Éva Marton International Singing Competition
“A really good competition is like a bush that spreads out its branches and tendrils, even across continents. The Liszt Academy - with its unique concert halls - and the Budapest Opera House, which will be a partner in organizing the gala evening, will attract young people wishing to showcase their talent with magical power. ” These were the words that marked the announcement of the first Éva Marton International Singing Competition at the Liszt Academy.
The prediction turned out to be true: in 2014, almost 150 contestants from 37 countries on 5 continents applied for the very first competition. The event is traditionally held in early September in even numbered years. The number of applicants has increased steadily and exceeded that of the previous year in every year of the competition. According to the rules, ladies under the age of 32 and gentlemen under the age of 35 can submit their videos to the pre-selection. The reason for the difference is that male voices traditionally “mature” later; due to adolescent mutations in the voice, boys start to get serious about singing at a much later age than girls.
Videos uploaded as part of the online application process will be evaluated by the pre-selection jury and contestants will be notified motion within a few days whether they have been selected to advance to the next rounds of the competition. The panel is chaired – similarly to the international jury of the live rounds - by world-famous dramatic soprano Éva Marton, Kossuth and Bartók-Pásztory Prize winner, recipient of the Corvin Chain, lifetime member of the Vienna Staatsoper and member of the Presidium of the Hungarian Academy of Arts. Applicants have to indicate the opera arias they wish to perform in the live rounds and the Liszt songs they will sing in the semi-finals on the application form. Contestants are allowed to choose any aria from any opera to perform in the semi-finals; the works performed in the grand final can be selected from the extremely extensive repertoire published on the competition website.
The live rounds of the celebrated and world-renowned international competition, the semi-finals and the grand final always take place at the Liszt Academy in early September. The event is broadcast online so audiences around the world can follow the competition. The awards include cash prizes worth thousands of euros and a number of special prizes, including concert invitations and scholarships. The gala concert is hosted again by the recently renovated Hungarian State Opera House from 2022.
The jury of the live rounds of the competition, organized with the support of the MOL New Europe Foundation, the Office of the President of the Republic and Hungarian Academy of Arts includes luminaries of domestic and international opera life. Miguel Lerín, one of the most influential managers in European opera is a regular member of the panel; notable jury members include Peter Mario Katona, casting director of the Royal Opera in London, Anatoli Goussev, Ukrainian-born tenor and singer living and working in Italy, Italian tenor Vittorio Terranova, Dmtry Vdovin, artistic director of the Bolshoi Theatre Young Artists Programme, mezzosoprano Andrea Meláth, head of the Singing Department of the Liszt Academy, and Szilveszter Ókovács, director general of the Hungarian State Opera.
The Fifth Éva Marton Singing Competition had been organized by the Liszt Academy in 2022, an even numbered year, in spite of the cancellation caused by the pandemic. Therefore next competition is expected to open in early 2024, when the online application form will be available on the competition website. However, information about application and a list of works and operas to choose from is available on the website at any time:
martoncompetition.com
The Éva Marton International Singing Competition is attracting more and more talent and attention abroad: the event is covered by the press in many countries, the contestants and their performances are highlighted on social media during the live rounds, and in 2018, the competition was admitted as a member of the prestigious World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC).
Further information:
Liszt Academy Communications and Media Content Directorate
E-mail: sajto@zeneakademia.hu
kommunikacio@zeneakademia.hu