INTER-CITIES PERFORMING ARTS and POLO MUSIC MANAGEMENT

PRESENT THE

XVIII ALTAMURA/CARUSO

INTERNATIONAL VOICE COMPETITION

21-23, November 2023

Founded in 1988, the ALTAMURA/CARUSO INTERNATIONAL VOICE COMPETITION is open to professional singers of all ages who are on the threshold of an international career.

Jury

• CARMELA BUCCERI ALTAMURA, Founder/Director, ICPA
• GIANLUCA LUISI, PRESIDENT, POLO MUSIC MANAGEMENT
• LEONARD J. ALTAMURA, President, ICPA, Doctor of Jurisprudence
• CRISTINA ALTAMURA, Artistic Director, LEGACY ARTS INTERNATIONAL, Pianist

Prizes

1ST PLACE: $15,000 USD
2ND PLACE: $7,000 USD
3RD PLACE: $3,000 USD FINALISTS: $500 USD

Eligibility

NO AGE LIMIT

Significant consideration will be given to the applicant’s achievements within the last five years of his/her career.

Application Guidelines

• APPLICATION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 15, 2023
• PRELIMINARIES: NOVEMBER 21-22, 2023
• FINALS CONCERT: NOVEMBER 23, 2023

Applicants must email the following as attachments to info@polomusicmanagement.com no later October

15, 2023:

1. RESUME
2. PERSONAL BIO (175 words maximum) must include:
• Country of birth
• Address and country of residency
• Mobile number
• Email address
3. (1) HEAD SHOT PHOTO
• File Format: JPG
• Trim Size: 5” x 7”
• Resolution: 300 DPI
• File name should include your NAME and VOICE CLASSIFICATION
4. (2) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION from coaches or teachers
5. MUSIC SCORES in pdf format

Competition Requirements

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Contestants should be prepared to sing FIVE arias in the original key and language.
• One aria will be chosen by the contestant and a second aria by the jury.
• Include ONE ARIA by Mozart, in the original key and language.
• Include ONE ARIA from the Art Song Literature.
• Arias with cabaletta must be sung in their entirety.
Formal attire will be expected. Men will be required to appear in a suit and women can choose to wear a pant suit, cocktail dress, or evening gown.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Applicants must be prepared to sing a full recital upon 24-hour notice.
• Finalists must be present at the stage rehearsal, which will be announced following the preliminaries.
• Finalists will be recorded and videotaped for YouTube.

By applying to this competition, participants agree to be recorded and videotaped for YouTube and other media.

Application Fee

€250 EUR

Application fee includes include 1 night stay including breakfast at Villa Scacciapensieri in Siena, Italy.

PLEASE NOTE:

Airfare, ground transportation and additional room and board IS NOT included.

WIRE TRANSFER Instructions: REFERENCE: “POLO MUSIC” SWIFT CODE: ICRAITRRF90

IBAN: IT56F0854937490000000022687

BANK ADDRESS: Banca di Filottrano Via Aldo Moro, 62

Osimo (60027) Italia

The application will not be considered complete until the application fee is received.

Schedule of Events

November 21 – 22 PRELIMINARY ROUNDS

*Participants who pass the preliminary stage will be notified on the evening of the 22nd by phone.

November 23 FINALS CONCERT

**Winners will be announced at the end of the Finals Concert which will be open to the public.

No Flash Photography will be permitted during the performances.

ABOUT THIS COMPETITION:

In 1988, two philanthropists, soprano Carmela Altamura and attorney Leonard Altamura, founded the Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition. Created for singers on the threshold of an international career, the competition functions under the umbrella of its parent non-profit, Inter-Cities Performing Arts, Inc. The competition immediately established itself by instituting the then-unheard-of policy of abolishing age requirements. Aware that existing limits did not allow for the late-maturing, dramatic voice, and by careful scrutiny of more mature applicants’ achievements, the founders decided to trust their instincts by opening the door of opportunity to more mature as well as to younger singers. This policy paid off in unexpected dividends.

Competition winners Angela Brown, soprano, Audrey Stottler, soprano, and Kim Josephson, baritone, went on to sing title roles at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, and New York City Opera, while Heather Myers, contralto, Eugenie Grunewald, mezzo soprano, Anna Shafajinskaya, soprano, and Lawrence Harris, baritone, performed title

roles at the Vienna Staatsoper, Berlin State Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand

Opera, San Francisco Opera, and other major opera houses of the world.

Another competition innovation included behind-screen auditions, following the age- and colorblind policies of major world orchestras. Regarded as an innovative new step at the time, this practice was soon adopted by other prestigious voice competitions throughout the world. The Altamura Competition has taken place in Italy, Gibraltar, New Jersey, New York, and Canada.