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Opera Prize 2023
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“It was a delight to see so much talent.”
Frank
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“The performances were all excellent – the level of talent this year was very high across the board.”
Paul
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“A delightful occasion. Very high musical standard.”
Philip
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Opera Prize 2023
Photo Album
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Clonter is delighted to announce that the winner of Clonter’s Opera Prize 2023 is baritone Vitor Bispo representing the Royal Academy of Music. Our first place prize was generously sponsored by Ann Driver Trust.
Not only did Vitor impress the panel but he also won the audience vote, walking away with £1500, a professionally recorded recital worth £1500 and, to top it off, a magnum of champagne. Vitor blew the panel away with his rendition’s of ‘Hai già vinta la causa’ from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, ‘Questo amor’ from Puccini’s Edgar, finishing with ‘L’orage s’est calmé’ from Les pêcheurs de perles by Bizet.
In second place, winning a professionally recorded recital worth £1500, is soprano Erin Spence representing the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Erin impressed the panel with her performance of arias from Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Previn’s adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire and Massenet’s Cendrillon.
There were also fine performances from soprano Inguna Morozova, from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, soprano Rosalind Dobson, representing the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, bass Jamie Woollard representing The Royal College of Music, and soprano Olivia Rose Tringham representing The Royal Northern College of Music, performing arias from Faust to Written on Skin, from Rusalka to The Magic Flute, the latter providing the perfect opportunity to give this year’s Clonter Opera Production a plug.
We would like to thank them all for taking part.
Thank you to the panel – Soprano, Joan Rodgers CBE, David Gowland assistant director of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, James Black of James Black Management, and Soprano, Anna Patalong, CEO of British Youth Opera, all the singers, and everyone else involved in this event, as well as our lovely audience, without whom we couldn’t exist. Their attendance was appreciated more than ever in these challenging times.
This Opera Prize was particularly special as it was dedicated to the memory of the inimitable Isobel Flinn, who entertained and educated so many Clonter Opera Prize audiences with her witty and knowledgeable prize introductions for over a decade. Clonter is hugely grateful to soprano Anna Meadmore for filling these shoes, and bringing her own brand of wit, as well as wealth of knowledge masterfully and amusingly putting each aria into context.
Clonter was also delighted that Stephen Reynolds was able to perform (having not been very well) his Clonter Fantasia, which many of Clonter’s regular Opera Prize audience members clearly enjoyed.
Last but by no means least, Clonter is immensely grateful to the ‘orchestra’ provided by Robin Humphreys at the piano, who, as the compère pointed out, had to represent a type writer and sandpaper (in the score for Written on Skin)!
Thank you again to all the judges, compère, accompanist, singers and the all-important audience for coming to support live entertainment, and these emerging singers as they make their way in their early careers.
