Forty-eight singers are competing in the quarterfinals in Pécs, among them three Hungarian singers. They were picked from more than 900 entries to the contest, which is being held in Central Europe for the first time.
Domingo, speaking at a press conference at the opening of the festival, said much had been done to make this year's Operalia as successful as in earlier years.
The three Hungarian finalists - the mezzo-soprano Ágnes Anna Kun, the tenor Máte Gál and the soprano Brigitta Simon - are aiming to make it to the semifinals, where they will be evaluated by a thirteen-member jury including the Kossuth Prize-winning soprano Veronika Kincses. The finalists will sing at the Hungarian State Opera House with the Pannon Philharmonic conducted by Domingo.
The top three female and male singers will be awarded purses of USD 30,000, USD 20,000 and USD 10,000. Four separate acknowledgements will also be presented.
Domingo said he had picked Pécs as the venue for this year's Operalia because of his experience performing in the city last year as well as because of the city's 2010 European Capital of Culture programme. Other cities that wanted to host this year's contest were Moscow and Monaco.
A big screen will be set up on Pécs's Színház Square to allow opera lovers who cannot get into the Pécs National Theatre to watch the finals. The same will be done in Budapest, where people can watch the contenders in the State Opera House on a big screen in Heroes' Square. On August 8, the finalists will perform at an open-air concert in Pécs, where Domingo will also sing.
Domingo will be the chief patron of Pécs's 2010 European Capital of Culture programme.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI) / Photo: MTI
