The jury chair and soprano Patricia Petibon expressed her thoughts: “What deeply moved the jury and me was the hope we see in young people who want to play an active role in society. They seek meaning through music and build bridges. We should embrace this with strength and conviction, because this is precisely where the future of opera and our artists lies.”
Geneva in the Headlines
Competitions
Outstanding artists presented in voice and composition categories at the Concours de Genève
First Prize at the 78th Concours de Genève, held this year at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, was awarded to 28-year-old Swiss soprano Chelsea Marilyn Zurflüh. Second Prize went to 30-year-old baritone Jungrae Noah Kim, wo was born in Seoul but is currently based in Zurich.
No Third Prize was awarded, but finalist mezzo-soprano Barbara Skora (25, Warsaw), who had been indisposed on the day of the final) received an honorable mention.
In addition to her first prize, Chelsea Marilyn Zurflüh was awarded several special prizes: the Audience Prize, the Young Audience Prize, the Student Prize, the Prize of the Art Society, the Fondation Etrillard Prize, the Prize of the OSR Musicians and the Cercle du Grand Théâtre Prize.
Voice Finalists: Jungrae Noah Kim (2nd prize), Chelsea Marilyn Zurflüh (1st prize), Barbara Skora (Honorable mention) ©️Anne-Laure Lechat
Composition prize winners; Léo Albisetti (1st prize ex aequo), Sang-Min Ryu (3rd prize), Caio de Azevedo (1st prize ex aequo) © Anne-Laure Lechat
In the category of Composition, the finals took place at Victoria Hall in Geneva, where First Prize was awarded jointly to the composers Léo Albisetti and Caio De Azevedo.
Third prize went to Sang-Min Ryu, who also received the Nicati-De Luze special prize. The audience prize, the youth audience prize and the student prize were awarded to Léo Albisetti.
The theme of the 2024 composition competition was a work for solo viola and chamber orchestra. The finalists' compositions were performed by the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève under the direction of Pierre Bleuse. Caio De Azevedo's work Marionnette was performed by Lise Berthaud as the soloist; Sang-Min Ryu's The Past Recaptured had Georgy Kovalev as the soloist; and Adrien La Marca played the solo viola in Léo Albisetti's composition Nouvel Élan.
Léo Albisetti, 1st prize winner ex aequo © Anne-Laure Lechat
Caio de Azevedo, 1st prize winner ex aequo © Anne-Laure Lechat
“I rarely take part in competitions as a jury member, but it has been a wonderful experience here in Geneva working with my colleagues in a very calm and cooperative atmosphere.” He congratulated the composers as he presented the prizes and gave them this advice: “The most important lessons you learn as a composer come from the musicians themselves. Your encounters with musicians and orchestras are the best school of composition. You must always listen to what they have to say. Even today, I never forget what a musician asks of me when he corrects me.”
Pascal Dusapin, Chairman of the Jury
Composition
Prizes:
1st prize ex aequo: Léo Albisetti (26), Geneva and Caio de Azevedo (30), Munich
3rd prize: Sang-Min Ryu (24), Düsseldorf
Jury:
Pascal Dusapin (Chair), Milica Djordjević, Francesco Filidei, Hèctor Parra, Francesca Verunelli
Artists:
Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, Pierre Bleuse (Conductor)
Georgy Kovalev (Viola), Lise Berthaud (Viola), Adrien La Marca (Viola)
Voice
Prizes:
1st prize: Chelsea Marilyn Zurflüh (29), Pieterlen, Soprano
2nd prize: Jungrae Noah Kim (30), Zurich, Baritone
Honorable Mention:
Barbara Skora, Hannover, Mezzosoprano
Jury :
Patricia Petibon (Chair), Aviel Cahn, André Comploi, Jean Denes, Sophie de Lint, Susan Manoff, Waltraud Meier
Artists :
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Alevtina Ioffe (COnductor)
©️ WFIMC / FR 2024
