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Fact fest
Some Competition trivia - perfect if you like facts and figures |
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- So far 269 singers (294 with this year) have taken part representing 56 countries (59 with this year).
- This year, over 700 singers applied to take part; 507 were shortlisted, representing 62 nations; auditions were held in 39 venues.
- The Competition has been won five times by a soprano, twice by a mezzo, three times by a baritone and once by a tenor.
- No country had won the Competition twice until 2003, when Tommi Hakala from Finland took the prize just 20 years after compatriot Karita Mattila won the first contest. Fellow Finn Kirsi Tiihonen also won the Song Prize in 1995.
- Wales has won the Lieder prize twice - Bryn Terfel in 1989 and Neal Davies in 1991.
- Only Canada, England, the USA and Wales have been represented at every competition, including 2005.
- The youngest contestants were Patricia Bardon (Ireland, 1983) and Alexandrina Pendachanska (Bulgaria, 1989) who were both 18 when they took part.
- Brian McMaster has been a member of every jury.
- Dame Joan Sutherland has made five appearances, Anthony Freud will make his sixth this year, and Matthew A. Epstein has appeared four times. The legendary American mezzo Marilyn Horne returns for the fourth time this year.
- Other regular jurors included the late Finnish bass-baritone Kim Borg, the late Professor Shen Xiang, and the late Sir Geraint Evans, who all made three appearances.
- Richard Armstrong has conducted in five competitions and Carlo Rizzi makes his sixth appearance this year.
- John Stein has led the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera at every Competition.
- Ingrid Surgenor has been one of the official accompanists for ten Competitions and Phillip Thomas for five.
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