Two French singers win top prizes

Two French singers shared the top honors at the thirteenth edition of the International Georges Enesco Singing Competition, which concluded on Thursday, October 15, at the Espace Bernanos in Paris. Clara Guillon won the Georges Enesco Grand Prize, awarded by the Romanian Cultural Institute, along with the Alina Pavalache Exceptional Prize. Anaïs Merlin, the second prize winner, also received the Rodica Soutzo Public Prize.

Competition honors a late music figure

The competition was dedicated to the memory of Alina Pavalache, a pianist, vocal conductor, and founder of the Enesco Music Meetings, who passed away last May. Since 2014, she had worked to make the competition a unique event open to both young professionals and vocal art enthusiasts, with a strong focus on contemporary music and the Franco-Romanian repertoire.

Multiple awards given to singers

The competition awarded several prizes to singers, including Clara Guillon, who received the Georges Enesco Grand Prize, and Anaïs Merlin, who won the second prize. Other awards included the Special Prize for Contemporary Opera, the Alina Pavalache Exceptional Prize, and the Rodica Soutzo Public Prize. Additional awards recognized performances in specific categories and regions.

Other winners include international participants

Other winners included singers from Estonia, Belgium, Ukraine, Canada, and Romania. The competition also recognized grand vocal art enthusiasts, with Ludivine Turinay winning first prize and Christine Calvo and Audrey Pépin-Boutin receiving second and third prizes, respectively. A special prize was awarded to a group of singers for a planned concert in Bucharest in 2027.

Article published in a music-focused outlet

The article "Concours Enesco : Clara Guillon doublement couronnée à Paris" first appeared on Forum Opéra, a publication that focuses on opera and music-related news.