Portrait of an exceptional jury
In conversation with Lucie Renaud

Now that the composition of the jury is known, I can tell you that Dame Joan Sutherland and Teresa Stratas had agreed to serve as members, but health problems unfortunately precluded them from doing so for this edition.

Just last week we learned that Mr. Berger, the director of the Vienna Volksoper, would not be able to join us. In his place, we were able to secure the presence of the magnificent baritone Eduardo del Campo, and I am delighted because he is an extremely competent man.

I sang with Carlo Bergonzi in Nice, in Aida. Well, of course, I wasn't singing the role of Aida but of Ramfis (laughter)! He is a very well-known singer; his nickname is the "prince of tenors". He is a singer of unparalleled technique and exceptional style, especially for Italian opera. He is a very big name. I was very happy that I was able to convince him to come.

Dame Gwyneth Jones is a great friend with whom I have sung many times, initially at Covent Garden. We were doing a new production of Il Trovatore, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini and directed by Visconti. Leontyne Price was supposed to sing the role of Leonora, but she fell ill. Someone proposed the name of a young soprano, Gwyneth Jones, who had never sung Il Trovatore. She filled in for Leontyne Price and was an absolutely phenomenal success. She is a woman with a beautiful personality who has had an extraordinary career.

“I sang with another colleague and friend, Tom Krause, at the Opéra de Paris. He is a magnificent baritone, an artist who has given many recitals, is a fine performer and, by the way, married a Quebecer from Drummondville.

Another one of my friends, with whom I have often sung throughout the years is Shirley Verrett, who is a tremendous singer. Like Grace Bumbry, she has sung soprano and mezzo-soprano roles. The last thing I did with Shirley was the video to Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine at the San Francisco Opera with Domingo. Shirley sang the lead role. When I debuted in Don Carlo in the role of the Inquisitor, it was Shirley who sang Eboli. We have done numerous performances of Aida together; she's a wonderful artist.

The other member of the jury is the great conductor Mario Bernardi, whom I was delighted had accepted our invitation. There is also, of course, my dear friend André Bourbeau, who is president of the jury. He doesn't have a vote, so he will content himself with adding up the scores and maintaining order (laughter)!

It's not an easy job to be a jury member; it's a big responsibility, even when we know the repertoire so well. Our selection of the winners could have a major impact on the rest of their lives. Just think of the winner of the first Competition, Grand Prize Winner Measha Brueggergosman, who has enjoyed extraordinary success in her career since then. The jury was right on the mark, and that's an encouraging thing as a member of that jury!

We are looking for musicality, voice, accuracy, the complete artist. There's a big difference between being a singer and being an artist. An artist is one who stirs people, who brings the crowd to its feet, whereas a singer is more likely to keep people in their seats. One must convince people with beauty.

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