I am over 80 young opera singers who will meet in Lucca, from 4 to 6 April, to participate in the final phase of the first international singing competition Giacomo Puccini Awardcreated with the intention of celebrating the master on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of his death with a competition dedicated to students of Italian and foreign conservatories. Significant is the fact that the competition is organized by the institute in which Puccini he studied and where his ancestors taught.
The Puccini Award has obtained the patronage of the Ministry of University and Research, the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Lucca, and the Giacomo Puccini Study Center.
To present the final stage of the competition this morning (March 29) at the Boccherin Conservatory they were the president Maria Talaricothe director GianPaolo Mazzoli and the master Giovanni Dagninosinging teacher of Conservatory. With them the culture councilor of the Municipality of Lucca Mia PisanoPresident Giuseppe Lunardini and Vittorio Armani for the Rotary Club of Lucca, which made all the prizes available for a total of 7,500 euros.
“This competition was strongly desired by the Conservatory – says president Talarico – especially given the very important year for thethe memory of Giacomo Puccini. I thank the Rotary Club Lucca and Lucca Crea for having financially supported the initiative, in addition to the Municipality of Lucca, the Puccini Study Center and the Ministries of University, Research and Culture for their patronage”.
“There Response to the launch of the competition was strong, with contestants from all over the world – comments director Mazzoli – We thought that maestro Dagnino’s idea of addressing the competition to conservatory students was innovative and important”.
“The first edition, of Giacomo Puccini singing competition 2024 is in the final phase – says the singing teacher of the Conservatory, Giovanni Dagnino -. Next week, from 4 to 5 April, the semi-finals of the 44 singers who have been selected from the 83 who from all over the world have applied to participate in this very important first edition of the international competition will take place. Of these The 10 best will be chosen from 44i give a prestigious jury of an international character, candidates to win the special Giacomo Puccini prize and the three prizes of the competition”.
“I would like to underline that this competition had an exceptional response in terms of participation – continues the teacher –. We didn’t know how it would end, but the organizational perspectives and the characteristics that we put in the tender meant that the response was enthusiastic and numerous from all parts of the world. We have competitors from Albania, Armenia, China, South Korea, Costa Rica, France, Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, in short from all of Europe. The competition announcement stated that it was intended for conservatives, these are students, people who are not yet in the world of work, but are still finishing their education. We’ve heard some very good rumors, so I can proudly say that, the final evening on April 6th in the Conservatory auditorium will highlight, without fail, some truly exceptional talent”.
Appreciation for the organization of Puccini Award came from councilor Pisano: “In the Puccini year this is a gift for the city, as well as a precious comparison for young singers. A highly qualified competition, important for the future of competitors in the world of music. There was nothing like this in Lucca, so I thank the Conservatory for providing this possibility and opportunity.”
“The Rotary Club of Lucca immediately proposed to support this initiative, offering prizes for the singers. We wish a long life and much success to the Competition, which represented for us another opportunity for collaboration with the conservatory, which has been going on for many years”, say Lunardini and Armani.
Lucca Create supported the competition as a patron (Art Bonus law). “For years, Lucca Crea has become a reality established in the territory, which promotes and implements cultural projects with a resonance that reaches far beyond the provincial borders. From this perspective, year after year, we have strengthened the network of collaborations, working alongside and supporting other events, in the belief that working as a system benefits everyone. This also includes our support for this important initiative which we are sure will be a great success”, says Nicola Lucchesi, sole director of the company.
The announcementpresented in January, involved the participation of opera singers of all nationalities, without age limits, as long as they were regularly enrolled in an Italian or European music conservatory for the 2023/2024 academic year.
Thirty-one candidates admitted from Italian conservatives. The second most represented country is China, with 24 singers, then South Korea with nine. Participants also arriving from Albania, Armenia, France, Japan, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Spain, Costa Rica, England, Switzerland, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Among the most represented Italian cities hosting conservatories we find, in addition to Lucca, Florence, Piacenza, Parma, La Spezia, Reggio Emilia.
The semi-final phase includes a program of four pieces from operas of any era and by any author, of which at least one in Italian and one in a foreign language; therefore, the Puccini Awardto be admitted to which the singers must include at least one aria taken from the works of Giacomo Puccini in the free program.
The semi-final tests will take place on 4 and 5 April at the Boccherini Conservatory and will not be open to the public. The final of the competition is scheduled for April 6th at 8.30pm, in the auditorium, and will be open to the public (free entry). Each finalist will perform two songs.
The first prize for the winner is 2000 euros, in addition to a paid concert with the Boccherini Conservatory Orchestra to be held in 2025. The second prize is 1500 euros and the third 1000 euros.
One thousand euros and a paid concert on the occasion of Lucca Classica Music Festival 2024 for the winner of the “best female Puccini voice” and “best male Puccini voice” categories.
Other minor prizes, scholarships and auditions in Italian and European theaters are also foreseen.
There jury is made up of illustrious personalities from the world of classical music: in addition to maestro Mazzoli (president of the jury) and maestro Dagnino, we find Gianni Tangucci, artistic coordinator of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Specialization Academy; the soprano and director Stefania Bonfadelli; the baritone Bruno De Simone; the artistic director of the Bilbao Opera Cesidio Niño García; the general manager of the Cluj-Napoca Opera Florin Estefan.
For the final evening of the competition, the organization invited other illustrious members of the musical world to join the jury. Among these: Pier Luigi Pizzi, Maria Billeri (soprano and singing teacher), Massimo Gasparon (director and cast manager of the Puccini Festival Torre del Lago), Andrea Cigni (director and artistic director of the Ponchielli Theater in Cremona), the soprano Laura Niculescu and Massimo Morelli, teacher of the Boccherini Conservatory.
During the final evening of the competition, a special lifetime achievement award will be awarded to Maestro Pier Luigi Pizzi.
