Sang Ryu was awarded the first prize by an international jury headed by Brian Dickie, a former general director of the Chicago Opera Theatre
TIRANA, Dec. 3 – A South Korean bass singer has been announced the winner of the 13th edition of the Marie Kraja opera festival which made its comeback after last year’s absence due to financial problems. Ji Sang Ryu was awarded the first prize by an international jury headed by Brian Dickie, a former general director of the Chicago Opera Theatre. The second prize went to Italian-American Jessica Cambio while Albanian soprano Enkelejda Kamani grabbed the third award.
“This edition brought high quality of participant singers who underwent tough selection process. Most of them although at a young age had performed in key roles in the biggest Opera Houses and seven of them had won prizes in other international competitions,” said Zana ȥla, the festival’s host and producer.
“It is so good to see such enthusiasm – classical music is clearly an important part of life here in Albania and they are producing outstanding musicians, many for export – there are many outstanding musicians occupying leading desks of orchestras around Europe,” said the festival’s president of the jury Brian Dickie on his blog.
Commenting on the festival’s winner, Dickie said “the winner Ji Sang Ryu had been a finalist in the Tebaldi competition in San Marino where I had been a jury member in September. He came up much more strongly here and sang impressively in both rounds. Jessica Cambio impressed with her uninhibited performance of Violetta’s Act 1 aria. She is a generous performer and my London friends will have the opportunity of seeing her sing Mimi in Francesca Zambello’s production of La Boh鮥 at the Royal Albert Hall in February March 2014. The lovely Albanian soprano Enkelejda Kamani sang her aria from Bellini’s Capuleti e Montecchi with a pure beautiful line and gave Jessica Cambio a good run for her money – a close run thing indeed.”
Established in 1999 soon after renowned Albanian soprano Marie Kraja passed away at the age of 88, the festival was initially held as a national competition, before becoming Albania’s only internationally renowned operatic festival in the next few editions.
The careers of several young performers including Albanian tenor Josif Gjipali, soprano Evis Mula, Belgium’s Micheal Fisch and Turkey’s Perihan Diana Nayir kicked off at the Marie Kraja festival.
In 2009, young Albanian soprano Evis Mula managed to sign a two-year contract with La Scala, Milan’s world famous Opera House after winning the Marie Kraja festival.
The festival’s jury is composed of some of the most prestigious directors of European and American opera houses.
