Russian soprano wins Singer of the World
11:26, 16 June 2009
MOSCOW. June 16. KAZINFORM. Russian soprano Yekaterina Shcherbachenko has been named the BBC Singer of the World 2009 after winning the world's most prestigious operatic competition in Cardiff, the broadcaster said; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
A total of 600 singers started the competition, organized by BBC Wales, with just 25 making it to the semifinals.
Shcherbachenko, who stunned the audience in the second round with Tatyana's Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin, forsook her native Russian in the final to perform in French, Italian and English, closing with Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress.
The Russian takes home 15,000 pounds ($24,400) in prize money, but far more valuable could be the international exposure; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.