Belgian media coverage with English translation

THREE ARTICLES IN THE BELGIAN PRESS
ABOUT SUMMERFEST EUROPE ACTIVITIES
These three articles were printed in the regional Belgian paper L’Avenir, along with
many photos, and relate to:
1) A review of a promotional concert given by an alumnus of Opera Theater of
Pittsburgh’s SummerFest Young Artist Program in support of a new international
venture: SummerFest Europe and its new international voice competition in
Verviers
2) A preview of the SummerFest Europe International Voice Competition
3) A review of the competition
Printed on 12.9.13 in the Belgian newspaper:
L’Avenir
(for French original see below)
The organizers of the international opera singing contest Verviers, in its new
incarnation.
VERVIERS –
Boosting a young operatic career with a summer stay in Pittsburgh is the prize of
the new international singing competition in Verviers.
The new singing competition created by Summerfest Europe is on track, launched by
Julian Todd, President, and Councilwoman for Culture Aurélia Luypaerts. This initiative
comes about thanks to the connection of this former director of Shur-Lok Aerospace
Fasteners with a former classmate at Cambridge, Jonathan Eaton, who became director
of Opera Theater of Pittsburgh.
The Opera Theater is an American company that has existed for 35 years giving opera
performances in Pittsburgh and on tour across the U.S. and in Germany. In 2012, Mr.
Eaton organized a summer festival with associated intensive training and performing
programs for young artists, along with a voice competition held each fall. The next
Pittsburgh festival, “SummerFest”, will be held in Pittsburgh July 11 to 27 2014. The
young artists accepted into this program benefit from training from older and more
experienced professionals with top quality instruction. As part of the program they are
eligible for lead roles in productions that the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh presents.
Convinced of the importance of the singing tradition of Verviers and aware of the
similarities between two these two industrial cities of the nineteenth century, the
American company has chosen to collaborate with the Belgian team to implement the
project in Verviers .
This new international opera singing contest is open to singers of both sexes, Belgian or
foreign, maximum age 35, who will present five vocal selections to a jury of five
specialists which will include Joseph Gilet, Director of the Conservatory Verviers, and
Jonathan Eaton, General Director of Opera Theater of Pittsburgh since 1999.
The competition will take place in public in the main hall of the conservatory, with a
capacity of 150 seats, on Thursday, December 19 at 10am for the semifinals, and
Friday, December 20 at noon for the finals. Half of the 50 candidates are selected first
on the basis of a CD recording to participate in live auditions. Twenty-five winners will
then meet in the semi-finals, and eight in the finals. Four winners will then go next
summer to Pittsburgh, all expenses paid, to further their training with this prestigious
organization. Applications must be received by mail to the Committee Secretariat
Summerfest Europe, Rue de France -36 in Verviers. Full competition rules are available
on www.summerfest.eu.
Lætitia.contino @ verviers.be
087325211
SECOND ARTICLE
Printed on12.9.13 in the Belgian newspaper:
L’Avenir
(For French original see below)
VERVIERS-
A new international voice competition – “Made in the
USA”
Verviers is developing a cultural partnership with the U.S. city of Pittsburgh. This
former world capital of steel and coal has become a model for economic
restructuring - focusing particularly on culture!
The competition in Verviers is looking for talented young singers to join the SummerFest
Young Artists Program, a prestigious training and performance program at the Opera
Theater of Pittsburgh (USA). A new non-profit organizatin, SummerFest Europe, is
organizing this impressive competition on 19 and 20 December in Verviers at the
Conservatoire. Admission is free. For more details see:
www.summerfest.eu
THIRD ARTICLE
Printed on 12.21.13 in the Belgian newspaper:
L’Avenir
VERVIERS -
Amelia Jardon will go to sing in the USA
New voice competition sees this singer from Verviers win a great opportunity to
go to the USA
Top quality voice competition
Launch is a success for the voice competition of Verviers, which attracted
candidates of great distinction from many countries
This first edition of the voice competition of SummerFest Europe was a veritable
master stroke with an international cultural dimension
This grand Verviers premiere is a European response to the annual competition held in
Pittsburgh, PA, USA, and it attracted a total of 22 semi-finalists to the main hall of the
Conservatory of Verviers from some of the most prestigious conservatories around the
world.
Sixteen women and six men, among them thirteen Belgians, one French woman, two
Japanese, five Chinese and a Pole, whose average age was 26, competed before a jury
of eminent specialists.
These were the baritone Armand Battel, Artistic Director of the Opera Theater of
Pittsburgh Jonathan Eaton, the coloratura soprano Annie Frantz, Joseph Gilet the
Director of the Conservatory of Verviers, and Michelle Rohe.
After their first appearances at the semi-finals on Thursday afternoon, only eight
candidates remained to sing for the grand finale on Friday at the end of the afternoon.
These eight candidates remained after a selection process made hard because of the
exceptional level of each singer, as was unanimously acknowledged by the jury, who
found it extremely difficult to allocate the prizes.
