Chris Addison and Danielle de Niese join Sky Arts for opera competition

“It is a complete joy and, let’s be honest, a privilege to be part of The Glyndebourne Opera Cup. I love opera – have done since I came across Mozart’s The Magic Flute in my late twenties – the unbelievable music, the insane plots and most of all humans doing things with their voices that are so beautiful they seem almost impossible. And I’m excited about a competition that will be a great way to bring the power of that singing into people’s living rooms.” – Chris Addison

Coverage of The Glyndebourne Opera Cup on Sky Arts will be presented by Chris Addison and Danielle de Niese. Comedian and actor Addison, is also a passionate opera fan and Glyndebourne Member. Opera star de Niese is a soprano in demand across the world whose early break came in Glyndebourne’s production of the Handel opera Giulio Cesare in 2005. Together, they will present Sky Arts’ coverage of the inaugural Glyndebourne Opera Cup, an international competition for opera singers.

Sky Arts, working with Factory Films, will be following all the action of the competition. A documentary about the competition process, including the satellite heats that took place in January in Philadelphia, Berlin and London.

The series begins this weekend (22nd March 2018) with televised highlights of the semi-finals broadcast on Monday (23rd March) before the grand final is broadcast live from Glyndebourne on the 24th of March.

“Growing up in Australia, I won many Eisteddfods as well as the nationally televised Young Talent Time Talent Discovery of the Year competition at the tender age of nine – so I know first hand the unique thrill of competitions. They are tough and nerve wracking but they can also bring out the best in an artist. The Glyndebourne Opera Cup aims to find performers who can rise to this challenge, and they will be judged by an amazing panel drawn from the field of opera at the highest level.” – Danielle de Niese

The Glyndebourne Opera Cup 2018 focuses on the work of Mozart – each biennial edition of the competition will focus on a different composer or era – and singers aged between 21 and 28 were invited to apply. Artists from all over the world have entered the competition, with 44 different nationalities represented. A shortlist of candidates to attend the January heats has been drawn up and the successful applicants notified.

The competition will award five prizes, including a top prize of £15,000 for the winner and the offer of a role at one of the leading opera houses represented on the jury within five years.

‘I am incredibly excited to guide the Sky Arts audiences step by step through the highs and lows of what will inevitably be an epic journey for the contestants. I hope to share with people who watch this competition why opera is such a multi-dimensional and transformative experience.’ – Danielle de Niese