As the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition concluded in France on July 12th, Li Zihao, a 4th-Year Student of Western Opera, won the first place with a unanimous decision from the judges. This achievement represents the first instance in nearly ten years that a Chinese contestant has won a top prize in an international competition.
The preliminary rounds of the inaugural version of Sumi Jo International Singing Competition were held globally from March to July this year. The semi-finals and finals took place at Château d'Amboise, a French castle steeped in history and elegant artistry along the Loire Valley. Named after the world-class coloratura soprano Sumi Jo, the competition is meticulously organized biennially by the artist herself and a professional orchestra team. It aims to provide a prestigious platform for young singers to showcase their talents and advance their opera careers globally.
During the semi-finals held on July 8th and 9th, Li Zihao performed "Vision fugitive" from Massenet's opera "Hérodiade" and "Cruda, funesta smania" from Donizetti's opera "Lucia di Lammermoor". With his outstanding performances, he advanced to the international finals with absolute dominance.
Li was the 4th contestant to go up to the stage during the final round on the 12th. The judges selected his final pieces as "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen"(“My Longing, My Fantasies") from Korngold's opera "Die Tote Stadt"("The Dead City") and "They wish they would kill me" from Corigliano's opera "The Ghosts of Versailles". While the former piece is a lyrical and beautiful German aria, the latter a highly challenging modern song, a Grammy winner, commissioned for the Metropolitan Opera's centennial. This 10-minute aria is incredibly dramatic, featuring a wide vocal range and a very rapid rap section that significantly tests the singer's vocal skills. Ultimately, he delivered both pieces flawlessly, receiving unanimous approval from all judges and securing first place with a perfect score.
At the awards concert held on the 13th, Li Zihao performed his signature piece "Largo al factotum", which once again garnered acclaim from the judges and the entire audience. Li Zihao also sang the world-renowned duet "Au fond du temple saint" (from Bizet's opera "The Pearl Fishers") with a tenor from Republic of Korea. Additionally, he collaborated with a French soprano on Mozart's classic opera duet "Papagino... Papagino". Finally, all the award winners joined forces with world-renowned soprano Sumi Jo and tenor Ramo Vargas to perform the iconic aria "Brindisi" from Verdi's opera "La Traviata".
Following the competition, Sumi Jo spoke to Li Zihao, the youngest contestant, saying, "By standing on this stage, you are already an opera star. However, it is just the beginning, not the end. Keep your passion for opera alive, accelerate your learning, continuously enrich yourself, and always remember, the stage belongs to you!" Concurrently, Sumi Jo extended an invitation to Li Zihao to join her concert tour. Additionally, Li also received invitations from La Scala Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
In his acceptance speech, Li Zihao expressed pride in bringing glory to China. A he recalled, on July 6th, 24 contestants from around the world competed in Paris, judged by esteemed opera directors and singers. Li felt excited and fortunate to learn and compete with exceptional performers. With his tutor, Prof. Sun Jian, they analyzed each performance, receiving valuable feedback. Li was stunned by his win and embraced Prof. Sun, with whom he had share the arduousness to make the way to this stage. He highlighted the unwavering support of Mr. Gu and Ms. Liu, who gave him a five-starred red flag, which he proudly raised on the highest podium.
