CAMERATA BARDI INTERNATIONAL VOCAL COMPETITION

The role of artists is to help see the world in new ways. Music helps us understand where we have been and imagine where we might go from here. This is what we believe at Teatro Grattacielo and Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy.

Teatro Grattacielo’s mission is to promote the performances of those works in the operatic repertoire that are rarely heard in the United States. Through performances at Alice Tully Hall and other venues, educational outreach and informal lecture-concerts, Teatro Grattacielo provides emerging artists and music lovers with the opportunity to become familiar with lesser-known repertoire and performance styles, thus promoting the expansion and appreciation of operatic traditions with an eye on diversity. The mission of Camerata Bardi is to promote and nourish a "modern renaissance" in the art of singing, rooted in the Italian Bel Canto tradition. By promoting the Italian language as an essential part of musical language, Camerata Bardi thus promotes the Italian culture, performance styles and music languages.

Last September, our first competition awarded $6000 in total monetary prizes, 3 NYC paid debuts in Teatro Grattacielo’s 2021-22 Season and 12 paid Concert Contracts. This year, for our second edition, we are awarding $9,000 while we are innovating and expanding to include and promote as many singers as possible.

Firstly, the competition is changing names: from now on, the competition will be known as the Camerata Bardi Vocal International Competition. Secondly, we are lifting the age limit.

Teatro Grattacielo has been presenting rarely performed Italian operas since 1997. In the past years, we have presented US premieres of operas such as Montemezzi’s La Nave and Mascagni’s Il piccolo Marat. We are proud to say that many of today’s opera stars have received their very debut with us. Since the pandemic started, we moved our artists to discover their cinematic skills through the launch of the digital streaming of Umberto Giordano’s Fedora. In addition, we have filmed and streamed a semi-documentary dedicated to the Italian tenor Beniamino Gigli and the first part of G.F.Handel’s Messiah. Teatro Grattacielo has just announced its 2021 Season that will include Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz , De Falla’s El Amor Brujo and Piazzolla’s El Hombre del Esquina Rosada. Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy has just launched its first international coproduction with the Cultural Center of Crete for the staging of Mozart’s Idomeneo to be performed on July 23rd and 25th 2021 in Crete, conducted by Maestro Myron Michailidis, General Music Director of Erfurt Opera & The Philharmonic Orchestra of Erfurt. Teatro Grattacielo is planning on fully live performances in New York City in 2021

• 100% Virtual. No travelling is required.
• The competition will have 2 divisions: Professional and Student.
• No age limits for professionals, 30 year age limit for Students.
• The competition will take place in 3 rounds: First Qualifying Round, Semi-Finals, and Finals. 12 Singers will be selected for the Finals.
• In every round, the International jury is formed by top level Industry Professionals, Casting Directors, Artists Managers and Conductors. Please refer to the jury list for a complete list of 2021 Jury.
• Young Artists Program and Casting: Even though we realize that not everyone will be making it to the Finals, we intend to use the competition also as an opportunity to cast future roles for Teatro Grattacielo’s season as well as for the Young Artists Program.
• No Citizenship Restrictions

• Professional

  Open to any singer around the world without age limit.

• Student

  Open to students, private or in music schools from all around the world. Age limit 30 for everyone. Special requirements: On your bio, please provide us with information about your institution enrollment (Conservatory, Academy, School, University, Private Studio).

On the online form you will be able to upload or complete:

• Your full name.
• Your email address.
• A short bio or your CV.
• A list of 4 arias that will include:
  • The 2 Arias/songs that you are submitting for the Qualifying and Semi-Finals rounds;
  • 2 extra Arias/songs for the jury to choose for the Finals. In the Finals, the jury might ask to hear again, live this time, one of the Arias/Songs submitted for the first round.

The jury will select from your list the aria to perform at the Finals.

AT LEAST TWO OF YOUR ARIAS ON THE LIST MUST BE IN ITALIAN. THE OTHER TWO CAN BE IN ANY LANGUAGE OF YOUR CHOICE.

• Two (2) YouTube or Weibo video links.

VIDEOS CANNOT BE MORE THAN 2 YEARS OLD. ONE ARIA/ SONG HAS TO BE IN ITALIAN. VIDEOS CANNOT BE MORE THAN 2 YEARS OLD. ONE ARIA/ SONG HAS TO BE IN ITALIAN.

Contestants must choose and submit a video of ONE (1) Neapolitan song on the list in any totality they wish.

1. Dicitencello vuje (Fusco-Falvo)
2. I' te vurria vasà (Russo - Di Capua)
3. Marechiare (Di Giacomo - Tosti)
4. Core ‘ngrato (Cardillo - Cordiferro)
5. ‘O marenariello (Ottaviano - Gambardella)
6. Tu ca nun chiagne (Bovio - De Curtis)
7. Era de maggio (Di Giacomo - Costa)
8. Santa Lucia luntana (E. A. Mario)
9. Quanno tramonta 'o sole (Russo - Gambardella)
10. Tutta pe' mme (Fiore - Lama)
11. Manella mia (Russo - Valente)
12. Piscatore 'e Pusilleco (Murolo - Tagliaferri)
13. Na sera 'e maggio (Pisano - Cioffi)
14. Passione (Bovio - Tagliaferri - Valenti)
15. Voce 'e notte (De Curtis - Lardini)

A payment of 42 USD is required to participate in this competition. Payment can be completed via PayPal on our website. If you don’t have access on PayPal please email us at: teatrograttacielo@yahoo.com We shall provide you information for a bank transfer. NO APPLICATION WILL BE VALID UNLESS PAYMENT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.

