1st INTERNATIONAL OPERA COMPETITION
“ ILLICA” OPERA STAGE 2010

Preliminary Round, 24th July Semi-Finale, 25th July Stage Masterclass, 26th July – 30th July Finalists Concert with Orchestra, 31st July Monumental Square, Castell’Arquato (PC) € 6.500 in Prizes Prize Concerts and roles in opera

THE HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL “LUIGI ILLICA” PRIZE 1961-2009
The International “Luigi Illica” Prize was founded in 1961 to honour the great figures of world opera and Italian culture. It counts among its award winners singers like Domingo, Pavarotti, Del Monaco, Di Stefano, Callas, Stella, Tebaldi, Caballè, Kabaivanska, Dessì, Simionato, Barbieri, Cossotto, Bruson, Cappuccilli and Raimondi and directors like Visconti, Strehler, Zeffirelli, Pizzi and Faggioni.

The Golden Book has admitted only a small number of artists who have given exceptional service to e world of opera: Renata Tebaldi, Magda Olivero, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Gianni Poggi, Giulietta Simionato, Gianni Raimondi and Rolando Panerai.

1st INTERNATIONAL OPERA COMPETITION “ILLICA” OPERA STAGE
This year sees the inauguration of an opera competition that offers the participants an important opportunity to develop their dramatic and interpretative skills. The singers who pass the Eliminatory and Semi Final stages of the 1st International Opera Competition Illica Opera Stage will enter the Finals prepared musically and theatrically by expert mentors so that they can offer the best of themselves when the face the Jury and public during the Finalists Concert. Prizes are monetary and there are also opera and concert opportunities in Italy.
For the final concert, as well as the obligatory list of five arias, candidates are encouraged to present duets or scenes from opera that can be included in the final concert in theatrical form.

STAFF OF THE MASTERCLASS
Rolando Panerai, baritone e opera director
Ines Salazar, soprano
Maestro Valerio Galli, conductor
Vivien Hewitt, opera director
Marco Rimicci, pianist

COMPETITION RULES
ART. 1 The competition is open to singers of all nations and there is no age limit. The Competition and Master Class will take place from 24th July to 31st July 2010 in the Palazzo del Podestà, Casa Illica and the Monumental Piazza of Castell’Arquato, following the regulations laid down in the ensuing Articles.

ART. 2 The application must be compiled in all its parts, either by connecting to the site http:// www.luigiillica.it in the section 1° Concorso Lirico Internazionale Illica Opera Stage – Iscrizioni / Applications or be complied in type or block capitals using the Application & Repertory Form available online and sent e-mail or by post to:

1° Concorso Lirico Internazionale Illica Opera Stage
c/o Pro Loco di Castell’Arquato,
Via Sforza Caolzio,
29014 Castell'Arquato,
(PIACENZA) Italia.
E-mail: info@luigiillica.it
Tel: 393.6601039 FAX 0523.803283

The Application form must be supported by the following documents:
a) A photocopy or scanned image of an identity card or other identity document (identity card or passport for EU Citizens and passport for other non-Italian competitors).
b) Artistic CV, listing where applicable, complete roles or opera scenes studied.
c) A recent photograph
d) The Application and Repertory Form
e) Receipt of the application fee of € 50,00 (Euro cinquanta/00) which can be paid by Italian Postal Order (Vaglia Postale) made out to the Pro-Loco of Castell’Arquato or by bank transfer via: Banca di Piacenza, Branch in Castell’Arquato 043:
- For payments made in Italy: CODICE IBAN IT59A0515665250CC0430005109 -
- For payments made from abroad: SWIFT BCPCIT2P CODICE IBAN IT59A0515665250CC0430005109

Motivation: Application fee 1° Concorso Lirico Internazionale Illica Opera Stage 2010 with the name of the sender.
The application fee is not reimbursable if the candidate decides not to participate, is unable to do so, or fails to present him/herself to the Secretariat on the dates indicated in the Competition Programme.
Application must arrive by the 20th July 2010. The date of arrival is held valid.

