the stars of tomorrow
THE RESULTS of the 4th STIGNANI COMPETITION (FINALS)
We are happy to announce the finalists of the 4th Stignani competition:
CARMEN SEIBEL
NEZA VASLE
LISA GAISELMANN
HELENA KÖHNE
AUGUSTIN PENNINO ARIAS
THEO MAGONGOMA
IRINA MALTSEVA
YOUNGKUG JIN
congratulations!
ABOUT US
The aim of Stignani Competition is to honor the name of the celebrated leading dramatic mezzosoprano of her time, Ebe Stignani. Hardwork and seeking the technical vocal excellence were the two main pillars in her long and successful career. To follow her legacy, the collaboration of the City of Imola and the Internationaler Musikverein Ebe Stignani München, e.V., organize in 2024 the 4th Stignani Competition.
EBE STIGNANI
Born in Naples in 1903 (some sources cite her year of birth as 1904), Stignani studied music for five years at the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory in Naples, including piano and composition as well as singing.
The date of her singing début is usually said to have been in 1925 at the San Carlo opera house in Naples, in the role of Amneris in Verdi’s Aida, but there is evidence that she may have sung a number of roles in the previous year.
In 1926, she was invited to La Scala Milan by Arturo Toscanini to sing the part of Princess Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlo, and Milan continued to be a principal stage for her during the rest of her career. She sang all of the major Italian mezzo-soprano roles, but also tackled Wagner’s Ortrud (Lohengrin) and Brangäne (Tristan und Isolde), and Saint-Saëns’s Dalila (Samson et Dalila) conducted by Victor de Sabata.
She retired from the stage in 1958 after appearances in London (as Azucena) and in Dublin (as Amneris). Thereafter, she lived quietly in retirement at her home in Imola. She had married in 1941 and given birth to a son in 1944.
STIGNANI COMPETITION IMOLA
REGULATIONS
Stignani competition is open to all trained singers of classical music or students of voice.
No age limits.
REQUIREMENTS
- Register 5 opera arias of your own choice.
If you apply for the prize “dramatic voice”, at least one of the registered arias needs to be of dramatic character.
WHEN?
September 30th 2024: registration day and rehearsals
October 1st and 2nd 2024: first rounds
October 3rd 2024: semi-final round
October 5th 2024: final round
APPLICATION DEADLINE | ||||
August 31st 2024 |
JURY OF STIGNANI COMPETITION 2024
Veronica Simeoni, opera singer – mezzosoprano
Luca Rebeggiani, director of Teatro Ebe Stignani Imola
Toni Gradsack, casting director Salzburger Festspiele, La Scala Milano, Oper Zürich, Maggio musicale Fiorentino; director of YSP Salzburger Festspiele, Opera singer consultant
Markus Laska, manager and opera agent – Melos Opera
Thomas Hermann, casting director, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Germany
Tobias Truniger, Opera Studio director, Bayerisches Nationaltheater – Bayerische Staatsoper, Germany
Luigi Baccianti, conductor; Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Francesco Frudua, pianist; co-founder of Stignani Competition
Elvira Hasanagić, opera singer; founder of Stignani Competition
Ars Artists Management München; agent observing in the audience
Kayoko Ikeda, official pianist
Born in Japan, she graduated in Music Pedagogy at Kyoto University of Education. She moved to Italy in 2010, obtaining the Ⅱ level academic diploma in Piano – accompaniment and collaboration with full marks and honors at ”Arrigo Boito” Conservatory in Parma.
She won the first prize of 7th Ottorino Respighi International Competition for repetiteur.
After winning a scholarship and the role of participation in the advanced specialization course for repetiteur held by Donato Renzetti and Leo Nucci, she collaborated for several years as repetiteur in the productions of Maestro Leo Nucci at Teatro Municipale of Piacenza, Teatro Municipale Pavarotti-Freni of Modena and Teatro Alighieri of Ravenna.
Always with the same role she was hired by following theaters and festivals: Teatro Regio di Parma, Teatro Municipale Pavarotti-Freni of Modena, Teatro Municipale Valli of Reggio Emilia, Teatro Giuseppe Verdi of Busseto, Teatro Alighieri of Ravenna, Teatro Municipale of Ferrara, Teatro Lorico Sperimentale of Spoleto and Festival Valle d’Itria of Martina Franca.
