Veronika Loy wins The Sir Ian Stoutzker Prize 2022 - Voice

Six finalists from a total of 22 contestants, who were able to apply for The Sir Ian Stoutzker Prize 2022 in the field of singing with comprehensive artistic concepts, competed yesterday in the Solitär of the Mozarteum University for the coveted prize of 20,000 euros.

With her programme "Le parfum de l'instant" - happiness, despair, ecstasy - Veronika Loy alluded to the preciousness of the moment as "what makes up our life and what we remember at the end of it", Loy said in her concept. For her and the characters in her programme, the "perfume of the moment" is therefore as individual as life itself ...

Programme:

• Frank Bridge - Come to me in my dreams (Arnold), H. 71
• Hugo Wolf: First love song of a girl (Mörike)
• Franz Schubert: Gretchen at the spinning wheel (Goethe), Op. 2
• Kaija Saariaho (1952*): From Quatre instants (Maalouf): Parfum de l'instant, No. 3
• Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951): Erhebung (Dehmel), Op. 2, No. 3 & Jesus begs: Schenk mir... (Dehmel), Op. 2, No. 2
• Ralph Benatzky (1884-1957): From "Meine Schwester und ich", Jeder macht's

Veronika Loy has been studying at the Mozarteum University with Andreas Macco since 2017 and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in 2019. Since then she has been studying in the Opera & Music Theatre Master's programme with Gernot Sahler and Alexander von Pfeil, and since 2021 in the Lied & Oratorio Master's programme with Pauliina Tukiainen. She has been a member of the International Opera Studio of the Nuremberg State Theatre since the 2022/23 season. She was a finalist in the 2022 Hugo Wolf International Competition and has soloistic experience. She performs with choirs such as the Bayerische Singakademie and the Bayerischer Landesjugendchor, with the Junge Vokalensemble München, the Vocalensemble Rastatt and the Salzburg Bach Choir.

Due to a tie, the audience prize of 1,000 euros each was awarded twice, to Judith Gallmetzer (vocal studies) and Fayola Schönrock (acting studies). All finalists were also awarded 1,000 euros for their outstanding concepts and performances: Judith Gallmetzer, Abenaa Prempeh, Fayola Schönrock, Coco Lau and Jakob Hoffmann.

Judith Gallmetzer - soprano - is a student in the bachelor's degree programme in singing with Michèle Crider as well as in instrumental and vocal pedagogy oboe. She has already participated in various choir productions and performed with the South Tyrol Youth Symphony Orchestra and the South Tyrol Youth Wind Orchestra, among others. She gained soloistic experience in the concert association "Carpaccio" and with the Musikfreunde Laufen. She is a multiple prize winner of the "Prima la musica" competition.

Fayola Schönrock is currently studying acting. From August 2020 to March 2021 she was an ensemble member of the "Junges Theater Leverkusen" and from March 2019 to May 2020 an ensemble member of the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus in the Bürgerbühne play "Was ihr wollt". She has won several awards at "Jugend Musiziert" and has training in dance, piano and singing.

"The Sir Ian Stoutzker Prize" was offered for the first time in 2019. The competition honours an outstanding student personality who knows how to convince with a convincing concept, musical creative power, poetry and unique charisma. Every year, the prize is awarded to students with performances from the artistic instrumental area of the Mozarteum University and in the following year the competition is dedicated to singing.

The sponsor of the highly endowed award is the British businessman and philanthropist Sir Ian Stoutzker, who founded the organisation Live Music Now together with Yehudi Menuhin in 1977.