2013 Rules And Conditions

Competition Process

The Competition

Heats will be held in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Wellington (NZ) and Brisbane. Eligible entrants will sing for and be interviewed by an adjudication panel at each location.

Workshop in Characterisation and Movement for Semi-Finalists with Emma Matthews,  Johanna Puglisi and David Harper.

Semi-Finals will take place in Sydney over 2 days. Semi-Finalists will sing for and be interviewed by an adjudication panel in private on the first day. On the second day, there will be a public concert.

MasterClass with Emma Matthews and David Harper for the 5 Finalists, open to the public.

Finals will be staged at Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Contestants will be supplied with more detailed information for each stage of the Competition. The IFAC Australian Singing Competition reserves the right to make changes without notice.

2013 Rules & Conditions

1. Eligibility

1.1 An entrant must be –

(i) Under 26 years on 23 June 2013;
(ii) an Australian or New Zealand citizen/resident;
(iii) an amateur or professional classical singer.

1.2 Please note: the Semi-Finals and Finals are within the month of September. Therefore should you be chosen as a Semi-Finalist, your selection of items for the Finals Concert would need to be available in the correct key and orchestration by Friday 2 August. Please contact the Music Library of Opera Australia or the Music Library of Symphony Services to verify that the items you will sing at the Finals Concert on 28 September are available. Please pay particular attention to the correct orchestration and key.

1.3 A previous winner of The Marianne Mathy Scholarship is ineligible to enter.

1.4 Check the Timeline (below) for dates you will need to attend unless you have been released by the Competition.

2. Repertoire Guidelines

2.1 Entrants should give careful consideration to selecting repertoire in which they are already proficient. This should showcase vocal quality, flexibility, style, range of expression and technique.

2.2 All items must be performed from memory and in the original language. There must be at least 3 languages in the repertoire.

2.3 Repertoire can only be changed prior to the Heats, provided that it remains in accordance with the rules and with the approval of the National Adjudicator.

2.4 The total repertoire must not exceed performance time of 30 minutes and must include at least one item from each of the following Categories:

Category A — works by a Classical or Baroque composer such as Monteverdi, Handel, Bach, Purcell, Gluck, Haydn or Mozart

Category B — songs for voice and piano from the repertoire of the 19th Century to the present, e.g. lieder, art song and chanson

Category C — works from the international operatic repertoire

Category D — a song with orchestral accompaniment (which may also be part of a song cycle) and/or a solo from a choral/orchestral work - oratorio, cantata, mass etc written for performance with orchestra (an excerpt for solo voice only, not including chorus).

Heats

2.5 Contestants will perform one item of their own choice and the adjudication panel may select additional item/s from the submitted repertoire.

Semi-Finals

2.6 Semi-Finalists will be required to prepare four items from the submitted repertoire, some or all of which may be heard by the Adjudicators.

For the first segment Semi-Fnalists must include one item from Category A and one item from Category B.

Two of the four items will be performed at the Public Concert one of which must be from Category B.

Timing: Together the items for the Public Concert should total a minimum of 6 minutes and not exceed 10 minutes.

Finals

2.7 Finalists must present 2 items from the submitted repertoire selected in consultation with the Adjudicators. These items must be available to be sung with orchestral accompaniment in Australia.

Timing: Together the items should total a minimum of 8 minutes and not exceed 12 minutes.

2.8 Semi-Finalists will receive an Orchestral Repertoire Form to be returned to the Competition by Friday 2 August. If the music is unavailable in Australia in the correct key with full score and orchestral parts, the item may not be performed at the Finals, unless the singer arranges to obtain the music, with all orchestral parts at his/her own expense.

2.9 Entrants should contact the Music Library of Opera Australia or Symphony Services and verify that their selected items will be available and include all these items in the Orchestral Repertoire Form to be returned to asc@mostlyopera.org.au

3. Accompaniment

3.1 Contestants must engage their own accompanist for the Heats.

3.2 The official accompanist for the Semi-Finals is David Harper. Rehearsal times will be allocated for a one-hour rehearsal that is funded by the Competition. Additional rehearsal time may be made in arrangement with David Harper at the singer’s expense.

3.3 Finalists will perform in concert with the Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra. Rehearsal time will be allocated on Thursday 26 September and Friday 27 September, with a general rehearsal on Saturday 28 September prior to the Finals Concert.

