ENGAGEMENTS & FEEDBACKS
Between 2010 and 2024 we hired and gave prizes to singers from the following countries (listed by their residence, not nationality)
SOUTH AFRICA, USA, MEXIKO, RUSSIA, ITALY, CHINA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, DENMARK,CUBA, CZECH REP:, JAPAN
THAILAND, SOUTH COREA, TURKEY, GERMANY, NETHERLAND, AUSTRIA, SLOVAKIA, RUMANIA, PORTUGAL,
INDIA, LITHUANIA, FINLAND, ISLAND, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, UK, ARGENTINIA, ARMENIA, ISRAEL and others...
Only the production of DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE gave more then 50!! singers the chance for a role debut (as Königin, Tamino, Pamina, Sarastro usw)
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This is just an excerpt of the prize winners, who appeared in our productions:
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FEEDBACK FROM ARTISTS WE COLLABORATED WITH
Here is just a little excerpt of the numerous beautiful feedbacks from our artists:
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"Tuve la suerte de ganar el primer premio de este concurso en el año 2022, por ello os animo a psrticipar si tu intencion es estrenar algun rol nuevo o incluso para darte a conocer en este fantastico mundo de la Opera!.
A mi me ha traído muchas alegrias:
* Estrenar 2 personajes y cantar las operas completas con orquesta (Pagliacci, Don Carlo y Cavalleria Rusticana)
*Trabajar y aprender de la mano de Maestros Internacionales
*Darme a conocer al público de Salzburgo cantando varios recitales en la misma ciudad y también participar en 2 festivales en Alemania)
*Conocer a muchos colegas y amigos de otros países
*Participaron cerca de 420 concursantes y surgieron muchas amistades por todo el mundo
*La ilusión de ganar un primer premio con un jurado especializado."
JOAN LAINEZ (SPAIN) - Tenor
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" Hi my name is Marco Antonio Lozano, and I live in Los Angeles. I am the first place winner of Grandi Voci competition. It is a great opportunity to have many performance and do several roles. I have done Tamino (Zauberflöte), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Duca (Rigoletto), Almaviva (Barbiere), Arturo (I Puritani), and many others..."
Marco came to the competition from Los Angeles with an extraordinary difficult and spectacular repertoire, which he presented in every round souveran, so there was no doubt to give him the 1. prize which opened him many great chances: The Oper im Berg Festival invited him for several concerts and for Duca in Verdis Rigoletto. After a very successfull production, the Festival continued the collaboration and hired Marco for more then 20 performances of the magic fluete as Tamino. Marco moved to Salzburg, which gave him also other opportunities to sing as a guest in german theatres.. Till today Marco is collaborating with the Oper im Berg Festival like so many other singers, who return to enjoy their appearances in classic style opera productions in a professional environment with great orchestra and colleagues.
MARCO ANTONIO LOZANO (MEXICO/USA) - Tenor
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"Hi, my name is Yulia Gordina, I am the winner of the Grandi Voci competition 2022 in Salzburg. In 2023, I took part with the role of Eboli / Don Carlo in Oper im Berg Festival
It was very exciting for me, bacause the competition and Festival gives great opportunity for singers, with its wonderful historical places, its masterclasses and its work. Its very important for me and a pleasure to sing this performance in Salzburg with wonderful singers from all the world. I wish for the Grandi Voci competition and Oper im Berg Festival to continue their important and beautiful work, that helps singers to find their place in the world of opera."
JULIA GORDINA - RUSSIA - mezzosopran
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Last night i sang in the elegant Salzburg University Hall for an evening of Italian Opera with I Pagliacci and the duet from La Forza del Destino.
My experience:
After doing the Grandi Voci competition this year, this is my second concert with them. Despite only getting to the Semi Final round i believe them to be fair and honest. They are a serious and passionate organization and give a lot of performers of all ages the opportunity to perform, not just the winners. You can try out new repertoire and they give singers a decent chance to perform on a stage with orchestra. Also reduced versions of full main stream operas. Always good for inviting people like agents to see you. I recently added the role of Alvaro from La Forza del Destino after being asked to cover it. Last night i debuted the Act IV duet��
Sounds a bit like the US elections at the moment but i fully endorse their competition and their work ethic. There are not that many around as alot of you know. I also thought the application fee was higher compared to others and was not sure. Now i can say and have seen that they invest all that money to keep their festival going and everytime i perform i get paid.
