Korea National Opera Vocal Competition to Be Held... Prize Money Increased

The Korea National Opera will hold the 24th Korea National Opera Vocal Competition next month to discover and nurture the next generation of promising vocalists.

The preliminary rounds will take place on August 6 and 7 at the Korea National Performing Arts Company Rehearsal Hall, Common Studio 1. The final round will be held on August 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Theater (Hangang) of the Gangdong Arts Center. The final stage will be presented as a live concert with the Korea Coop Orchestra, conducted by Jang Yunseong, and will be broadcast live online. This competition is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Seai Unhyeong Cultural Foundation.

Starting this year, the Korea National Opera Vocal Competition is seeking changes to become an international vocal competition. The prize money will be increased, and the panel of judges will include both domestic and international members to enhance professionalism and fairness in judging.

The prize for the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award will increase from 7 million KRW last year to 10 million KRW this year. The Seai Unhyeong Cultural Foundation Award will rise from 5 million KRW to 7 million KRW. The Gold Prize, sponsored by the Seai Unhyeong Cultural Foundation, will also be awarded. Silver and Bronze Prize winners will receive certificates from the Korea National Opera and prize money of 5 million KRW and 3 million KRW, respectively.

The judging panel will include Japanese conductor and composer Yuko Amanuma and Chinese conductor L? Jia.

The Korea National Opera Vocal Competition has faithfully served as a platform for the growth of young vocalists, producing talents such as sopranos Park Hyesang and Hwang Sumi, and tenors Kim Geonwoo and Jung Hoyoon. Recent winners have also drawn attention. Soprano Choi Jieun, who received the Special Prize (Korea National Opera Chairman’s Award) at the 2023 Korea National Opera Vocal Competition, won the Vi?as International Singing Competition in January this year and received acclaim for her performance as Countess Almaviva in the Korea National Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro” in March.

Soprano Lee Seonwoo, who won the Silver Prize in 2022, reached the finals of the Queen Elisabeth Competition’s vocal division in March last year. Soprano Han Yewon, the Gold Prize winner in 2020, won the 60th Vi?as International Singing Competition in January last year and received three special prizes: the Teatro Real Special Prize, the Astana Opera Debut Special Prize, and the Peralada Castle Festival Debut Special Prize.

The Korea National Opera Vocal Competition is open to anyone under the age of 35 majoring in vocal music who dreams of performing on opera stages in Korea and abroad. Detailed information and application methods can be found on the Korea National Opera website.

Choi Sangho, director of the Korea National Opera, stated, "This competition goes beyond a simple contest to provide practical opportunities for vocalists to perform on stage, and we will strive to develop it into a competition of international renown. We look forward to the interest and participation of many promising talents from Korea and abroad."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.