Bampton Classical Opera’s second Young Singers’ Competition takes place this autumn from October 31 to November 14. This biennial competition was first launched in 2013 to celebrate Bampton Classical Opera’s 20th birthday, and is aimed at identifying the finest emerging young opera singers currently working in the UK. Bampton Classical Opera has a reputation for its commitment to young talent and a number of singers who have appeared on the Bampton stage have gone on to work with national companies such as The Royal Opera, English National Opera and Opera North.
At the final of the 2013 competition, Ukranian mezzo-soprano Anna Starushkeyvch was awarded first prize and British soprano Rosalind Coad was the runner-up.
Since then Anna Starushkeyvch performed the role of Erato in Gluck’s Il Parnaso confuso and the title role in Bertoni’s Orfeo (UK première) for Bampton Classical Opera in summer 2014, and she sang the role of Ofelia in the company’s hugely successful production of Salieri’s La grotta di Trofonio this summer. Other recent engagements have included the role of Rosimonda in Handel’s Faramondo at the 2014 Göttingen International Handel Festival, which was recorded by Accent Record Producers. Anna repeated her role in the same production at Brisbane Baroque 2015.
“Starushkevych’s mezzo is growing in richness, depth and allure”. Opera Magazine’s review of the Bampton Classical Opera performance of La grotta di Trofonio.
The preliminary rounds of this year's competition take place in London on 31 October and 1 November. The final on November 14 in Oxford is open to the public.
Judges for the competition are British tenor Bonaventura Bottone, and conductors Andrew Parrott and Peter Robinson.
The competition is generously assisted by the Ashley Family Foundation and the Alfred Caplin Charity Settlement.