The pandemic put to a stop to our biennial visits to the Wilhelm Stenhammar Music competition. However they have resumed this week. The last one we attended was in 2018 since the 2020 competition was cancelled.
Wilhelm Stenhammar International Music Competition, or WSIMC, was inaugurated in June 2006 with King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia as guests of honor. Since then the competition has been held every two years. The competition has an obligatory part where the contestants must perform a work by Wilhelm Stenhammar. Since 2012 there is given a special prize for the best Stenhammar interpretation.
The preliminary rounds do not have all the glitz and glamour of the finals (which we will attend on Friday) but in some ways are more nerve-wracking for the aspirants and more intense for the audience. Round 1 is over and 65 singers have been cut down to 27. We shall be at some of the second round performances over the next 3 days when the 8-10 finalists emerge.
Of course, to satisfy political correctness and reserve a place in heaven, no Russian singers are permitted this year. S Korea is extremely well represented – as usual (perhaps over-represented).
We have been starved of concerts during the pandemic and this is a very welcome return to normalcy.
More later as the competition progresses.
Tags: William Stenhammar
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