Some of the semi-finalists. From left to right:
Katariina Heikkilä / Sanna Matinniemi / Laura Mäkitalo / Hannakaisa Nyrönen /
Elisabet Petsalo / Hanna Rantala / Artur Rozek
Photos: © Heikki Tuuli
The Jury has selected 13 competitors for the Semi-Finals of the Third International Sibelius Singing Competition in Järvenpää, Finland. The singers continuing in the competition are:
Erica Back, mezzo-soprano, Finland
Tuuri Dede, mezzo-soprano, Estonia
Katariina Heikkilä, mezzo-soprano, Finland
Sanna Matinniemi, soprano, Finland
Laura Mäkitalo, mezzo-soprano, Finland
Hannakaisa Nyrönen, soprano, Finland
Robert Näse, baritone, Finland
Aarne Pelkonen, baritone, Finland
Anna-Maija Perttunen, soprano, Finland
Elisabet Petsalo, mezzo-soprano, Finland
Hanna Rantala, soprano, Finland
Artur Rozek, baritone, Poland
Elli Vallinoja, soprano, Finland
The semi-finals will be held on 23rd–24th April at the Järvenpää Hall. A detailed schedule is available on the competition website www.sibeliussinging.fi. The competitors selected for the finals will be announced on Friday 24th April.
The five members of the Jury are pianist Gustav Djupsjöbacka, mezzo-soprano Monica Groop, Danish soprano Inger Dam-Jensen, German baritone Andreas Schmidt and Swedish baritone Olle Persson.
First prize is worth €12,000, second prize €6,000 and third prize €3,000. The winner will be invited to appear with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra during the 2015–16 season, and a special prize will be awarded in the form of a Lied recital at the Lahti Sibelius Festival on 6th September 2015.
Yle Radio 1 will be broadcasting the finals of the competition live. The finals will also be streamed live at www.yle.fi/klassinen. Video recordings of the preliminary round and semi-finals are posted on the competition website during the competition week.
Tickets from Lippupiste outlets
Further information:
Terhi Luukkonen, Secretary General
Tel. +358 40 710 4368
terhi.luukkonen@uniarts.fi
www.sibeliussinging.fi
Source: Press release 22/3/2015