1998 THE WINNERS

Oana-Andra Ulieriu

“Romanian Oana-Andra Ulieriu seemed a bit intimidated by her 1994 Press Prize of ƒ7,500, which she said was three times her father’s annual salary. The Prize was not for the best finalist, but for the one that was expected to grow into something special.” (Wil Derkse, Brabants Dagblad, September 9, 1994)

“The audience had no trouble choosing their winner: Oana-Andra. Following her arias by Rossini and Verdi she was loudly applauded.” (Adriaan Hager, Trouw, September 8, 1998)

After receiving the IVC Press Prize in 1994, Romanian soprano Oana-Andra Ulieriu (b. 1970) reaped a valuable Second Prize. In between she graduated from the Bucharest Conservatory, where she was in the class of 1969 IVC Great Prize winner Maria Slătinaru. Master classes with Mariana Nicolesco, Alberto Zedda, Daphne Evangelatos, Régine Crespin, Kaludi Kaludov, Colin Davis and Carlo Cossutta paved the way to a national Romanian career that has sparked further performances in the main theaters of Venice, Frankfurt, Monte Carlo, Liège, Sofia, Skopje, Belgrade and Manchester. In concert she has appeared in Leipzig, Tokyo, Paris, Birmingham, Tokyo, Cologne and elsewhere. She has collaborated with such conductors as Colin Davis, Alberto Zedda, Marcello Viotti and Fabio Luisi and sung with the likes of Nicolai Ghiaurov, Ruggero Raimondi, Renato Bruson, June Anderson, Inva Mula, Rockwell Blake, Antonino Siragusa, Mariana Cioromila and Elena Mosuc. Two TV portraits were dedicated to her, one made by NDR-Hamburg and broadcast in the Netherlands. Her main roles now include Mozart’s Zerlina, Dorabella, and Cherubino; Rossini’s Rosina, Angelina, Isabella, Marchesa Melibea (Il viaggio a Reims) and Lucilla ( La scala di seta); Verdi’s Maddalena, Fenena and Meg Page; and Donizetti’s Giovanna (Anna Bolena), Bellini’s Adalgisa, Puccini’s Suzuki, Bizet’s Carmen, Gounod’s Siebel, Massenet’s Charlotte, Berlioz’s Ascanio, Ponchielli’s Laura, Olga in Evgeni Onegin and Jocasta in Enescu’s Œdipe.

Pierre-Yves Pruvot

“Pruvot received a Second Prize for his stylish rendition of Duparc’s ‘Phidylé.’” (Aad van der Ven, Limburgs Dagblad, September 7, 1998)

“Pruvot suggested that he may become a fine lyrical baritone with a future in the high romantic French repertoire.” (Roeland Hazendonk, De Telegraaf, September 7, 1998)

Following victories at the Den Bosch (1998), Paris (1999) and Queen Elisabeth Competitions (2000), French baritone Pierre-Yves Pruvot’s remarkable career testifies to his deep commitment to the rediscovery of little-known works, from 17^th-century pieces to contemporary scores. He has became a renowned re-creator, recording many works heard for the first time in the modern era, including Bizet’s Le docteur miracle, Cherubini’s Lodoïska, Kreutzer’s La mort d’Abel and J. C. Bach’s Amadis de Gaule. His discography includes concert works and songs of Bizet, Massenet, Saint-Saëns, Gounod, Thomas, Halévy, Franck, Lesueur, Grétry and Gossec. His major stage roles are Gianni Schicchi, Germont, Nabucco, Figaro, Leporello, Don Alfonso, Golaud, Mephistopheles, Zurga, the High Priest of Dagon – and about 100 more. His vocal and dramatic qualities are highly sought-after for French and Italian operatic works of the 19^th and 20^th centuries. He created Debussy’s Rodrigue et Chimène for St. Petersburg, sang the title role in the first staged version of Milhaud’s Bolivar and appeared in Mascagni’s Iris in Kyoto under Nello Santi. For the past twenty years he and pianist Charles Bouisset have also explored the lesser-known song repertoire. Together they have given recitals throughout Europe and recorded works by Poulenc, Sauguet, Ravel, Chabrier, Duparc, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Viktor Ullmann, Frank Martin, Pavel Haas and Guy Sacre. Needless to say, many composers have dedicated compositions to him. His staged Nelusko will be heard when Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine in Sofia is released on CD by CPO. He has recorded an album of Meyerbeer excerpts with his wife, soprano Hjördis Thebault.

Margriet van Reisen

“After Ulieriu and Ferri, only alto-mezzo Margriet van Reisen was able to interpret. In the song finals she gave a piano-accompanied selection of heavy romantic pieces a credible presentation – using not gestures, but her voice. She meant what she sang, communicated these feelings and differentiated with colors and shading. She has still to learn, but that is precisely what the Press Prize is there for.” (Roeland Hazendonk, De Telegraaf, September 7, 1998)