Les Azuriales Opera 2019 Season

NINE REMARKABLE SINGERS IN LES AZURIALES YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAMME

Once again this year, we brought together a group of 9 talented young singers from around the world (3 singers from the UK and 1 each from Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Poland, Russia and South Africa). These singers are all capable of making a good career in opera.

Some of our alumni have become very successful as you can see  on the "They Say ..." pages of our website (use the arrows to see what the different singers say, the press and their teachers).

The Young Artists Programme of the Azuriales started in 2003.

International Singing Competition - Monday 12^th August

The season begins with our 18^th International Singing Competition at the Théâtre de la Citerne, in the Citadelle-Saint-Elme in Villefranche-sur-Mer. As the name suggests, the theatre is the huge water reservoir designed to withstand a long medieval siege. It has been transformed into an intimate theater of 140 seats very well equipped but also very picturesque. The ten singers have the opportunity to win prizes totaling 10,000 €, including aprize voted by the audience.

Masterclasses - Wednesday 14^th and Sunday 18^th  August

The first masterclass for our 9 young artists this year given by Dennis O’Neill, one of the world’s leading operatic tenors who has performed in all the major concert halls and opera houses. It will be held at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

The following Sunday, the second masterclass is again at Citadelle-Saint-Elme in Villefranche. This will be under the direction of Sarah-Jane Davies, soprano and Head of Casting at Scottish Opera. She is also a long-term advisor to Azuriales and a member of our panel for auditions. With her will be Bryan Evans MBE, the music Director of both Les Azuriales & Diva Opera.

Iolanta - Tchaikovsky’s last opera - Sunday 25^th August

This year, at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in St Jean Cap Ferrat, our young artists will experience creating a new production of Iolanta, Tchaikovsky’s last opera. As in past years, this opera show will be staged from scratch in a week.

The opera wll be performed in Russian with English and French surtitles.

The libretto was written by his brother, Modest, and is based on a Danish play King René's Daughter by Henrik Hertz, a romanticised account of the life of Yolande de Bar.

This performance will again be under the expert stage direction of our Resident Guest Director Alessandro Talevi and musical direction of Bryan Evans MBE, our Music Director. It will also see the return of the exciting designer, Madeleine Boyd, to Les Azuriales.