In the final concert of the 12th International Singing Competition for Baroque Opera Pietro Antonio Cesti at the Haus der Musik Innsbruck on 29 August 2021, Shira Patchornik from Israel prevailed against strong competition.
Shira Patchornik convinced the expert jury with an outstanding performance of the aria "Se pietà di me non senti" from Handel's "Giulio Cesare". Second place went to Hannah De Priest from the USA and third place to Jasmin Delfs from Germany. The Audience Prize also went to Shira Patchornik. Rémy Bres-Feuillet from France won the Young Talent Award.
The internationally renowned singing competition of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music was held for the twelfth time. After the first pre-selection, 76 candidates from 26 countries competed in Innsbruck. In the end, ten participants made it to the final, where they performed in front of the jury and the audience at the Haus der Musik Innsbruck.
As a compulsory programme for the final, the singers had to present an aria from Carlo Pallavicino's opera "L'amazzone corsara". In 2022, this opera will be performed at the Festival as part of the Baroque Opera:Young.
Festival director Alessandro De Marchi, who founded the competition in 2010, is pleased about the enormous interest and the high level of the young singers.
The last few days have proven once again that we don't need to worry about young singers. Not only the finalists, but the entire field of participants showed great performances again this year.Alessandro De Marchi
The jury was once again made up of prominent representatives from the world of opera and music: Jury Chairman Sebastian Schwarz (Artistic Director Teatro Regio Turino), Alessandro De Marchi (Intendant Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik), Giulio Castronovo (Senior Artist Manager Stage Door), Lukas Christ (Casting Director Teatro La Fenice Venice, Michael Schade (Singer and Artistic Director of the International Baroque Days Stift Melk), Nora Schmid (Artistic Director of Oper Graz and designated Artistic Director of Semperoper Dresden), Carolin Wielpütz (Artistic Director of Oper am Theater Bonn and designated Artistic Director Theater an der Wien).
In addition to the enthusiastic audience, several thousand viewers followed the final concert via livestream.