« PARIS OPERA COMPETITION »

  2020-2022

 

TABLES OF CONTENTS

 

 1. The COMPETITION – Part I: “Selections”  2020-2021

A. REGISTRATION 

Who can apply?

When to apply?

How to apply?

Mandatory pieces to submit

Application validation

 

B. APPLICATIONS REVIEW

Pre-selection

Live auditions

Selection of Finalists

 

2. The COMPETITION and Finals

A. MUSICAL PROGRAM

B. REHEARSALS

C. FINALS

D. TRAVEL, HOTEL AND DAILY LIVING EXPENSES

Tickets

Hotel

Per diem

E. AWARDS

F. JURY FOR THE FINALS

 

3. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Right to image and sound

Exclusivity

Promotion

Disease

Disputes

Cancellation

 

ANNEX

Online audtions

 

 

 

 

« PARIS OPERA COMPETITION »

  2020-2022

 

RULES

 

 

PARIS OPERA COMPETITION is an international opera competition organized every 2 years in Paris to discover and help promote young opera singers.

During the finals in Paris, candidates are judged by the jury and the audience while performing with staging and an orchestra.

The finals of the competition will take place on Saturday January 22nd, 2022 at the National Opera of Paris, the Palais Garnier, at 19h00.

 

  1. The COMPETITION – Part I: “Selections” 2020 - 2022

    Calendar:

Who can apply?

Singers less than 34 years old at the initial date of the Competition (January 22nd, 2021), artists born after 01/22/1987.

This competition is not opened to finalists of a previous PARIS OPERA COMPETITION. 

 

When to apply?

From January 1st, 2020 to May 30th, 2021 at 23h59 GMT. Applications are done online.

 

How to apply?

ON LINE  www.ciopera.com/apply

 

What to submit

- copy of a valid passport 

- recent color photo (minimum 400 dpi) copyright free

- CV including studies, performances and repertoire (English or French)

- biography in English or French - 10 lines maximum

- 2 VIDEOS: 2 opera arias in their original language from 2 different periods, in 2 styles and in 2 diffrent languages. (See additional details in the Music Program). 

- Optional: a third VIDEO recording of the French opera repertoire. (See details in the Music Program)

IMPORTANT: Videos must be of excellent quality with high definition of image and sound with 720P minimum. Videos must be filmed to show the singer's whole body (no close-ups). The singers must be in the video, and recording must be made AFTER 2019.

IMPORTANT! By applying, the contestant implies a commitment to sing at a live audition in the case of their preselection. The contestant will be notified of the place, date and hour of their audition by email.

 

Application validation

The candidates will receive a confirmation of the receipt of their application by email. Each candidate is responsible for the completion of their application before the due date (May 30th, 2021) and must keep a copy of the application file. The PARIS OPERA COMPETITION will not process any incomplete applications.

 The application fee of 50€ will not be reimbursed under any circumstances.

 

B. PROCESSING THE APPLICATIONS

 

Selection for Auditions

The application forms will be examined by the artistic direction of the PARIS OPERA COMPETITION as a pre-selection.  

Feedback is not given, but candidates will be notified by email if they have been selected.

 

Online Audition

The candidates who have been preselected will be informed by email by the end of July and invited to an online live audition from 1 to 4 September. 

If selected, the candidates must prepare a program of 4 opera arias. This selection must be sent to the PARIS OPERA COMPETITION: info@ciopera.com. Two of the four arias will be selected to be performed on the date of the audition. The arias must be memorized, and the contestant must bring a copy of their musicfor the pianist. The contestant will choose the first aria, and the jury will select the second aria. A third aria might be asked for exceptionally.

Live auditions are recorded.

The live auditions videos are submitted to an artistic committee of professionals that will evaluate and give each performance a score.

 

Selection of Finalists

At the end of the application process, 9 candidates, all vocal ranges combined, will be selected for the finals of the competition. For each voice type, two additional candidates are selected in case of cancellation by one of the contestants.

Final results will be announced via e-mail and on PARIS OPERA COMPETITION’s website www.ciopera.com in September, 2021. The candidates chosen for the final will be invited to perform with orchestra at the Palais Garnier.

Candidates will not be judged based on ideological, political, religious, or racial grounds.

The artistic direction doesn't provide feedback on the applications. 

 

  1. The Competition and Finals 

    Calendar:

Arrival in Paris (welcome dinner): Sunday January 16th, 2022

Music and Stage rehearsals: From Monday January 17th, 2022 to Saturday January 22nd, 2022

Dinner with Paris Opera Competition Partners: tbd

Dress Rehearsal and Final with orchestra: Saturday January 22nd, 2022

Dinner: Saturday January 22nd, 2022 following the performance

 

A.    MUSIC PROGRAM

The music program will include opera arias and ensembles chosen from different periods and styles: Classical (1750-1830), Romantic (1830-1900), and 20th century & contemporary music.

