2010 THE WINNERS

Daniela Köhler

“The finals in Den Bosch were a veritable battle of sopranos, with Daniela Köhler deservedly running off with the Great Prize (€10,000). She has a huge voice that carries and radiates. She impressed with arias by Richard Strauss and Wagner, yet she proved surprised by her victory: ‘In the Ernst Haefliger Competition in Gstaad I was out in the first lap. Winning here in Den Bosch is really important to me. I take it as a sign that I am on the right track.’” (Peter van der Lint, Trouw, September 28, 2010)

German soprano Daniela Köhler (b. 1979) studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, where Ingrid Haubold was her teacher. She participated in master classes with Julia Hamari in 2000 and Brigitte Fassbaender in 2005. In 2007 she became a member of the Opera Studio of the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, where she since performs as a soloist. The singer has also appeared at the Mozart Festival in Hallstatt. She was particularly successful in the soprano part in Verdi’s Requiem and has appeared with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. According to Köhler, her large volume came naturally to her, although just five years earlier she was unable to handle it properly. Studying and working on her technique helped her to master her natural resources, and in the process her voice grew. At the time of her IVC victory she had a guest contract with the Badisches Staatstheater chose to wait for the big roles for which her voice was born until she was ready to achieve her ultimate goal: becoming a great Wagnerian soprano. She started her career with light dramatic soprano roles such as the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, the Mother inHänsel und Gretel, Gerhilde in Die Walküre, the Duenna in Der Rosenkavalier and, in concert, Carmina Burana. In the 2011–12 season she progressed to the title role in Spontini’s La vestale. In May 2014 she sang Helwige in Die Walküre at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. She is indeed on the right track.

Yun-Jeong Lee

“I can imagine that being a juror can be a difficult job. Just imagine trying to evaluate both the small but extremely refined voice of Yun-Jeong Lee and the overpowering sound of Wagner-diva-in-the-making Köhler?” (Marjolein Sengers, Brabants Dagblad, September 27, 2010)

“ Yun-Jeong Lee scored ovations before and after the break, with several bravos. Why? Her fantastic virtuosity in the coloratura passages and her lighthearted treatment of both text and role. A radiant top, and, if I am correct, a high G. Unbelievable!” (Mariska van der Meij, Place de l’Opera, September 2010)

South Korean soprano Yun-Jeong Lee (b. 1980) won Third Prize at the International Singing Competition Dresden, the Second Prize and Audience Award at the Maritim Vocal Competition and First Prize at the Elise Meyer Competition in Germany in 2009, the Grand Prix at the Maria Callas International Singing Competition and the Audience Award at the Francesco Viñas International Singing Competition in Spain in 2010. She arrived in ’s-Hertogenbosch for the 48^th IVC already armed not just with all those prizes, but also with debuts in Gala Concerts at New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Berlin Philharmonic on her schedule. Her repertoire at that time included arias from Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bellini’s I Puritani, Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann, Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, Verdi’s Rigoletto and Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate. Meanwhile she has performed in the United States, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and South Korea, where she gained stage experience in major roles such as the Queen of the Night, Despina, Gilda and Zerbinetta. In 2011–12 she added Parrot/Cricket in Dove’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, L’Amour in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro and Pacovská in Janáček’s Osud.

Jeanine de Bique

“At competitions you look for ‘the special one,’ the one that can silence the audience by captivating them. There were some that had this X factor, beginning with Jeanine de Bique from Trinidad. The audience and I held our breath during her ‘Adieu, notre petite table’ from Manon . With the utmost musical intelligence and sensitivity, along with one of the most beautiful voices Imaginable, she made an unforgettable impression on me.” (Jordi Kooiman, Place de l’Opera, September 22, 2010)