The five singers through to the final of Cardiff Singer of the World 2013 have been announced. They are mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton from the US, bass-baritone Marko Mimica from Croatia, soprano Olena Tokar from Ukraine, mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack from Argentina and soprano Teresa Romano from Italy.
The finalists are the five best singers from throughout the week – not necessarily the winners of their rounds. The singer crowned Cardiff Singer of the World 2013 will win £15,000 and the Cardiff Trophy.
But one singer will also win the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize – and you can vote online for your favourite performer on the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World website.
Jamie Barton and Marko Mimica both sang in the first concert of the week – which was won by Barton who performed music by Ponchielli, Elgar and Donizetti. Mimica sang an extract from Handel’s Messiah, an aria from Verdi’s Nabucco and music from Rossini’s Semiramide.
Olena Tokar was the winner of Concert Three with a programme of Handel, Mozart and Korngold. Daniela Mack and Teresa Romano both appeared in the fourth concert. Mack sang music by Rossini, Handel and Gluck while Romano performed arias from Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Verdi’s Aida and Puccini’s Madame Butterfly.
No singers from Concert Two are through to the final.
All five singers will perform with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Jun Märkl and Graeme Jenkins in the final on Sunday 23 June. The performance will be broadcast on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio Wales at 7.30pm. If you’re in Wales you can hear coverage from 7pm on BBC Radio Cymru.
The final of the Song Prize takes place this evening, Friday 21 June and the singers competing for the £5,000 prize – and a chance to join the BBC’s New Generation Artists scheme – are USA’s Jamie Barton, English tenor Ben Johnson, Olena Tokar from Ukraine, Yuri Gorodetski from Belarus and Mária Celeng from Hungary.