TERMS OF PARTICIPATION

MARIA CALLAS GRAND PRIX
Opera

13 - 20 March 2011




TERMS OF PARTICIPATION
  1. The Maria Callas Grand Prix in Opera is open to singers of all nationalities:
    a) Female singers born between March 1981 and March 1993.
    b) Male singers born between March 1979 and March 1993.
  2. An application form, properly filled in, must be sent by registered airmail to the secretariat of the Athenaeum International Cultural Centre, 3, Adrianou St., GR - 105 55 Athens, by 10 December 2010.
  3. Application forms must be accompanied by:
    a) Curriculum vitae.
    b) Detailed information on the musical studies of the applicant (schools attended, seminars, diplomas etc.) as well as names of the applicant's music professors in particular during the last two years.
    c) Prizes won at international competitions
    d) Two letters of recommendation by musicians of international standing
    e) Recent videotape or DVD.
    f) Repertoire (Cycles of Songs, Oratorios, Operas etc.).
    g) The overall artistic activity of the applicant until today.
    h) Programs and reviews.
    i) List of the applicant's LPs, CDs or any other recordings, if you have any.
    j) Two recent black and white photographs, size 9x12cm.
  4. The applicant, upon receipt of the Athenaeum’s official confirmation for his acceptance in the competition, has to pay, the latest until January 10, 2011, the amount of €120 at the Grand Prix’s account with the Bank of Attica, (Panepistimiou Branch, - IBAN GR 7701600650000000028383321, SHIFT code ATTIGRAAXXX) representing his registration fees. This amount is not refundable.
    Please note that copy of this payment receipt should be sent to the Athenaeum by January 10, 2011. If not, the candidate’s participation will be cancelled.
  5. The Athenaeum will provide foreign candidates with a formal certificate of participation, which may be used also for the issuance of a visa
  6. Participants must present their passport or any other official document to the Secretary as a proof of their date of birth
  7. Singers accepted to participate in the Maria Callas Grand Prix must report at the ATHENAEUM on 10/3/2011.
  8. Participants must send the latest by 10 December 2010:
    a) their program formed in stages. Also to be specific about the title and the act of each aria that they would perform in different stages and
    b) to give exactly the title of the arias, the composers and the edition of the works they will perform with Orchestra.

    Note: Candidates who will not follow these requests will not be accepted in the competition.


  9. The Athenaeum reserves the right to have any or all phases of the performances taped, broadcasted by radio and television, or published without paying any compensation to participants. Also in case of a CD release or cassette release with singer’s performances from any stage of the Maria Callas Grand Prix, participants are not entitled to any fee or compensation.
  10. Singers who have been accepted in the Grand Prix, but are unable to participate, are kindly requested to notify the Secretariat within a reasonable time.
  11. The administration will not accept any changes in the program after December 10, 2010


MEALS & ACCOMMODATION

Free meals will be offered to all participants and their accompanists as from 10/3/2011. Other escorts, if any, may also use our facilities for their meals against payment of a small amount.
Free hotel accommodation will be offered only to those singers who will successfully pass into the 2nd stage of the Grand Prix.
To take advantage of this offer, participants should notify the Secretariat of the exact date of their arrival, at least four weeks before the beginning of the Grand Prix.


EXECUTION OF THE COMPETITION
  1. Candidates must specify on their application form the type of their voice (soprano, mezzo-soprano etc.)
  2. The "Maria Callas" Grand Prix consists of three stages. The sequence of the participants' appearance will be in alphabetical order, this year starting from the letter D.
  3. All works should be performed in their original language and key. The sole exception to this rule will be those works which have been transposed into another key in internationally known editions.
  4. All works should be sung by heart, except the oratorio arias.
  5. Composers not included in the competition's program requirements cannot be selected by candidates (see list below).
  6. Singers who will not succeed to pass in the 2nd Cycle may ask the members of the Jury Committee for their advice & counseling on their performance.
  7. The decision of the Jury is irrevocable.


PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
List of composers
Group A Arie Antiche composed by: Caldara, Haendel, Monteverdi, Purcell, Scarlatti etc.
Group B Opera arias composed by: Beethoven, Bellini, Bizet, Boito, Borodine, Catalani, Charpentier, Cilea, Debussy, Delibes, Donizetti, Giordano, Gluck, Gounod, Leoncavallo, Mascagni, Massenet, Moussorgsky, Mozart, Ponchielli, Puccini, Rossini, Saint-Saens, R. Strauss, Thomas, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Wagner and Weber.
Group C

Lieder by: Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, de Falla, Duparc, Dvorak, Faure, Granados, Grieg, Mahler, Moussorgsky, , Rachmaninov, Ravel, Respighi, Schubert, Schumann, R. Strauss, Tchaikovsky and Wolf.

Also Lieder by: Bartok, Berg, Berio, Britten, Copland, Dallapiccola, Hindemith, Ives, Milhaud, Pizetti, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Schonberg, Shostakovitch, Stravinsky and Webern.



1st STAGE (preliminary examination)

Singers must know thoroughly a whole leading role from an opera by Mozart, Puccini or Verdi. The Jury will ask parts of this role to be performed at the 2nd stage of the competition.

In addition:

· One aria from group A

· Four arias from group B (arias of the leading role cannot be included)

· Four Lieder from group C

 

2nd Stage (semi-final - recital)

· Five arias from group B (arias of the leading role cannot be included)

· Three Lieder from group C

Notice

· The arias and lieder of 2nd stage must be different to those of the 1st stage.

· The arias and lieder of 1st and 2nd stages must not be from the opera, oratorio, mass, requiem or the cycle of songs already chosen.

THIRD STAGE (final - with orchestra)

Three arias from group B, one of which must be by Mozart.

Notice

  • The arias of the 3rd stage must be different to those of the 1st and 2nd stage

  • One of the arias of the 3rd stage can be from the complete work which the participant has chosen.

  • Participants are to choose for themselves the sequence of the works to be sung in all stages.



  • THE JURY

    1. Members of the Jury will be musicians and pedagogues of international standing from abroad and Greece
    2. The final stage of the competition will be attended by agents, opera artistic directors and other entities involved in music having interest to promote the young laureates of the Maria Callas Grand Prix.


    PRACTICE AND ACCOMPANISTS

    Athenaeum will arrange for the participants the following:

    • One hour's duration rehearsal prior to the 1st and 2nd stages. Participants wishing to have more than two rehearsals will have to undertake financially the accompanist's engagement. Participants may be escorted by their own accompanist. The Athenaeum however will not undertake any financial or other obligation (fee, accommodation etc.) except the daily free meals offered on the set dates.
    • Possibility of one hour's daily practice, during the set period of the competition.


    WE KINDLY REQUEST THE PARTICIPANTS
    • When sending in their application form to write clearly in capital letters or type, their surname, name as well as their program.
    • To use French, English or German, in which languages we will be corresponding.
    * During the Grand Prix, the Secretariat, - 3, Adrianou St., tel. +30 210 3211987, fax: +30 210 3211196 - will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. to be of service to the participants.

    Athenaeum
    International Cultural Centre
    Member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions
    3, Adrianou St.,
    GR - 105 55 Athens
    GREECE
    Tel.: (+30 210) 321 19 87, 55 and 49
    Fax: (+30 210) 321 11 96
    e-mail: contact@athenaeum.com.gr