That says it all. Respect.
Thankyou all for yet another wonderful warm evening.
STEFFAN MULLAN - Tenor (UK)
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"In 2018 I participated in GRANDI VOCI opera singers competition in Salzburg that was organised by OPER IM BERG FESTIVAL. I was impressed by this company’s high professional standards. In 2020 I participated in GRANDI VOCI opera singers competition and Grace Bumbry Masterclass in Istanbul organised by OPER IM BERG FESTIVAL. It was a real blessing to me professionally and personally because it gave me new opportunities and helped me to take my professional skills to completely different level all together. I see this festival as a very important unique phenomenon that unites all high calibre international musicians in Austria for a wonderful mutual experience. I am very exited and looking forward to collaborating with OPER IM BERG FESTIVAL 2022 season by singing the title role in Verdi’s opera “Otello”."
Antanas Zakarauskas - Tenor - Opera Singer (Lithuania)
Otello OIBF 2022
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"I met with Oper im Berg Festival through their Singing Competition Grandi Voci. I won the competition with die Königin der Nacht. After that i had the chance to make my debut with the role with 25 years old. I sang with the Festival the Queen of the night more than 70 times, and also so many other big roles like Violetta, Lucia, Gilda with very young age. That was for me a lot of good experiences to sing the roles on the stage. Because we learn our job how to do exactly with singing on the stage. I am very happy and grateful that i had those chances to sing with Oper im Berg Festival. What is also great with this Festival is, the director is also an Operasinger, bass Ingo Kolonerics with a great voice and knowledge that he can guide the young singers. The Oper im Berg Festival in Salzburg is a great experiance for all musicians and I can highly recommend to take part, if one has the chance."
Dilay Girgin - Operasinger (Turkey/Austria)
Königin der Nacht, Gilda, Violetta a.o. 2014-2020 OIBF
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"I am very happy and proud that I was part in Oper im Berg Festival from the beginning. I was a young singer just after my studies in Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg. I was happy that Intendant/Founder Ingo Kolonerics believed, trusted in me and offered me big and important roles in his productions. That was amazing experience. This was my first steps on big stage. Together with performances Ingo offered lots of Gala concerts where I could try new arias and scenes from operas what I was looking forward to sing.
Thank to Founder/Intendant Ingo Kolonerics and his Festival, young singers, conductors and musicians gets lots of opportunities for future career. Singers are trusted, encouraged and feel safe, because Ingo is also professional singer and vocal coach. His knowledge has no boundaries in terms of music genres and he always manages to bring out the best in every singer."
Aistė Miknytė - Soloist at Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre
(Amneris in Aida OIBF 2014, Mimi in La Bohème OIBF 2009, a.o.)
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"I think it is important that there are festivals like Oper im Berg Festival, where artists can compete in Grandi Voci competition, sing operatic roles and in some cases, like mine, have the possibility of debuting leading Roles. In addition to singing concerts with orchestra or piano."
Gabriel Arce - Tenor - Opera Singer (Argentinia)
Alfredo in La Traviata OIBF 2020, 2021
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"Ich könnte bei verschiedenen Konzerten und Opernaufführungen beim Oper im Berg Festival singen. Die Kollegen sind sehr nett und man hat die Möglichkeit mit professionellen und erfahrene Dirigenten und Künstler zu arbeiten. Ich kann es alle junge Musiker und Starters Musiker empfehlen, die Erfahrung sammeln wollen und die Möglichkeit haben wollen sich in einem respektvollen und professionellen musikalischen Ambiente zu entwickeln. Man kann beim Oper im Berg Festival auf verschiedenen Bühnen singen und sich mit neue Kollegen vernetzen.
Es ist wichtig das solche Festivals gibt, weil es bietet die Chance den Künstlern aktiv zu bleiben, und ihr künstlerisches Können weiter zu entfalten."
