The Queen Sonja Singing Competition has received a massive gift of NOK 10 million from Tom Wilhelmsen’s Foundation. Per an official press statement, “The donation is not to be used for ordinary operations but is intended to secure the competition’s future.” The Tom Wilhelmsen’s Foundation has been a major supporter of numerous industries in Norway. In 2022, the foundation donated {…}
Finals for singing competitions are an interesting experience to cover. On one hand, everyone on stage is a winner. In the case of the 2023 edition of the Queen Sonja Singing Competition, the six singers who took the stage on August 26 were picked from an overall pool of 521 contestants from around the world; not mention that the competition {…}
The Queen Sonja Singing Competition has announced the 2023 winners. Contralto Jasmin White was named first prize winner, while baritone Aksel Daveyan took home second prize. The third prize went to countertenor Nils Wanderer. White sang excerpts from “Semele” and “Das Rheingold,” while Daveyan sang from “Iolanta” and “Faust.” Finally, Wanderer performed from “Written on Skin” and “Tolomeo.” The three {…}
It was just announced that the 2023 Queen Sonja Singing Competition will take place in Oslo from August 15 – 26. The international competition with previous prize-winners such as Lise Davidsen, Daniel Behle, Nadine Sierra, and Jacquelyn Wagner saw a record number of applicants this year. 40 singers out of the 521 applicants will participate in the preliminary rounds at {…}
The Queen Sonja Competition has eliminated soprano Anastasiya Taratorkina because she is a double citizen of Russia and Germany. OperaWire has received official emails from the soprano in which the competition states that no person with a Belorussian or Russian passport will be allowed to participate. The email read, “This year’s regulations do not allow participants with Russian or Belarusian {…}
Russian singer, mezzo-soprano Maria Ostroukhova, has called upon the organizers of the Norwegian Queen Sonja Singing Competition to stop treating Russian artists as pariahs within the classical music world after she was excluded from the competition based on her nationality, this according to a letter the mezzo sent to Competition’s organizers. In her letter, Ostroukhova states that over the course {…}
The Queen Sonja Singing Competition in Norway has banned Russian and Belarusian singers from competing in the 2023 competition. In a statement, the organization said, “the competition board endorses Norway’s condemnation of Russia’s illegal and brutal attacks on Ukraine. The competition stands in solidarity with Ukraine and its citizens. Applications from singers with Russian or Belarusian citizenship will therefore not {…}
The Queen Sonja International Music Competition has been renamed the Queen Sonja Singing Competition. Alongside the change of name, the organization is also getting a new logo, visual identity, and website. The Queen Sonja International Music Competition was originally launched in 1988 and was originally dedicated to pianists. However, as of 1995, it has focused on honoring singers. Among the {…}