MASTERS OF LYRICAL ART - 2nd edition

„ARTA FLORESCU”

The National Opera House in Bucharest (NOB) organizes the 2nd edition of the International Singing Competition “Masters of Lyrical Art”, an extraordinary event which will take place in the period 23rd and 28th of March 2010. The 1st edition of this competition was dedicated to the famous soprano Magda Ianculescu, who demonstrated her artistic mastership by performing a vast repertoire on the national and international stages. Each edition of the International Singing Competition “Masters of Lyrical Art” is dedicated to a renowned artist of the Romanian lyrical stage. The 2nd edition is dedicated to soprano Arta Florescu, a great opera singer, with a prestigious career on the Romanian and European stages, and also a representative personality of the Romanian singing school. 
The 2nd edition jury members are Eugenia Moldoveanu – President of Honor, Grigore Constantinescu – President, Ioana Bentoiu, Victor Dumanescu, Ionel Pantea, Costin Popa, Maria Slatinaru Nistor, Anda Tabacaru-Hogea, and Leontina Vaduva.
The competition aims at identifying and launching the most valuable lyrical voices of the young generation. All categories of performers – singers, soloists, or choir members in music organizations, music college, and young talents with professional training in Romania and abroad – can participate in the competition.  Participants aged between 20 and 32 (until the 31st of March 2010) are eligible.
The competition will consist of two eliminatory stages (with piano accompaniment), which will take place in the NOB Yellow Foyer, and the final stage (with orchestra accompaniment), which will be held in the NOB performance hall. The prize awards and the laureates’ gala concert will take place on Sunday, 28th of March, in the NOB hall.
Applications will be made at the competition Secretariat, at the National Opera House in Bucharest, 70–72, Mihail Kogalniceanu Blvd, Sector 5, Bucharest, Artistic Programming Office, 3rd floor, phone +40213156812, or at fax number + 40 21 3102661, until the 15th of March 2010. 

For further details about this event, please read the Regulation.

 Regulament in limba romana

Formular inscriere online

 English Regulation

Online registration form

in February - April 2010

The next three months, the National Opera House in Bucharest (NOB) will present its audience ballet and opera premieres, anniversary performances and event-performances, in which special guests are invited.  

The second performance of the Mozart’s popular opera „Cosi fan tutte”, which was resumed on our stage after three years, will take place on Friday, 5th of February 2010, at 6:30 p.m. The part of Fiordiligi will be performed by soprano Cristina Radu, a soloist of the Opera House in Brasov. The NOB orchestra, choir and ballet ensemble will also participate in the performance, under the baton of conductor Tiberiu Soare.   
 
A performance with the opera “Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi, dedicated to the anniversary of mezzo-soprano Veronica Garbu, will take place on Saturday, 6th of February 2010. The performance will present its guests: tenor Daniel Magdal in the part Radames, and mezzo-soprano Andrada Nas, who will perform for the first on the NOB stage the part Amneris. The NOB orchestra, choir and ballet ensemble will also participate in the performance. Conductor: Cornel Trailescu.

In the evening of 7th of February, the NOB ballet ensemble will celebrate the anniversary of leading ballerina Roxana Colceag, by dedicating to her the performance “Baiadera”, on the music of Ludwig Minkus; NOB ballet stars will dance in the performance, beside the ballet ensemble: Adina Tudor, Ovidiu Matei Iancu, Bianca Fota, Bogdan Plopeanu, Mihaela Soare, Madalina Stoica and Cristina Dijmaru. Conductor: Tiberiu Soare.  
 
Other soloists invited in February: tenor Robert Nagy, who will perform the title part in the opera “Faust” by Charles Gounod (Sunday, 14th February) – conductor Rasvan Cernat, and tenor Marius Vlad Budoiu, who will perform the part Don José in the opera “Carmen” by Georges Bizet – conductor Vlad Conta (Wednesday, 17th February).

The Ballet and Opera Experimental Studio “Ludovic Spiess” (BOES) will present in the NOB Yellow Foyer the performance “Tango emocion”, in which mezzo-soprano Oana Andra, baritone Andras Chiriliuc and piano player Mihaela Valcea propose a passionate excursion in the world of the tango. The premiere of this performance, in the direction and choreography of Valentin Rosca, and in the scenography signed Viorica Petrovici, will take place on Tuesday, 9th February 2010. A few days later, on the 16th of February, a  BOES premiere will take place: “Amadeus”, adapted after Peter Shaffer’s play, directed by Marcel Ţop, proposing a complex theatrical-musical performance. The main roles will be performed by actors Marius Bodochi and Razvan Oprea, beside young soloists and NOB string quartet Resonance. The music director of the performance is Prof. Dan Ardelean, while the musical training of the performance belongs to conductor Ciprian Teodorascu.    
BOES, in co-operation with UNATC – Choreography, will keep running the project, whose art director is the NOB ballet ensemble co-coordinator, Simona Somacescu, dedicated to young choreographer, with a new representation. Thus, on Tuesday, 23rd February, at 5:00 p.m., a new performance will take place – “...Before „The End” After...”, created by Tunde Baczo, a choreography Master student.   