3.3 Semi-Finalists and Finalists are obliged to attend all rehearsals as specified.

4. Adjudication

General

4.1 Adjudication will take place over three stages: Heats, Semi-Finals and Finals. The decision of the Adjudicators at all stages is final.

4.2 Contestants will be judged on:

(i) Performance;
(ii) Technique;
(iii) Potential;
(iv) Personality;
and (v) Study Plan.

Heats

4.3 At the Heats, contestants will perform for the National Adjudicator and local Adjudicators. After singing, each contestant will be interviewed by the panel.

Semi-Finals

4.4 At the Semi-Finals, a new panel of Adjudicators will join the National Adjudicator.

4.5 The Semi-Finals Adjudication over 2 days consists of:

(i) a private performance and interview in Sydney on Tuesday 10 September. Times will be advised; and
(ii) a public concert on Wednesday 11 September at 7 pm.

Finals

4.6 The Finals Adjudication panel will include a non-voting Chairman.

4.7 The Concert will be staged in the Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music on Saturday 28 September. The National Adjudicator may be present at the General Rehearsal.

5. Workshop

Semi-Finalists

5.1 Semi-Finalists will be invited to participate in a workshop with Emma Matthews and Johanna Puglisi on Monday 9 September (2-5.30pm).

6. MasterClass

Finalists

6.1 Finalists selected at the Semi-Finals will be invited to participate in a public MasterClass with Emma Matthews accompanied by David Harper on Thursday 12 September.

7. Music

Heats

7.1 A copy of the music of all items to be performed at the Heats must be brought for the Adjudicators.

Semi-Finals

7.2 Semi-Finalists must provide David Harper, the official accompanist, with a legible, bound score by Friday 2 August. Please avoid plastic page pockets.

7.3 A copy of the music of all items to be performed at the Semi-Finals must be brought for the Adjudicators.

8. Information and Legals

8.1 By entering The IFAC Australian Singing Competition (“the Competition”) you agree to comply with the terms and conditions attached to each scholarship, prize or award.

8.2 The duration of any Scholarship will be for the period necessary for the successful recipient to complete the program of study undertaken.

8.3 All awards must be drawn within five (5) years of the recipient winning unless an alternative agreement is reached. Requests for funds must be made in writing, with a budget detailing the proposed use.

8.4 The Competition and Music & Opera Singers Trust Ltd (“MOST”) takes no responsibility for the acceptance of scholarships, which involve overseas travel. This decision is taken solely at the discretion of the recipient. Recipients are advised to check the current status of the country in question with the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs at the time of travel.

Performance Rights

8.5 MOST has the right to video, film, record or photograph and retain all stages of the Competition for archival or promotional purposes (“the Material”). MOST has the right to retain this material on websites or any other media without fee to the singer and any personal information relating to the Competition. Broadcast rights remain with the MOST.

8.6 MOST has the right to distribute the Material in any medium (including without limitation on YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Facebook), in whole or in part for an unlimited period, without remuneration, for the purpose of promoting MOST or the IFAC ASC.

8.7 The Competition and MOST have permission to use the Material in any way that may otherwise infringe an entrant’s moral rights pursuant to the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), including but not limited to, an entrant’s moral rights associated with their live performance in the 2011 IFAC ASC when used for any promotion or publicity of MOST or the Competition in any media without limitation for an unlimited period.

8.8 All approaches to the media must be made through and with the approval of MOST. Contestants will be required to be available for media calls by arrangement.

9. General

9.1 Recipients are required to provide a report (not exceeding 1,200 words) to MOST within 12 months on the benefit that the scholarship, prize or award has had on the their career.

9.2 All Recipients of prizes, scholarships and awards are encouraged to acknowledge the prize giver with a letter of thanks.

10. Timeline 2013

9 April —  Launch of the 2013 IFAC Australian Singing Competition

17 May — Closing date for Entries

22 May — Late Closing date for Entries

17-24 June — Heats

2 August — Orchestral Repertoire forms returned to the Competition

9 September — Semi-Finalists Workshop

10 September — Semi-Finals Private Adjudication

11 September — Semi-Finals Public Concert

12 September — Finalists MasterClass

26 September — Piano Rehearsal

27 September — Sitzprobe

28 September — General Rehearsal and Finals Concert