The Georg Solti Accademia is proud to announce its 20th anniversary celebration, marking two decades of excellence in training young talent in the technique and style of Italian “Bel Canto”, and continuing the operatic legacy of the legendary British/Hungarian conductor Sir Georg Solti. Mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina, tenor Freddie De Tommaso, soprano Hera Hyesang Park, and baritone Paul Grant, all of whom are also alumni of the Georg Solti Accademia’s Bel Canto Course for Singers, will perform in this concert on 20 October 2024, co-produced with the Hungarian State Opera, featuring their orchestra and conductor János Kovács.
Over the past two decades, the Georg Solti Accademia has grown into one of the most important and invaluable training grounds for emerging opera singers and répétiteurs [the pianists, vocal coaches, and conductors that work on opera productions]. Led by Jonathan Papp (Artistic Director, Principal Vocal Coach, & Founder), Candice Wood (Executive Director & Founder), and Jonathan Lakeland (Associate Director), the Georg Solti Accademia’s 400-plus alumni have thriving – and often stellar – careers in the music profession. Guest faculty past and present at the Accademia include some of the most revered musicians in the world, including: Richard Bonynge, Angela Gheorghiu, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Federica Von Stade, Carlo Rizzi, Leo Nucci, Sir Thomas Allen, and Jose Carreras, among many others. Founded in 2004 by the late Lady Valerie Solti, Candice Wood, and Jonathan Papp, the Georg Solti Accademia fulfils a long held dream that Georg Solti had to create a training programme for outstanding young musicians based in Italy. “I hope that Sir Georg would be very excited to see that there is an institution in his name that is aimed at achieving the highest levels and is giving exceptional help from some of the best faculty in the world,” says Jonathan Papp.
The event is made even more significant by the fact that it is being co-produced with the Hungarian State Opera, which recently celebrated its 140th anniversary. This extraordinary opera house has a special connection with Maestro Georg Solti, who began his professional musical career there as a repetiteur. He made his conducting debut at the house leading a performance of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” on March 11, 1938. “Before Lady Solti passed away she had always dreamed of the Accademia establishing a relationship with the Hungarian State Opera, seeing its poignant connection to the life and achievements of Maestro Solti,” says Candice Wood.
Noting the significance of this moment to classical music audiences around the world, the Accademia is producing a live broadcast of this concert in collaboration with Decca and Deutsche Grammophon, who will broadcast this concert live on their Stage+ platform.
As a part of the 20th Anniversary celebration, the Accademia will be presenting a masterclass led by its artistic director Jonathan Papp, with some of the guest artists joining as guest teachers at the Liszt Academy of Music.
Complete release in attachment.
