Baritones SWEEP top prizes at Wigmore/Kohn Song Competition

Low male voices swept the 2015 Wigmore/Kohn International Song Competition, walking away with almost trophy in site.

28-year-old Swiss bass Milan Siljanov took 1st Prize and was awarded £10,000. He performed songs by Bennett, Mahler, Sviridov, Poulenc, Schoenberg, Warlock and Wolf.

Milan Siljanov & Nino Chokhonelidze - Gruppe aus dem Tartarus. Schubidu Quartet on Vimeo.

Samuel Hasselhorn took 2nd Prize and won £5,000. His program included Duparc, Schubert and Reimann.  22-year-old James Newby took 3rd Prize, as well as the Richard Tauber Prize given for the best interpretation of Schubert. His program included Finzi's Let us garlands bring and Schubert's An Sylvia?

Baritones have historically fared well at the competition, with Gavan Ring taking 2nd Prize in 2013 and Dominik Köninger winning the top prize in 2011. The competition is held in odd numbered years. 

The jurors including Iain Burnside, Wolfgang Holzmair, Graham Johnson, Angelika Kirchschlager, Sir Ralph Kohn, Christoph Prégardien, Thomas Quasthoff, Maxine Robertson, David Stern and Ailish Tynan.

Baritones dominate finals of Wigmore/Kohn competition

James Newby, Milan Siljanov and Samuel Hasselhorn (L-R)

Barihunks continue to dominate the competition at the 2015 Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International Song Competition, as 3 of the 5 finalist will be baritones. The final round will be held at 6 PM on Thursday, September 10th at Wigmore Hall.

The finalist are baritone Samuel Hasselhorn and accompanist Renate Rohlfing, baritone James Newby and accompanist Panaretos Kyriatzidis, bass-baritone Milan Siljanov and Nino Chokhonelidze, soprano Aoife Miskelly and accompanist William Vann and tenor Spencer Lang and accompanist Dan K. Kurland.

 Samuel Hasselhorn & the Lazarus String Quartet perform Wolf's "Die Nacht":

Each finalist will give a recital lasting a maximum of 30 minutes, which may consist of songs in any language, but must include at least one song written after 1950. 1st prize takes home £10,000, follow by £5,000 for 2nd prize and £2,500 for 3rd prize.