Nelson Aria Competition Results

Nelson Aria Competition Results

Victoria University student Xing Xing had her first ever win in an aria competition in Nelson on Saturday night, while it was déjà vu for fellow Victoria student Elitsa Kappatos in her second year as runner up. Both are students of Jenny Wollerman at the New Zealand School of Music.

There were a record sixteen entrants for the Vocal Recital on Friday, with the eight best selected by adjudicator, Luisa Shannahan to sing in the Aria Competition on Saturday night at the Nelson School of Music.

Ms Shannahan said the aspiring singers delivered a rich evening of opera.

“Xing Xing moved, delighted and thrilled with her consistently enlightened performance,” she said, “Elitsa sang powerfully in her first aria and delightfully in her second.”

Xing Xing sang Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi, from La Bohème by Puccini and Je Veux Vivre, from Romeo et Juliette by Gounod. Elitsa Kapatos sang Va Laisse Couler Mes Larmes, from Werther by Massenet and Il Segreto Per Essere Felici, from Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti. Both were accompanied by Catherine Norton on the School of Music’s new Steinway.

Xing Xing won the Sealord prize of $3000, and also won the Nelson Building Society People’s Choice, a $200 prize voted by the audience during the interval. Elitsa won the Sealord second prize of $500.

The Nelson Vocal Recital and Aria Competition is one of the highlights of the Nelson Performing Arts Competitions, now in its 76th year. The competitions continue next weekend in vocal, instrumental, speech and drama disciplines.

ENDS

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