Mariana Pedrozo, Mezzosopran - Argentinien
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If you are young and want to become a musician, Oper Im Berg Festival will bring you a variety of important opportunities. You can feel your growth through various challenges and opera projects, and the joy of receiving applause from the audience will be an irreplaceable joy and experience. Most opera projects that are not theaters are accompanied by a piano, but in Oper Im Berg Festival will be performed with a young but well prepared orchestra. This experience is very important for young opera singers, and musicians and conductors. The performances are very classic, with no waste, so you can focus on singing. The Oper im Berg Festival will be an opportunity for you to take on the challenge.
Masanari Sasaki, Tenor - Japan
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Since my first work with Oper im Berg I met a fresh and exciting reality, that helps young singers, instrumentalists, korrepetitors and conductor to improve their ability in the field of the Operatic world. As a conductor of many projects for OiB, i had the chance to work with young musicians who have never had the possibility to face the great operatic repertoire during their school training. Oper im Berg deserves maximum support from sponsors and from the City of Salzburg for its being a brave bridge between the school world and the professional one. Bravo!--
Stefano Seghedoni - Dirigent
Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti - Modena
Dozent am Institut Superiore di Studi Musicali "Achille Peri - Claudio Merulo"
(Aida OIBF 2018, Lucia di Lammermoor, Rigoletto, La Traviata OIBF 2021, L'elisir d'amore 2022, a.o.)
Jury member of Grandi Voci 2020/2021
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Oper im Berg Festival has been an essential part of my path in Opera as a Singer, Pianist and Vocal Coach.
I first met Ingo Kolonerics through the work with Grace Bumbry, accompanying him in her masterclasses and in her Ceremony of Induction to the title 'Kammersängerin' at the National Chancelery in Vienna. Soon I discovered that beyond his magnificent bass voice there was a man of unique talents and rare passion for the Great Operatic Tradition - qualities that uplifted and inspired me as well as all other artists who passed through Oper im Berg through the years. I'm fortunate to have been part of Oper im Berg Festival since the very beginning, collecting here necessary stage experience and some of the most gratifying artistic experiences in my path - such as the world premieres of 'Der Sonnenkreis' ( staged by Barbara Bonney) and 'Hamlet' (at Oper im Berg's partner Festival in Skive, Denmark), both with music by Jeppe Jacobsen and outstanding libretti written by Ingo Kolonerics himself. These experiences prepared me for other valuable professional experiences in Salzburg and abroad, including engagements in prestigious international venues. I'm deeply grateful for the cooperation with Oper im Berg Festival, its excellent and supportive team of singer colleagues, conductors and instrumentalists, and very specially to Ingo Kolonerics - a visionary and torchbearer of the Operatic Tradition we deeply love and seek to preserve. I highly recommend Oper im Berg Festival to all talented artists willing to grow and share in this Tradition.
Fernando Araujo - Baritone (Brasilien)
Former Vocal Coach for the Young Singers' Project of the Salzburger Festspiele
Artistic Director of the Mozart Dinner Concert
Senior Lecturer at the Opera Department of the Mozarteum University
(Aida OIBF 2018, Rigoletto, La Traviata OIBF 2021, Tosca OIBF 2012, Il barbiere di siviglia OIBF 2010 a.o.)
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It has been always a big pleasure working with Oper im Berg festival; taking part and helping to develop Ingo’s projects and give opportunities to young talented musicians is a very important mission for the future of the opera.
During the festival we all enjoy very friendly and supportive atmosphere and have fun performing.
Marco Moresco -Dirigent (Italy)
Dirigent sinfonia abruzzese
Dozent conservatorio Luisa d'Annunzio Pescara
Aida OIBF 2014, Tosca OIBF 2015, Carmen OIBF 2017 a.o.
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"... When the work is done with heart and passion, dedication to singing and artists, something magical is always created ... During my various experiences in the "OPER IM BERG" Festival, I found always all these characteristics together with a strong positive energy, so much so that many international artists have come out of this festival, some of whom I represent in my Management and who are giving me great satisfaction!
Furthermore, the Equipe is always made up of great professionals of the highest level and always with great important guests.
I highly recommend, especially young people, to try the experience at Oper im Berg because it is a real training ground that can open the doors for a profitable career!"
