Handel Aria Competition
To encourage emerging singers to explore the repertoire of Handel
Dean and Orange Schroeder, enthusiasts of the vocal repertoire of George Frideric Handel, make the Handel Aria Competition possible.
Prizes
First prize: $1,000
Second prize: $750
Third prize: $500
Audience Favorite: Free tuition to the Madison Early Music Festival 2014
Eligibility
Auditions are open to all voice types. Contestants must be from 18-35 years old as of December 31, 2013.
Entry Deadline
Application form and audio recording must be received by 5:00 pm Friday, May 3, 2013.
Preliminary Round
Each singer will submit an unedited recording of two Handel arias of contrasting styles, one from an opera, the other from an oratorio or cantata. Three judges will evaluate the recordings and choose 8 finalists and 1 runner-up. Competitors will be notified by e-mail and letter no later than May 24, 2013. Should any of the chosen finalists be unable to sing in the final round, the runner-up will be invited to participate in the final round.
Applications for the preliminary round must include:
- Completed application form
- Recording of two Handel arias, one opera aria and one oratorio or cantata aria
- A biographical paragraph
- Non-refundable application fee of $25.00 payable to Friends of MEMF
Application
Application form and audio recording must be received by 5:00 pm Friday, May 3, 2013. Applications may be submitted online or download the application form and send with the application fee and recording to:
MEMF Handel Aria Competition
c/o Paul Rowe
UW-Madison School of Music
5434 Mosse Humanities
455 N. Park Street,
Madison, WI 53706-1483
Recording guidelines for preliminary round:
- The submission should consist of an unedited recording of two arias.
- Label recording with your name and titles of arias.
- Piano and harpsichord accompaniment will be accepted for the recording; however, the finals will be accompanied by harpsichord at A=415 Hz.
- Technically poor recordings will be rejected.
The preliminary round audition recording may be submitted in one of two ways:
- Mail a CD (not a DVD)
- Email your mp3s as attachments to madisonearlymusic@gmail.com. Include your name and the tag #HAC in the subject line.
Final Stage
The final round of the competition will take place during the Madison Early Music Festival on Monday, July 8, 2013, starting at 7:00 pm. The competition will be heard before a panel of three judges, but the event will be open to the public. Location: University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, Morphy Recital Hall, George Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St. The prizes will be presented at the end of the competition.
Each singer will perform:
- A short recitative and aria
- A second aria without recitative.
One selection from an opera, and the other from an oratorio or cantata of Handel. You may sing the same arias from the preliminary recording, or sing new selections. Include a short recitative before one of the arias.
Two weeks in advance of the final stage, please provide two copies of the arias to be performed at the competition finals, sent by mail or as a PDF sent to pyrowe@wisc.edu. Please use a good source for your music so it is historically correct. The Handel Gesellschaft edition is an excellent source, and available in university and public libraries, or the IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library.
Harpsichord Accompanists
The Madison Early Music Festival will provide an official accompanist with whom contestants will have an opportunity to rehearse before the competition. Rehearsals for the finals will be scheduled during the day on Monday, July 8. You may bring your own accompanist, but MEMF will not reimburse expenses. Competition pitch is A=415 Hz.
Travel/Lodging/Food
Contestants will be responsible for their own travel and food expenses. Dormitory lodging will be available for out-of-town participants in the MEMF Dormitory at the rate of $30 per night. All finalists will receive two tickets to attend the MEMF Concert Series performance of Parthenia with tenor William Hudson, on Sunday, July 7, 2013 at 7:30 pm.
About the Madison Early Music Festival
Visit: madisonearlymusic.org
Call: 608-265-5629
Email: music@dcs.wisc.edu