The pieces must be memorized, in the original language and in the original key with orchestral accompaniment.

The choice of the arias for the competition including the eventual cuts will be decided by the Artistic Direction in consultation with the artist and in accordance with the candidate’s repertoire.

 

B.    REHEARSALS

 

C.   FINAL

The candidates perform with the Prométhée Orchestra conducted by Pierre-Michel Durand for a two-hour-show fully staged by Florence Alayrac. Each candidate sings one aria and a duet or trio then the final ensemble. The jury meets after the show to deliberate, and the evening ends with the awards ceremony on stage.

 

D.   TRAVEL, HOTEL AND DAILY LIVING EXPENSES

The contestants’ expenses are fully paid for by PARIS OPERA COMPETITION including hotel, travel and perdiem for the duration of their stay.

Tickets

The “flight form” must be filled in, signed and sent to the administration of the PARIS OPERA COMPETITION by September 1st, 2021.

Once a return-ticket is bought and sent to a candidate by the PARIS OPERA COMPETITION, any modification of plane or train ticket will be at the candidate’s expenses.

 

Hotel

The candidates accommodation is fully organized and paid by the PARIS OPERA COMPETITION.

 

Per Diem

Candidates are given a daily living expense – perdiem – of 40€ a day for the duration of their stay.

 

E.    AWARDS

4 Prizes will be attributed, at the discretion of the Jury, except for the Audience Prize.

The amount ranges from 1 500 € to 8 000 €.

Finalists who do not receive a prize will receive a participation prize of 1 000€.

 

E.   JURY

The judging panel is comprised of internationally recognized opera experts: theater directors, conductors, stage directors, music critics and other important members of the opera industry. 

The Jury deliberation will be confidential and its decisions will be final and without appeal.

Each jury member gives a score between 0 and 10, with 0 being the lowest and 10 the highest. The candidates are ranked according to the average of these points. 

Any jury member linked to one of the candidates (relative, teacher, agent, colleague…) will abstain from voting for this candidate.

The Audience votes by SMS to select their favorite candidate at the end of the concert.

The President of the Jury announces the final results. All the candidates have to be present for the award ceremony on stage at the end of the concert. 

 

  

3.   GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

Right to image and sound

PARIS OPERA COMPETITION, or anyone acting on its behalf, reserves the rights to take photographs, to film or reproduce on any existing medium, the image of the contestants during the entire duration of the competition. The candidates must cede all rights to the PARIS OPERA COMPETITION for a period of ten years.

By participating in the competition, the candidates cede to the Competition the right to record, reproduce, arrange for the reproduction of, and distribute their performances in the Competition and at the concerts on any support and format, as well as the right to communicate their performances to the public by any communication means in France or abroad.

 

Exclusivity

  The rehearsals taking place from January 17th to 22nd, 2022, and it is required that the finalists are available during that period. No late arrival for the first rehearsal and no other artistic commitment will be tolerated subject to exclusion of the candidate. All candidates finalists must attend to the dinner at the Palais Garnier after the final, the welcome dinner at their arrival in Paris and the possible cocktail-dinner organized by PARIS OPERA COMPETITION’s official partner during the week.

Rehearsals are not public. The PARIS OPERA COMPETITION, however, reserves the right to to authorize the presence of a third party during these rehearsals.

 

             Promotion

The candidates finalists agree to participate in radio and TV interviews and to allow broadcast images of the final and/or of rehearsals for the promotion of the final.

The candidates authorize the PARIS OPERA COMPETITION to create posters and programs with their image and certify that photographies are copyright free.

The 1st Prize winner of PARIS OPERA COMPETITION 7th edition commits to reserving one day (24h) within 2 years after the final to participate in a concert or recital to promote the competition.

 

            Disease

In case of indisposition, a candidate who cannot attend a rehearsal must notify the Paris Opera Competition's administration as soon as possible.

 

           Cancellation

The PARIS OPERA COMPETITION reserves the right at any moment to cancel the competition for any reason beyond its control, without the participants having any cause to claim loss or damages.

 

In case of dispute, only the French version of these rules will be legally valid.

Participation in the PARIS OPERA COMPETITION implies unreserved acceptance of the present rules.

These general conditions of the participation in the Paris Opera Competition will be sent to the candidates by e-mail to be returned once approved. A candidate who doesn’t abide by the conditions may be excluded from the PARIS OPERA COMPETITION by the direction.

 

 

ANNEX

All auditions are moved online: Semifinals will be held between September 1st to 4th, 2021

Our normal audition venues are currently closed, and in order to ensure fairness for all applicants, the second selection will take place online from September 1st to 4th, live on the RecitHall platform. The RecitHall and Paris Opera Competition team are working together to allow you to audition in optimal conditions with both the best audio visual quality and comfort. 

 

More details to follow once our semifinalists list has been released.