Mº Marco Iezzi Bernardi (tenor, director and owner of Bjm Management), Italy
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"I was one of the first artists to join the Oper im Berg Festival in Salzburg in 2009 as Marcello in La Bohème. Since then the Founder
Ingo Kolonerics not only convinced me to sing a bigger Repertoire, but he also gave me the chance to perform first time Rigoletto, Scarpia, Luna, Alfio, Tonio and even Nabucco. This roles opened me the door also in other theatres (Falstaff Staatsoper Istanbul). I remember well that Ingo Kolonerics was helping numerous artists with his magnificent great technical advices, as he is himself an outstanding opera bass, who studied with Giaiotii, Raimondi and Bumbry and gives all his wisdom for free to the young artists, as he did to me, in every performance, even sometimes during the performance)), but always with a magnificent result. I wish that all people can appreciate his enormous work and the value of this Festival for Salzburg, for musicians, opera singers and audiences, and the tradition of great opera!"
Nejat Isik Belen (Soloist Staatsoper Samsun), Turkey
Nabucco, Rigoletto 2020 OIBF
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"Ich war mehrmals als Dirigentassistent, Pianist, Korrepetitor und auch als Orchestermitglied (u.a. Don Giovanni u. Zauberflöte ) tätig und möchte diese großartige Erfahrung nicht missen. Leider gibt es kaum solche Institutionen in der Türkei und die Sänger und Musiker werden ohne Erfahrung in den Betrieb geworfen und haben deshalb große Schwierigkeiten im Beruf zu überleben. Selbst wenn die Gagen mit jenen der Profis an staatlich subventionierten Institutionen in Österreich nicht zu vergleichen sind, sind sie dennoch fair, da ich die Fördersituation des Festivals kenne und da die jungen Musiker eine großartige Chance erhalten, die sie während ihrer Ausbildung selten haben: Großes, schwieriges Opernrepertoire auszuprobieren und das mit hervorragenden erfahrenen Dirigenten. Ich kenne viele internationale Projekte wo Musiker für diese Erfahrung sogar einen hohen Betrag zahlen, im Rahmen eines Meisterkurses. Deshalb freue ich mich über diese Initiative, denn sie ist für den Nachwuchs von unschätzbarem Wert und sollte dementsprechend unterstützt werden!"
Atilgan Kaptanoglu, Pianist (Türkei)
Dozent Halic Universität Istanbul
Dozent Kartal Belediyesi sanat Akademie Istanbul
Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, La Traviata, Die Entführung aus dem Serail OIBF 2018-2021
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As a young composer I remember with fondness the many moments of immortal beauty brought to life by the artists at the Oper im Berg Festival. I saw first-hand how the organisers, particularly the intendant, worked innumerable hours overtime to make the concerts a reality. He did it out of love for the music, and so did we all, driven by a deep passion for the art, and this still inspires me to this day. I remember well the evenings spent with the intendant and artists. In those years, I remember him manually setting up the stage and moving hundreds of chairs together, many times right before directing long demanding operas, all while helping to keep order and prepare costumes and entrances backstage during the performances. These things the audience and the orchestra did not see, but I saw it. So many memories are engraved into my memory, of artists who helped each other in times of trouble, from those who got lessons and meals for free from the intendant Mr. Kolonerics, in times of need. Our greatest triumphs artistically were special moments that few of the big traditional opera houses ever matched. d My scholarships contributed to my rent and it was difficult to make any money in that time, but I did not expect to. If that had been my goal I would have played organ at weddings, that was not the point, the point was to create beautiful operas in the city of Mozart, with idealism and honesty. I am grateful to Mr. Kolonerics for the exceptional opportunities of performing I had as a young student, and I am looking back to the many successes and creative works we produced - new symphonies and three new operas! I hope the Oper im Berg festival will continue to introduce young people to classical music and the arts for many years to come, and continue ever with the traditional regie which respects the original works and which shows one of the many important aspects of this festival: A great opportunity for young musicians to create and gain experience from advanced artists in a unique opera festival, which gives all parts of society access to this art, helping to create the opera audience of tomorrow.
Jeppe N. Jacobsen - Komponist / Denmark
Der Sonnenkreis 2009/2014 - Troja 2017 - Hamlet 2018
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to be completed...
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