Claire Barnett-Jones, winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize at the 2021 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, sings Ivor Novello's "We'll Gather Lilacs" here.
I was especially pleased that Ms. Barnett-Jones sang Waltraute's narrative from GOTTERDAMMERUNG in her first round program.
Jusung Park from the Republic of Korea moved me to tears with his touching singing of Sancho Panza's "Riez, allez riez du pauvre ideologie", the faithful servant's defense of his master, Don Quixote, against the ridicule of lesser beings. Listen to this wonderful aria from Jules Massenet's rarely-performed DON QUICHOTTE here.
Chinese tenor Chuan Wang pulled out all the stops for his vivid performance of "Ah, mes amis" from Donizetti's FILLE DI REGIMENT. Watch and listen here.
Icelandic soprano Alfheiður Erla Guðmundsdottir (above) was sadly forced to withdraw after the opening round of the Song Prize competition when a 'track and trace' from the Welsh health department notified her that someone on her flight into Cardiff had tested positive for Covid 19. Her set was so lovely that I wanted to post it. (She has since been invited to participate in the 2023 Cardiff Competition.) Also heard in her round are Gihoon Kim from Republic of Korea (eventual winner of the main prize) and Evgenia Asanova from Russia, with pianists Simon Lepper and Llŷr Williams. Watch and listen here.