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Wed 30 Aug 2006

Baritone James Rutherford is the joint winner of the world’s first international Wagner competition for singers and goes on this week to star at the Edinburgh International Festival in a Wagner opera - all about a singing competition.

On 2 September James joins a stunning line up of world leading artists at the Usher Hall in a concert performance of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, based on the story of song competitions held by music societies that thrived in Germany in the 15th and 16th century.

Norwich-born Rutherford was awarded the prestigious prize on Saturday 19 August by Seattle Opera, which organised the inaugural International Wagner Competition, at its home theatre McCaw Hall, Seattle. He was also named the audience favourite and orchestra favourite.

At this year’s Edinburgh International Festival he sings the role of Kothner alongside such leading artists as Hillevi Martinpelto, Wendy Dawn Thomson, Jonas Kaufmann and Toby Spence. With music performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Robertson and the massed voices of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus led by Chorus Master David Jones, Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg promises to be a major Festival musical experience.

The other joint winner of the International Wagner Competition was Irish soprano Miriam Murphy, who sang the role of Overseer in Elektra, the Opening Concert of this year’s Edinburgh International Festival.

The joint winners of the International Wagner Competition were chosen by a panel of five judges from eight finalists, after each singer had performed two arias accompanied by members of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra conducted by Asher Fisch. James Rutherford performed Fliedermonolog from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Die Frist is um from Der fliegende Holländer.

James Rutherford studied at the Royal College of Music and National Opera Studio in London and became a BBC New Generation Artist in 2000. Recent engagements include Donner (Das Rheingold) with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Sir Simon Rattle at the Proms and at the Baden-Baden Festival. A European concert tour with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Belshazzar's Feast with the CBSO, Britten's War Requiem, Elgar's The Light of Life at the Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester and Jokanaan (Salome) for Opera de Montpellier. Future plans include Argante (Rinaldo) at the Deutsche Staatsoper and Leporello (Don Giovanni) for Scottish Opera. In the US, he has appeared as Donner in Wagner’s Das Rheingold at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

More information about the International Wagner Competition can be found on the Seattle Opera Web site: http://www.seattleopera.org/operas/iwc/

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor David Robertson. Edinburgh Festival Chorus. Chorus Master David Jones.

Concert performance sung in German

Sat 2 September, 5pm, Usher Hall

Supported by The Bacher Trust and The Stevenston Charitable Trust

Tickets from Hub Tickets Tel 0131 473 2000 or online