The finalists…. all competed to take part in an ambitious young artists program for
professional development in the art of opera in the USA, following the model of an
existing competition and Young Artists Program in the States, and similar to other
competitions in Germany. This Verviers version was realized with a stratospherically
high level of piano accompaniment according to the director, Joseph Gilet. There is no
doubt that the competition will be remounted next year.
Amelia Jardon among the winners
She is one of the four winners who will go for the next summer season to Pittsburgh.
She is Amelia Jardon, a local singer, daughter of the conductor Guido Jardon, and she
was the only woman chosen to make the trip. She will be accompanied to America on
this extraordinary opportunity by Pierre Drehet from Namur, and by Xhiaozhong Wang
from China, who has studied most notably with Marcel Vanaud in Brussels.
An exceptional career opportunity in the USA
Four prizes were allocated to the winners of this first competition. Each prize consists
of a return flight from Belgium to Pittsburgh in the USA and accommodation with a
family, as well as the costs of tuition to participate in the young artist program of this
prestigious American institution in Pittsburgh. In addition the prize includes a secondary
solo role in the productions of SummerFest 2014, as well as the possibility to participate
in auditions for a major solo role in the same festival. By all accounts this is a major
career opportunity for each of these young competition winners.
French originals
Printed on 12.9.13 in the Belgian newspaper:
L’Avenir
VERVIERS - Booster une jeune carrière lyrique par un séjour estival à Pittsburgh: c’est
le projet du nouveau concours international de chant de Verviers.<
Le concours de chant SummerFest Europe est sur les rails, à l’initiative de Julian Todd,
son président, et de l’échevine de la Culture Aurélia Luypaerts. On doit en effet aux
contacts de cet ancien directeur de Shur-Lok à Petit Rechain avec son ancien
condisciple de Cambridge devenu directeur à Pittsburgh la mise en œuvre de cette
opportunité.
L’Opera Théâtre Pittsburgh est une compagnie américaine qui produit depuis 35 ans
des spectacles d’opéra en tournée à travers les USA et en Allemagne. Depuis 2012, il
organise un festival d’été auquel sont associés des programmes intensifs pour jeunes
artistes, et un concours de chant lyrique qui se tient l’automne précédent. Le prochain
festival à Pittsburgh se tiendra du 11 au 27 juillet prochains. Les jeunes intégrés dans
cette structure bénéficient sur place d’une formation encadrée par de vrais
professionnels, souvent plu âgés et expérimentés, et d’un encadrement technique haut
de gamme. À l’issue de leur formation, ils peuvent prétendre à des rôles de premier
plan dans certains spectacles de l’Opéra-Théâtre de Pittsburgh.
Convaincus de l’importance de l’histoire lyrique de Verviers, et des similitudes entre
deux cités industrielles de pointe au XIXe siècle, les organisateurs américains sont
donc partie prenante dans le projet mis en œuvre à Verviers.
En clair, cette nouvelle version du concours international de chant lyrique est ouverte
aux chanteurs des deux sexes, belges ou étrangers, âgés de 35 ans maximum, qui
devront présenter cinq œuvres au jury de cinq spécialistes dans lequel on retrouve
Joseph Gilet, directeur du Conservatoire de Verviers, et Jonathan Eaton, directeur
général de l’Opéra Théâtre de Pittsburgh depuis 1999.
Le concours aura lieu en séance publique dans la salle du conservatoire, d’une
capacité de 150 places, le jeudi 19 décembre à 10h pour la demi-finale et le vendredi
20 décembre dès midi pour la finale. La moitié des 50 candidats retenus sur base d’un
CD participera aux auditions. Huit lauréats se retrouveront en demi-finale et quatre en
finale. Ces quatre lauréats s’en iront l’été prochain à Pittsburgh, tous frais payés, pour
peaufiner leur formation dans cette prestigieuse structure. La demande doit parvenir par
courrier postal recommandé au secrétariat du comité de SummerFest Europe, rue de
France-36 à Verviers. Le règlement complet du concours est disponible sur
www.summerfestival.be
Læ[email protected]
087 325 211
Printed on 12.9.13 in the Belgian newspaper:
L’Avenir
Un concours de chant « made in USA »
VERVIERS
Verviers a choisi de tisser un partenariat culturel avec la ville américaine de Pittsburgh.
Cette ancienne capitale mondiale de l’acier et du charbon est devenue un exemple en
matière de reconversion économique.
Notamment en misant sur la culture!
À la recherche de jeunes talents destinés à intégrer un prestigieux programme de
formation et de représentations à l’Opéra-Théâtre de Pittsburgh (EU), l’ASBL
SummerFest Europe organise, les 19 et 20 décembre prochains, un grand concours de
chant lyrique. Et c’est à Verviers qu’est organisé ce concours, au Conservatoire. Entrée
libre
www.summerfest.eu.