On Sunday, 28th February, a new performance with the symphonic fairy tale for children “Pete and the Wolf”, in which Maia Morgenstern will play the part of the Narrator, will take place.  
 
On Friday, 5th March, tenor Teodor Ilincai will debut in the part Alfredo in “La Traviata”, beside soprano Mariana Colpos, in the part Violetta Valery.   

On Sunday, 7th March, BOES will present the national premiere of the performance “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, a work for children in the choreography signed Maria Popa, and inspired by Shakespeare’s play, and the music of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.   
 
A long awaited event of this season is the performance “Der fliegende Holländer” (“The Flying Dutchman”), which  will be resumed on Saturday, 20th March. After a 9 years’ absence, Wagner’s opera will be brought to life in the stage direction signed Beatrice Rancea. The performance will take place under the baton of conductor Cristian Mandeal.   
 
In the period 23rd – 28th March 2010, NOB  organizes the 2nd edition of the International Singing Competition “Masters of the Lyrical Art”, an extraordinary event aiming at identifying and launching the greatest lyrical voices of the young generation. The 2nd edition id dedicated to soprano Arta Florescu, a great opera singer, with a prestigious career on the Romanian and European stages, and also a representative personality of the Romanian singing school. The jury members of the 2nd edition consists of Eugenia Moldoveanu – President in honor, Grigore Constantinescu – President, Ioana Bentoiu, Victor Dumanescu, Ionel Pantea, Costin Popa, Maria Slatinaru Nistor, Anda Tabacaru–Hogea, Leontina Vaduva.

The foreign guests invited in March are baritone Gary Simpson (USA), who will perform the title part in the opera “Rigoletto” by Verdi (on Thursday, 25th March), tenor Efe Kislali (Turkey) and mezzo-soprano Hermine May (Germany), who will embody the main parts in the opera “Samson and Dalilah” by Saint-Saëns (on Friday, 26th March).  
 
On Tuesday, 13th April, BOES will perform in the NOB Yellow Foyer the national premiere of the concert opera “I due foscari” by Giuseppe Verdi, within the project Opera rara.

NOB ballet ensemble will perform the national premiere “Balanchine Evening”, on Saturday, 17th April 2010, at 6:30 p.m. The Romanian audience will have the opportunity of watching one of the most popular works of George Balanchine, “Valse Fantaisie” on the music of M. Glinka, and “Serenade” on the music of P. I. Tchaikovsky. Ballet dancers will be trained by Master Paul Boos, appointed by the George Balanchine Trust (New York) to stage this performance with the NOB. “Balanchine Evening” will open with the latest work of Master Ioan Tugearu, on the music of J. S. Bach.   
   
On Wednesday, 21st April, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” by Gioacchino Rossini will be performed, to celebrate the anniversary of soprano Cornelia Angelescu. Tenor Bogdan Mihai will perform the part of Count Almaviva, soprano Mihaela Stanciu will sing in the part  Rosina, while bass Horia Sandu, who was trained by soprano Cornelia Angelescu, will perform the part Don Basilio. Conductor: Ciprian Teodorascu.  
 
On Thursday, 22nd April, NOB ballet ensemble will celebrate the anniversary of the leading ballerina Elena Dacian, dedicating to her the performance “Giselle”, on the music of Adolphe Adam. The main parts will be performed by the leading ballet dancers Bianca Fota and Gigel Ungureanu. Conductor: Ciprian Teodorascu.  
On Saturday, 24th April, soprano Iulia Isaev will debut on the NOB stage in the part Tatiana in the opera “Evgheni Oneghin”. The performance will be conducted by Iurie Florea.

On Sunday, 25th April, at 5:00 p.m., a new performance of the opera “Gemma di Vergy” by Gaetano Donizetti will take place in the Music Hall of the Peles Castle in Sinaia.The cast includes remarkable young artists such as soprano Aurelia Florian, tenor Bogdan Mihai, baritone Dorin Mara, bass Horia Sandu, mezzo-soprano Mihaela Ispan, accompanied by piano repetiteur Ioana Maxim.
 
On the International Dance Day (29th April), NOB ballet ensemble will offer its audience a “Ballet Gala”, in which the most prominent soloists will perform, beside the ballet ensemble. The special guest star is Alina Cojocaru, leading ballerina of the Royal Opera House in London.