Since last year, we have developed a sophisticated online platform. The jury will be able to watch your video while reading your short bio or cv.

If you are filming new videos for this competition, please read:

If it is possible, ask a professional video maker to do the job using a professional camera and mic setup. If it is not possible and you can only record yourself using, your smartphone or camera please read carefully:

Orientation and shot selection:

• Shoot the video in landscape format (that is, horizontally instead of vertically)
• If you are filming with your smartphone clean the camera lens with a towel and some alcohol.
• Use a mid-shot or medium close up shot selection.
• Use a tripod or position your phone on a plain surface.
• Make sure that the background is not overly busy or distracting.

Resolution

• If possible, use HD (1280 x 720p at 30 frames per second) or FULL HD (1920x1080p at 30 frames per second) video resolution.
• Use the camera on the back of your phone. The front camera’s quality is not as good on most phones.
• Do not use the zoom feature on your smartphone.

Duration

• Record a few seconds before and after your performance.

Audio

• Find a quiet place.
• Avoid filming outside.
• If you can, use an external microphone for your smartphone such as the rode VideoMic Me or lavalier microphone.
• If you are using a device to play background music, don’t put it too near to your smartphone (otherwise we will hear the music but not the voice or worst the audio will be clipped)
• Listen to the recorded audio with a pair of headphones to understand if it is good or bad.

Lighting

• Natural lighting looks great in almost every instance. Face a window for great natural light.
• Don't film with a window behind you. We shall not be able to see you clearly.

Submission of your material through our online application including two (2) Video or Audio performance links YouTube in Unlisted or Public mode OR Weibo. Under special circumstances we will accept video submissions via Google Drive or WeTransfer. At least one of your two choices must be in Italian language. The second aria/song can be in any language of your choice.

VIDEOS MUST BE NO MORE THAN 2 YEARS OLD.

Review Panel: two casting directors, two agents and a music director.

Branding and Career Development Seminar: All applicants from both divisions will be invited to two (2) on-line virtual seminars on branding and marketing practices and on Italian language for singers with our industry professionals.

• Lewis Ehlers | Artists Manager | Lombardo Associates
• Gloria Parker | Artists Manger | Insignia Artists
• Israel Gursky | Conductor | Music Director Teatro Grattacielo, Kapellmeister Theater Bremen, Operalia
• Stefanos Koroneos | Artistic Director, Teatro Grattacielo-Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy

Up 160 singers will be chosen to advance in the semi-finals. Of the 160 singers, 130 will be from the professional division and 30 will be from the student division. The panel will hear one or both of your arias/songs submitted for in your qualifying round.

All participants will receive, if requested, feedback.

Semifinals Qualifying Jury:

• Ambra Sorrentino | General Manager | Opera Co-Pro Ltd.
• Sandra Hormozi |Artists Manager | Encompass Arts
• Jorge Parodi | Conductor | General and Artistic Director | Opera Hispánica
• Lewis Ehlers | Artists Manager ,Lombardo Associates
• Gloria Parker | Artists Manger | Insignia Artists
• Mitchell Piper | Artist Manager | Piper Artists Management
• Marco Nistico | Artistic Administrator Sarasota Opera
• Filippo Ciabatti | Conductor | Music Director Dartmouth Symphony
• Neal Goren | Conductor | Artistic Director Catapult Opera
• Israel Gursky | Conductor | Music Director |Teatro Grattacielo, Kapellmeister Theater Bremen, Operalia
• Stefanos Koroneos | General and Artistic Director | Teatro Grattacielo-Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy

Of the 14 singers, 12 will be from the professional division and 2 from the student division.

All finalists will have to perform an aria from the list you have provided us on your application. Aria/song will be chosen by the semi-finals jury.

We shall provide you with a live streaming platform and you will be able to perform from any location around the world. You may perform with a pianist or with a prerecorded track. On one-to-one basis we shall consider pre-filmed videos made few days before the finals.

Winners will be announced on our Virtual Live Finals event that will take place on our YouTube and Facebook pages.

FINALS PANEL

• Pablo Romero | Assistant Artistic Director-ABAO Bilbao Opera
• Eleonora Pacetti | Director of “Fabbrica” Young Artists Program, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
• Myron Michailidis | General Music Director of Erfurt Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra of Erfurt.
• Alexander Fernandez Udrian | Casting Director Municipal de Santiago
• Flavia Furtado | Festival Amazonas de Opera
• Leelo Lethla | PLMF Arts Management
• Alexandros Efklidis | Artistic Director of Alternative Stage Greek National Opera.
• Marco Nistico | Artistic Administrator Sarasota Opera
• Ambra Sorrentino | General Manager | Opera Co-Pro Ltd.
• Sandra Hormozi |Artist Manager | Encompass Arts
• Mitchell Piper | Artist Manager | Piper Artists Management
• Enrico Sartori | Symphony Conductor of Jilin conservatory (China) | Artistic director of Bella Culture Media, Ltd.
• Jorge Parodi | Conductor | General and Artistic Director | Opera Hispánica
• Lewis Ehlers | Artist Manager |Lombardo Associates
• Gloria Parker | Artist Manger | Insignia Artists
• Filippo Ciabatti | Conductor | Music Director Dartmouth Symphony
• Israel Gursky | Conductor | Music Director |Teatro Grattacielo, Kapellmeister Theater Bremen, Operalia
• Neal Goren | Conductor | Artistic Director Catapult Opera
• Louis Otey | Baritone | Founder and Artistic Director Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice
• Stefanos Koroneos | General and Artistic Director | Teatro Grattacielo-Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy