The Third Round and the festive winners’ awards ceremony of the IX International Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Artists Competition took place on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia on June 16.
Olga Rostropovich – the chairlady of the jury, the Artistic Director of the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre, congratulated all the contestants on participating in the Competition, thanked the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Moscow City Department for Culture, the Competition jury, the Opera Centre’s team and the audience.
This year, the jury members have decided to award their special prizes to the contestants. Starting this tradition, Olga Rostropovich presented her special prize – training at the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre free of charge, to Yulia Vakula, Daniil Garkunov and Maryana Oleinik.
The Director General of the Alisher Navoi State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Uzbekistan, People’s Artist of Uzbekistan Ramiz Usmanov invited Maria Maltseva to perform at the Gala concert dedicated to the 95th season opening at the Bolshoi Theater of Uzbekistan.
The Director General of the Hungarian State Opera, Szilveszter Ókovács, presented his prize to Valeria Torunova and Valentina Pravdina – a part in the performance at the Budapest Opera House.
The artistic manager of the IMGa/TACT agencies, Sofia Rukina, invited Maria Zherebyatyeva to an audition.
Nikola Mijailovic, Head of the Vocal Department at the Music Faculty of the University of Arts in Belgrade, who took free vocal lessons from Galina Vishnevskaya at the beginning of his career, presented his prize to Chingis Bairov, saying that the baritone wants to support the baritone.
Special prizes of the Competition:
Prize for Artistry – Sultonbek Abdurakhimov, bass-baritone
Diploma to the best accompanist – Ekaterina Brzhinskaya
The winners of the IX International Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Artists Competition are:
Third Prize – Valentina Pravdina, soprano
Second Prize – Sultonbek Abdurakhimov, bass baritone and Semyon Antakov, baritone
First Prize and the Audience appreciation Award – Elizaveta Kulagina, soprano
The X International Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Artists Competition will be held in the year of Galina Vishnevskaya’s 100th anniversary – in 2026.