Great talents at this year´s DEBUT

The 2024 Classical Singing Competition DEBUT in Igersheim, Germany, was won by Lubov Karetnikova (31) from Salzburg, followed by Pete Thanapat and Defne Celik.

Born in the United States, Lubov Karetnikova grew up in Latvia, having Ukrainian and Russian heritage. She speaks several European languages freely, allowing her to sing a diverse repertoire ranging from Mozart, Schubert, Debussy, and Poulenc to Rachmaninov and Weinberg. 

Lubov Karetnikova obtained her studies in opera performance at Latvian Music Academy and Lithuanian Music and Theater University, as well as Lied and Oratorium Performance at Mozarteum University in Salzburg. She has studied in classes of such renowned singers as Barbara Bonney, Wolfgang Holzmair, and Irena Milkevičiute.

Ralf Tiedemann, longtime editor-in-in chief of the German opera magazine “Das Opernglass” and former member of the jury, commented on the DEBUT Competition: “The special thing here is the family-like atmosphere. You constantly meet, maybe sit together in the evenings, and even as a jury member, you are always approachable. This is different from many large music competitions where you do not usually meet the jury that often. Here, you even get tips during the ongoing competition. After all, we want the participants to present their best version. So, there can even be significant development in just one week. Furthermore, DEBUT is characterized by the fact that the song category is highlighted through its own finale, standing as an equal competition alongside the opera gala. This is a merit of Clarry Bartha, who places great importance on a constantly changing repertoire as well as contemporary song—featuring a newly commissioned composition that every singer must study”

©︎ WFIMC / FR 2024