A league of talents
Our young singers will bring our musical heritage in to a new age, in a rapidly changing world. Thank you ever so much for your dedication. The world needs you!
Dear friends of The Queen Sonja International Music Competition,
We can now look back at a ten-day celebration of great singers and great music:
The preliminary rounds and semifinals at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
A vocal masterclass with Sumi Jo and a concert with our previous prize winner Mari Eriksmoen and pianist Sveinung Bjelland at Oscarshall Palace.
Panel talks focusing on how to build careers for young singers, followed by a masterclass with Sergei Leiferkus at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts.
The grand finale at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.
I would like to extend a heartfelt and warm thank you to everybody involved in making this year’s competition possible.
Let me start by giving the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, Maestro Risto Joost and our six finalists a massive thank you for their absolutely wonderful performances.
Then let me proceed with all our 33 singers from 19 nations that performed in Oslo. They gave us their very best.
The Jury
This year’s jury, masterly chaired by Annilese Miskimmon, has been the important heart of the Competition. Thank you ever so much for your valued contributions
Annilese Miskimmon
Stefan Herheim
Sumi Jo
Tatjana Kandel
Robert Körner
Sergei Leiferkus
and Diane Zola
Now, to all our hard-working supporters within our close family of partner institutions:
The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet
To Executive Director Geir Bergkastet, Opera Director Annilese Miskimmon,
Producer Maria Costa, Orchestra Director Håvard Vegge, Stage Director Victoria Bomann-Larsen, and everybody in your dedicated staff:
Your theatre is of essential importance to our Competition. Thank you for letting us in, and for helping us move forward. We are much looking forward to further develop together with you.
The Norwegian Academy of Music and Oslo National Academy of the Arts
Dear Principal Peter Tornquist and Dean Tore Dingstad. You offer our contestants and audiences the very best, with state of the art facilities.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
Thank you for many joyful meetings for planning, and thank you for lending us your first class compère Mari Lunnan. Thank you to your whole team, for helping us share the beauty of our singers with a wide audience.
The Royal Court
You are heavily involved in the Competition, providing Oscarshall as a lovely venue. It is a true pleasure to collaborate with your highly professional and efficient staff.
We are also grateful that Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra will host a gala concert in the Grieg Concert Hall, Thursday 3 October. Thank you for providing our singers with concert opportunities in Norway!
Our pianists
I would also like to thank our five brilliant pianists:
Lina Braaten
Bernhard Greter
Christian Grøvlen
Marina Kvan Selvik
and Olesya Tutova
Your support has been of great value to both the audience and singers.
Our financial contributors
Music is not only about great art. It is also about great financial contributors!
First of all, the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, as our main Contributor, followed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the City of Oslo. In order for us to continue to thrive, our private contributors are among our dearest friends:
Thank you to Canica AS, Anders Sveaas’ Almennyttige Fond, Lindemans Legat, Lucy Høeghs Foundation and the Sat Sapienti Foundation.
Competition staff
I can assure you that a festival and Competition like ours is demanding to put together, and to make run smoothly. I will conclude with thanking our own staff of 14 extremely hard-working people.
A special person that should be enjoying the sweet feeling of a job well done is my close associate Ane Wadd-Oseth. Ane has been a remarkable Project Coordinator and Head of our very efficient and always smiling staff. Mariella Yakubu has been essential as her Assisting Project Coordinator.
Stine Rotnes has been Head of Communications with her team of associates:
Hanna Nordlien Berg
Hanna Hedges
Magnus Romslo Lindvik
and Una Lind Oldaker
Katharina Kockum has been our wonderful Jury Secretary.
Our concert and stage manager team has been conducted by Iver Bunkholt, together with:
Ieva Praneviciute
Hanna Elstrøm
Ann Charlott Johansen
and Victoria Joner
The next Competition in 2021 is just around the corner. Until then!
Sincerely
Lars Hallvard Flaeten
Executive Director