs to the auditions in July but will contribute to reasonable travel costs to London for the Finalists in October. Singers with specific access requirements should indicate this with their initial application.
  • All decisions made by the organisers and the judging panel are made at their absolute discretion and are not subject to any challenge or right of appeal.
  • Mastersingers is a Registered Charity and is committed to the principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We welcome applications from all singers who have a passion for Wagner’s music and who aspire to sing it. The Competition aims to identify singers with the potential to perform Wagner while acknowledging that younger voices require time to mature in order to meet the demands of singing his music. Mastersingers exists to help develop these voices and nurture the future careers of young professional singers.

For more information about Carole Rees and the awards, please visit the dedicated page on this website at: https://mastersingers.org.uk/?page_id=692