”Alexandru Fărcaș” Voice Competition
22-24 March 2024 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
This national edition of the competition was addressed to all undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in higher music education, aged between 18 and 28 years of age completed by 22nd March 2024.
Participation in the competition involved the following repertoire:
- an opera/operetta aria from the Romanian or universal repertoire (recorded) for the knockout 1st STAGE
- two opera/ operetta arias from the Romanian or universal repertoire (other than the one presented in Stage 1) and a Romanian lied, for the 2nd live STAGE.
The competition repertoire was of the contestant’s choice.
A total of 107 eligible competitors were officially registered for this edition’s first Stage, out of which 76 qualified for the second Stage.
The impressive number of applications makes this competition one of the top competitions for the lyric genre.
THE AWARDS GALA
All laureates attended the Gala Concert that took place on 24 March 2024, 18:00 in the Auditorium Maximum Hall of Cluj Academic College.
The Awards Gala was accompanied by the Transylvania Philharmonic Orchestra – conductors Gheorghe Victor Dumănescu and Adrian Morar, presenter Ruslan Bârlea, and was recorded by TVR Cluj Studio.
The pieces performed by the winners at this concert were chosen by the competition Jury from the repertoire presented in the Candidates’ Application Form.
On the basis of individual contracts finalised at a later stage, the winners will be able to perform in concerts or opera performances at opera houses in the country and abroad.
The competition was very tight, with some extremely talented young artists! Our most heartfelt congratulations to them all! We also thankfully congratulate their specialised teachers from all over the country and the piano accompanists who supported them admirably!
„Alexandru Fărcaş” Voice Competition - The Awards Gala - TVR Cluj
AWARDS
2,000 EUROS
Grand Prize”Alexandru Fărcaș”
1,500 EUROS
First Prize
1,000 EUROS
Second Prize
800 EUROS
Third Prize
500 EUROS
"Lucia Stănescu" Award
500 EUROS
"Ion Buzea" Award
500 EUROS
"Eduard Tumagian" Award
500 EUROS
Prize for best performance of an operatic aria
A role in the 2024 - 2025 season of the Craiova Romanian Opera
"Elena Teodorini" Award
A role in the 2024 - 2025 season of the Hungarian State Opera of Cluj
"Éva László" Award
400 EUROS
Special Jury Prize, awarded by Adela Zaharia
300 EUROS
Michaela Bocu Award for the best interpretation of a Romanian lied
300 EUROS
Special “Elf” Award for the best young participant
300 EUROS
"Gheorghe Victor Dumănescu" Special Award
300 EUROS
"Luminița Constantinescu" Special Award
300 EUROS
Dr. "Rodica Mureșan" Special Award
COMPETITION STAGES
Knockout first stage: 15-17 February 2024
It consisted in the Jury’s examination of the link to a video recording* of an opera/operetta aria from the Romanian or universal repertoire. A pass/fail scoring was given. Contestants advancing to the second stage were to be notified via email by 1st March 2024.
*The video had to meet the following requirements:
- To be accompanied by piano / orchestra;
- Registration must be recent, no older than 2023
- No audio or video editing;
- Fixed-angle, single camera;
- Fixed-angle, single-camera studio recordings are accepted;
- Fixed-angle recordings taken with a mobile phone are also accepted.
Second Stage: 22 and 23 March 2024
It was performed live, with an accompanist, in the Concert Hall of the “Gh. Dima” National Music Academy of Cluj-Napoca, starting at 10:00. Two of the three works mentioned by the competitor in the application form, an opera/operetta aria from the Romanian or universal repertoire and a Romanian lied were performed. The two works were selected by the competition jury.
At this stage, the public had free admission, subject to available seats.
On request, the organisers have provided the competitors with piano accompanists, teachers at the “Gh. Dima” National Music Academy of Cluj-Napoca. The organisers did not provide travel and accommodation costs for the competitors and rehearsal accompanists.
JUDGING
The performances of each contestant were evaluated by a jury made up of recognised personalities in the Romanian and international music scene, with a rich artistic experience.
Judging criteria:
- Vocal qualities: timbre, intonation, accuracy, diction;
- Phrasing;
- Expressiveness;
- Stage presence;
- Homogeneity of voice-accompaniment interpretation
COMPETITION JURY
Andreas Massow
Agent of ARSIS Artist Management in collaboration with Lewin Artists’ Management – Member of the jury
Competition Organising Committee
Director General: Dr Geani Brad, Lecturer, ANMGD, ONRC soloist
Executive Director: Dr habil. Ina Hudea, Associate Professor, director with ANMGD
Artistic director: Petru Burcă, ONRC soloist
Competition PR: Anca-Mona Mariaș, composer, conductor, CMST teacher
Artistic coordinator: Iulia Merca, ONRC soloist
Technical Director: Sorin Lupu, ONRC soloist
Artistic consultant: Dr Mira Gavriș, Associate Professor, pianist, Director of the Singing and Performing Arts Department ANMGD
Volunteer coordinator: Renata Burcă, teacher at the Royal School in Transylvania
Expert accountant: Mirabela Florea, Gold Expert.
Lecturer
Ina Hudea
ECHOES IN THE PRESS
- Music of Instances, 20 March 2024, The best singing students in the country come to Cluj
- Făclia newspaper, 25 March 2024: Alexandru Fărcaș Voice Competition: Baritone Mihai Damian wins the Grand Prix “Alexandru Fărcaș”!
- Adevarul (The Truth), 27 March 2024: Great national singing competition in Cluj-Napoca
- North-West Gazette, 16 April 2024: Photo-editorial: Verticals across Romania – behind the applause!
- la mongolu. Revistă culturală independentă, nr. 17-18, ianuarie-iunie 2024, p. 50-51: Alexandru Fărcaș-Voice Competition
REGULATION
By registering for the Competition, the competitors assume responsibility for the compliance of the programme with the Competition Regulation, accept the jury’s authority, agree to the storage and processing of personal data for the purpose of organising the competition, and assign to the “Alexandru Fărcaș” Cultural Association the rights to record and broadcast the official audio-video materials made during the competition.
For further information, you can contact us by email: