The 3rd Tbilisi International Voice Competition – OPERA CROWN is taking place at the capital’s Opera House from November 20 to 25, 2023.
To introduce the competition, a press conference was held on November 20 in the Mirror Hall of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. Eliso Chirakadze, Director of the Tbilisi International Voice Competition OPERA CROWN; Rusudan Matsaberidze, Head of the International Relations and Development Department of the Theatre and Executive Director of the OPERA CROWN Competition; Tamar Tsulukidze, Head of the Creative Process Promotion Department of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth of Georgia; Archil Jaliashvili, Founder of ‘Gemuani’; Abdulaziz Hasan Zakri, Founder and General Director of “Al-Mutfarrda”; and Ana Chechelashvili, Sales Director of Marriott Hotel, were present.
On the stage of the Tbilisi Opera, 42 young singers from 20 countries (Georgia, South Korea, USA, Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Moldova, Armenia) are appearing before an international jury composed of the Artistic and Casting Directors of the world’s leading opera houses and agencies:
Peter Mario Katona – Director of Casting at The Royal Opera House Covent Garden
Samuel Gelber – Director of Artistic Planning at the Washington National Opera
Robert Körner – Casting Director at Wiener Staatsoper
Szilveszter Ókovács – General Director at the Hungarian State Opera
Peter Theiler – Artistic Director at Semperoper Dresden
Sarah-Jane Davies – Head of Casting at the Scottish Opera
Henning Ruhe – Artistic Director at Göteborg Opera
Olga Rostropovich – Artistic Director at the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Center and President at the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation
Virginio Fedeli – Producer and Artist Manager of the Atelier Musicale International
Badri Maisuradze – Artistic Director of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre, Chairman of the Jury
The Competition opened with Opera Gala featuring laureates from previous competitions. It is divided into three rounds: the first round held on November 21-22, the second on November 23, and the final third round on November 25. The winners will be announced and awarded during the closing ceremony on November 25 at 6 pm, where the finalists will perform before an audience, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre conducted by maestro Zaza Azmaiparashvili.
Supporters of the competition include the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth of Georgia, Tbilisi City Hall, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the National Tourism Administration, Marriott Hotel, Al-Mutfarrda, Gemuani, Château Mukhrani, Rtvelisi.
Eliso Chirakadze, Director of the Tbilisi International Voice Competition OPERA CROWN, spoke about the competition’s establishment in 2018, aiming to support and launch the careers of young opera singers from Georgia onto the global stage. She expressed pride in the renowned jury members, including representatives from leading opera houses like the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Washington National Opera, Vienna State Opera, Hungarian State Opera, Dresden Opera House, and others.
Tamar Tsulukidze, Head of the Creative Process Promotion Department of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth of Georgia, highlighted the importance of the competition in promoting Georgian opera music and attracting international visitors to the country. She emphasized the positive impact on the professional and career development of young participants.
Abdulaziz Hassan Zakri, Founder and General Director of “Al-Mutfarrda,” expressed gratitude for being a strategic partner of OPERA CROWN, describing it as a prestigious event that discovers and promotes young talents globally.
Archil Jaliashvili, Founder of “Gemuani,” expressed honor in being a partner of the competition, seeing it as a historic event and an opportunity to showcase Georgian products to 27 countries. He hoped for the competition to gain global recognition and for more people to discover Georgian culture and achievements, highlighting the significance of a Saudi Arabian company as one of the partners.
By: Mariam Mtivlishvili
