Introducing Croatian Barihunk Matija Meić

Matija Meić

28-year-old Croatian barihunk Matija Meić began his studies at the Music Academy in Zagreb before continuing on to the University of Performing Arts Vienna. He performed Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen while at the Music Academy.

At today's Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition he performed Pylkkänen's Pastorale, a set of Finzi songs (Come away, come away, death; Who is Silvia?; Fear no more the heat o' the sun; O mistress mine; It was a lover and his lass), and Donizetti's Cruda, funesta smania from Lucia di Lammermoor. You can listen to his entire performance HERE.

In the 2010/2011 season, Matija Meić made his debut at the Zagreb National Theatre as Levi in Zajc's Nikola Šubić Zrinjski, subsequently performing Schaunard in Puccini's La Boheme. The following season he performed Belcore in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore with the company.

Matija Meić sings Largo al factotum from the Barber of Seville:

In June 2013, Meić sang the role of Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. The following season he sang Belcore and Figaro at the Zagreb Opera House. This season, he was enlisted to sing the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Vienna Performing Arts University production at the Schlosstheater Scönbrunn.

Meić has take top prizes at a number of vocal competitions, including at the 2010 International Singing Competition in Montenegro in 2010, the Iuventus Canti Competition in Slovakia in 2013, as well as being named the “Young Singer of the Year ” at the Molto Cantabile Competition in Zagreb in 2013.

Final five baritones perform at Finnish vocal competition

Ilya Silchukov and Waltteri Torikka

Today marks the final day of the preliminary round of the Mirjam Helin International singing competition and five more baritones have performed. After today's singers wrap up, they will announce 16-20 singers who are moving on to the semi-finals on August 9-10. In the semi-finals each singer must perform a song by a Finnish composer, a group of solo songs lasting 15-20 minutes, and an opera or concert aria.

Finnish baritone Waltteri Torikka, baritoni sang with Marko Hilpo at the piano. He performed J.S. Bach's Ich habe genug from Cantata #82, Schumann's Ich wandelte unter den Bäumen, Mozart's Così dunque tradisci and Tchaikovsky's Don Juan Serenade. You can watch his performance HERE.

Belarusian baritone Ilya Silchukov performed with Kiril Kozlovsky at the piano. He sang Graun's So steht ein Berg Gottes, Rimsky-Korsakov's Drobitsia i pleštšet, Schumann's Du bist wie eine Blume, and Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo from Mozart's Così fan tutte. You can watch his performance HEREhttp://areena.yle.fi/tv/2351004.

Ukrainian baritone Oleksandr Pushniak sang with Kristian Attila at the piano. He performed Spohr's Judas Gott hat geredet, Schubert's Die Forelle,  Tchaikovsky's Otšego? and Lysenko's Khto vbyv joho? Tse vy? Oh tatu, tatu..." from Taras Bulba. You can watch his performance HERE.

Latvian baritone Rihards Millers performed with Ērika Apeine at the piano. He performed Händel's Why do the nations from the Messiah, Schubert's Der Wanderer,  Tchaikovsky's Don Juan Serenade and Tutto e disposto from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. You can watch his performance HERE.

Croatian baritone Matija Meić sang with Tuula Hällström at the piano. He sang  Händel's Revenge, revenge from Alexander's Feast, Tchaikovsky's Notši bezumnie, Schubert's Auf dem Flusse and Avant de quitter ces lieux from Gounod's Faust. You can watch his performance HERE.

The finals will be held on August 13 with eight prizewinners performing on August 15th. Singers will perform two works with orchestral accompaniment. Each singer will have a maximum of 20 minutes.

There will be 4 female and 4 male prizes, beginning at €30000 for 1st prize, €20000 for 2nd prize, €10000 for 3rd prize and €5000 for 4th prize. Tickets for all rounds are available online or at the Lippupiste ticket shop.