ART. 3
Competitors must present themselves at the Secretariat of the Competition in the Palazzo del Podestà in Castell’Arquato, from 10.00am to 11.00am on 24th June 2010, to counter check the admission prerequisites. The competition will begin at 11 am.
During the preliminary phase of the Competition the public is not admitted to the auditions.
The Competition organizers make a pianist accompanist available for the various stages of the competition. Competitors who wish to bring their own pianist for the Preliminary round may do so at their own expense and should inform the Secretariat of this in advance.

ART. 4 The organizers will not reimburse travelling expenses to any of the competitors.
In the Preliminary and Semi Final stages of the competition overnight accommodation is at the expense of the competitors. The secretariat can, upon request, suggest economical solutions in the area. The Finalists will be offered basic overnight accommodation by the Competition organizers.

ART. 5 The Jury, nominated by the Competition’s Artistic Director, cannot assign any of the prizes ex-aequo. The Jury will proclaim the winners names at the end of the Final Concert. The decisions of the Jury are indisputable.

ARTICOLO 6
PRIZES
1 Prize €3000
2 Prize €2000
3 Prize €1000
Radiology International Special Prize– Concert in Palermo in October 2010, including travel expenses, hotel and fee of €500.
The following professional opportunities are also available:
- Principal Roles principal in a production of La Bohème which will be staged by OMEGA of Prato in the 2011 season.
- Participation with small fees, for at least two candidates, in the Opera Gala organized by the Associazione Lucchesi nel Mondo the Congress Centre of San Romano in Lucca in September 2010.
The allocation of the Radiology International Special Prize and the participation in the Prize concerts will be allocated among the Finalists in consultation between the la Jury and Artistic Direction. All the Prizes are inclusive of the obligatory tax contributions foreseen by Italian Law that will be detracted at source.

ART 7 Each selection phase will take place by audition. The competitors must present five pieces from the opera repertory, in original language. In the case of sopranos, tenors and baritones at least one must be an aria composed to a libretto by Luigi Illica or an art song composed to an Illica text (“Mattinata” by Leoncavallo, “Canto d’anime” by Puccini or “Verso l’alba” by Franchetti). Mezzo-sopranos and basses must also present at least one aria with a libretto by Illica or alternatively an aria written during the lifetime of Luigi Illica (1857-1919). (See list on web site).
The Competition will take place in three phases:

ELIMINATORY
The competitors must perform:
- one aria of their own choice from the list presented;
- one aria chosen by the Jury.
Those competitors judged suitable will be admitted to the Semi Final.

SEMIFINAL
The competitors must perform tow pieces from the list presented.
- one aria not yet presented;
- one of the obligatory pieces composed to a libretto by Luigi Illica of written during his lifetime (basses and mezzos), if not yet presented.
In the Eliminatory and Semi-final phases the Jury reserves the right to listen to the complete programme or part only, interrupting the competitor at their own discretion. Those candidates considered suitable will be admitted to the Finals.

ILLICA OPERA STAGE MASTERCLASS & FINAL CONCERT
The competitors must perform, at the Jury’s choice, one or more of the arias presented in the Application and/or where possible, may propose duets or opera scenes. (See the list on the web site). They will prepare their repertory musically and scenically for the Finale Concert with the guidance of the Staff of the Illica Opera Stage Master Class.

ART. 8 The prizes will be adjudicated at the end of the Final Opera Concert, which will take place in the Monumental Square in Castell’Arquato on 31st July 2010. The prizes will be paid to the winners by bank transfer, net of the taxes foreseen by Italian law.

ART. 10 The participant in the 1st International Opera Competition Illica Opera Stage, from the moment in which he/she lodges his/her application, authorizes the Pro Loco of Castell’Arquato to use the private information supplied for all necessary administrative acts and for any publicity (photographs, video e/o audio recordings etc.) the aforementioned Pro Loco wishes to promote, expressly accepting to cede gratuitously to the Pro Loco all and any rights to the economic use of any such photographs or recordings. With regard to the Legislative decree 196 of 2003, the participant can, at any moment, request access to their private details, the modification and/or cancellation of such. The Organizers decline all and every civil and penal responsibility for any accidents that may occur during the Competition event.

ART. 11 The login of the Application and Repertory Form implicitly binds the competitor to accepting all the rules contained in the present Regulations. In cases of dispute the Italian text is legally valid and any controversies will be settled by the Court of Piacenza.