Photo credit: Marius Nyheim KristoffersenL-R: Giovanni Sebastiano Sala, H.M Queen Sonja, Seungju Bahg, Alexander Roslavets
Katy Wright
Seung Ju Bahg wins Queen Sonja Competition
11:06, 23rd August 2017South Korean tenor Seung Ju Bahg has won this year’s Queen Sonja International Music Competition. He received €40,000 and a diploma with original artwork created by Her Majesty Queen Sonja.
Born in 1990 in Busan, Seung Ju Bahg is currently attending the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim. His interest in music began when he heard his father sing as a young boy.
Second prize went to Italian tenor Giovanni Sebastiano Sala, and third prize was awarded to Belarussian bass Alexander Roslavets, who also won the prize for best performance of Norwegian music. The Ingrid Bjoner Scholarship (awarded to the best Norwegian participant), went to 25-year-old bass-baritone Christian Valle from Trondheim.
The prizewinners will also be offered engagements with leading Norwegian musical institutions.
Founded in 1988, the Queen Sonja International Music Competition takes place every two years in Oslo. Previous winners include Russian soprano Olga Mykytenko (2003) and Norwegian baritone Audun Iversen (2007).
