Our singers and Norrköping Symphony Orchestra (SON) allowed us to follow them while they had rehearsals. Thanks a lot!! And Toi toi toi!!

Singing competition. The repertoire will comprise opera, lieder or oratorio and one song by Wilhelm Stenhammar. In the Second Round the programme is chosen by the Jury from the contestant’s repertoire. Audience is welcome during the competition days. Free entrance. Only between every candidate, the audience is allowed to enter and/or leave.

© Photo: Ann-Charlotte Sandelin

Josefine Andersson mezzosoprano, Sweden

Joel Annmo tenor, Sweden

Sung Kyu Choi baritone, South Korea

Jungkwon Jang countertenor, South Korea

Yohan Kim tenor, South Korea

Hayoung Ra soprano, South Korea

Johanna Rudström mezzosoprano, Sweden

Rodrigo Sosa Dal Pozzo countertenor, Italy/Venezuela

Zinaida Tsarenko mezzosoprano, Russia

We wish all our singers the best of luck!

Since we want you to know more about our singers and their motivation, we decided to ask them some questions. We hope that you enjoy their answers and will be curious and come and listen to their beautiful voices. Our questions were quite simple:

What inspired you to participate in WSIMC 2018?
What are your expectations for this year competition?

However, you can see the answers below. So, enjoy the reading and welcome to De Geerhallen for the second round!

Sigrid Vetleseter Bøe

Soprano, Norway
I have a lot of friends that competed in 2016 and told me how wonderful it was. Last year, I had the pleasure of being a soloist with Norrköpings symfoniorkester and loved the city and the DeGeer Hall, and I am very much looking forward to this year’s WSIMC.

I want to meet new friends and make music together with great musicians. And why not spend some summer days in Norrköping?

Hongyu Chen

Baritone, China
To discover the country and use this wonderful platform and opportunity to be heard.

Do all my best and make the audience to be touched by my singing.

Tuuri Dede

Mezzosoprano, Estonia
I decided to participate at the competition, because it seemed very interesting. I love that instead of asking to sing a few arias, the board also wants to hear different songs and quite many arias. It is nice, because that way one can get a better glimps at the artistry of the singer. And it feels more like a concert and less like sports. Also, previous competitors recommended me the competition.

My expectations are mostly to myself. But from the competition it would be nice to find friendly communication and I hope it to be as well organized as it seems so far. Also, I’d like to make some new singer-friends and find out how they are doing in the professional world.

Iain MacNeil

Baritone, Canada
I was inspired to participate in WSIMC firstly because it provided a direct motivation to learn a lot of music! I was especially intrigued by the music of Wilhelm Stenhammar, and have thoroughly enjoyed the process of learning the piece that I chose: Kejsar Karl’s visa. This is my first time singing in Swedish, and I’ve found it to be a singable and beautiful language. This will also be my first time in Sweden, and so I’m looking forward to experiencing first-hand a new country and a new culture.

In this competition I simply want one person to be impacted by the music that I’ve chosen. Of course, winning would be nice, but getting in front of an audience and delivering beautiful music is no small reward. I would also like one person to say, “I understood your Swedish!”

Fie Freja Sandkamm

Soprano, Denmark
I chose to apply for the Stenhammar competition, because I had heard many good things about it from others. I’m Danish but have lived and studied in Germany for the past 7 years, so it’s a wonderful oportunity for me to go back and reconnect to the classical music scene in Scandinavia. As far as expectations go, I’m hoping to make some good connections, and I’m very grateful for the chance to present myself and my voice to a wider audience.

Seungju Bahg- second prize winner in The Stenhammarcompetition 2016, won the desirable first prize in Norway! A very happy Seungju Bahg received the prize from Queen Sonja! Congratulations from us all!

Elli Vallinoja the finnish mezzosoprano and one of the finalists in the Stenhammar Competition last year, has been very successful in two opera productions at Opéra de Lyon in France.

Christina Nilsson, First prize winner in The Stenhammar Competition 2016, has been offered the role of Aida in the Royal Opera House in Stockholm during the coming season.

First prizewinner in Stenhammarcompetition 2016, Christina Nilsson, and the tenor Adam Frandsen will sing together with The Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in Twelfth Night 2017. A smashing program with operett, opera and Vienna high lights! Don´t miss this wonderful start of the new year!

First prize Christina Nilsson
Second prize SeungJu Bahg
Third prize Annika Schlicht
Fourth prize shared between Won Kim and Florieke Beelen
Mozart prize Hanna Husáhr
Audience´s prize Christina Nilsson
Stenhammar prize

Nine fantastic singers, including four swedish, goes to finals in The Stenhammar Competition.    

After two exciting rounds, it is  nine singers,  who will sing in “Grande Finale” with The Norrköping Symphony Orchestra. Conductor is Nader Abbassi, who also has been one of the members of the international jury. The singers  is competeting for 260.000 SEK and several engagements at concerts- and operascenes around the world.

The nine singers are: 

Sofie Asplund, Sverige

SeungJu Bagh, Sydkorea

Florieke Beelen, Nederländerna

Hanna Husahr, Sverige

Åsa Jäger, Sverige

Won Kim, Sydkorea

Christina Nilsson, Sverige

Annika Schlicht, Tyskland

Elli Vallinoja, Finland

Final Concert in  De Geerhallen, Norrköping, Thursday 16 June 6 p.m. 

Contact: Kerstin Högberg Karlström 0706-167806 eller stenhammarcompetition@norrkoping.se