In particular, as collaborative pianist of Maestro Nucci, she accompanied him in various concerts and in his masterclass on Verdi’s repertoire at Casa Verdi, broadcasted on Rai 5.
She has also been the official accompanist in various international singing competitions: International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, International Competition for Voce Verdiano in Busseto and International Opera Competition “Alfredo Giacomotti”.
She has been a guest of Munich Radio orchestra, Auturo Toscanini Philharmonic and Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra.
Since 2017 she has been being repetiteur and keyboard player in orchestra at Slovenian National Theater of Ljubljana, where she deals with the preparation for singers, musical rehearsals and various productions where she participates in orchestra as celesta, harpsichord and piano player.
Mizuho Furukubo, official pianist
She graduated from Toho Gakuen Music High School (2010), Toho Gakuen College Music
Department (2014), Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Tartini of Triste (2017) and
Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello of Venice (2021). She has studied piano with
Yuko Harashima, Kumiko Kumekawa, Nobuko Kondo, Naoko Shibanuma, Nobutatsu
Kawashima, Marcella Crudeli, Giuseppe Albanese, Francesco Bencivenga, Igor Cognolato,
cembalo/general bass with Naoki Ueo, Chiyoko Arita and piano accompaniment with
Fabrizio Del Bianco, Patrizia Tirindelli and Silvano Zabeo.
She has won the second prize at competition Lilian Carian XXX Edition-Chamber music
(2016) and XXXIV Edition-Chamber music (2021) at Trieste, special prize “Salotto Clara
Boggian” at International Competition Elsa Respighi 5th edition (2019) at Verona, first prize
at International Music Competition Online 2021 Europe-China “Crescendo” , special prize
“the best pianist accompanist” at 18th International Competition of Vocal Chamber music
“Seghizzi” (2021) at Gorizia and second prize Ex-aequo as soloist at 18th International
Competition for Young Musicians “Luigi Zanuccoli” (2021) at Sogliano al Rubicone.
In 2018 she was selected as scholarship musician for Bayreuther Festspiele 2018 by the
association Richard Wagner of Venice and has participated at concert at Bayreuth with
Mezzosoprano Miliam Albano.
She has worked as official accompanist of the 5th and 7th international music competition
“Città di Palmanova” (2017 and 2019), 13th and 14th nternational competition “Musica
Insieme” Musile di Piave (2018 and 2019) , XLVIII International Competition for singers
“Toti Dal Monte” Treviso (2018), 16th and 20th International competition of vocal chamber
music “Seghezzi” Gorizia (2018 and 2023) , International Music Competition “Giovani
Musicisti – città di Treviso” (since 2019), Internaitonal Music Competition “Musica
Goritiensis” (since 2022), International Violin Competition “Premio Rodolfo Lipizer” (since
2022) and National Music Competition “Città di Belluno” (since 2024).
She has worked as accompanist at Conservatory of Music Jacopo Tomadini of Udine
(2019/2020), Conservatory of Music Benedetto Marcello of Venice
(2019-2022) ,Conservatory of Music Giuseppe Tartini of Trieste (since 2020) and
Fondazione Musicale Santa Cecilia at Portogruaro (since 2022) and has accompanied
masterclasses with important musicians such as Leone Magiera (2019), Bruno De Simone
(2019), Maxim Vengerov (2021) , Stefano Cerrato (2022), Ilya Grubert (since 2022),
Stefano Pagliani (2022), Tommaso Benciolini (2023) and Emmanuel Pahud (2023).
She has worked also as chorus member for the opera “La Traviata” of Giuseppe Verdi at
Teatro Comunale of Treviso, Ferrara and Rovigo (2018), opera “Il Regno della Luna” of
Nicolo Piccinni at Teatro Malibran of Venice (2018) and as cembalist/repetitor for the opera
“La Statira” of Tommaso Albinoni and at Teatro Malibran of Venice and at Teatro Comunale
of Treviso (2019) and “La Serva Padrona” of Pergolesi at Teatro Malibran of Venice (2020).
PRIZES
1st PRIZE
3.000,00 EUR
SPECIAL PRIZES
concert engagements
opera roles engagements
2nd PRIZE
2.000,00 EUR
SPECIAL PRIZES
concert engagements
opera roles engagements
3rd PRIZE
1.000,00 EUR
SPECIAL PRIZES
concert engagements
opera roles engagements
PUBLIC PRIZE
The prize of City of Imola
PRIZE FOR DRAMATIC VOICE
Prize of Ebe Stignani