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Feature16 March 2017,
updated18 May 2017Siemens AGNew York
İlkin Alpay can still feel the awe-inspiring boards of Carnegie Hall beneath her feet. After singing at the world-famous venue, she's surrounded by adoring New York music fans: today is just like a dream for the young soprano.
The Siemens Arts Program this week invited representatives of the New York music and arts scene to meet the young opera singer and find out about Siemens' cultural projects. İlkin Alpay came to prominence last year as the winner of the Siemens Opera Contest in Turkey. The public was particularly impressed by the joyous aria 'Je veux vivre' from the opera 'Roméo et Juliette' by Charles Gounod, one of the songs this talented singer performed with great passion.
A year ago İlkin Alpay was still studying at Başkent University in Ankara. After she won the 2016 Siemens Opera Contest in Istanbul, her career really took off. Her debut was on October 22 at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe in the role of Gianetta in Donizetti's 'L'elisir d'amore' (The Elixir of Love). This marked the start of a stint at the Staatstheater's opera studio for the 2017 season. In April she will begin her studies at the University of Music in Karlsruhe.
Hers is an unusual timeline: The young soprano has made it to the world's premier concert hall – before her professional singing career has officially begun! So her appearance in New York is the high point of her experience to date, and it's down to support from the Siemens Arts Program. Stephan Frucht, Artistic Director of the Siemens Arts Program, on the subject of fostering talent: "It's always been important for Siemens to attract and support young talent from all spheres. We work to provide them with the basis for developing their own creativity."
The nineteenth Siemens Opera Contest is being held this year in Istanbul between May 22 and 25. The application stage is already in full swing.
Hueseyin Gelis, CEO of Siemens Turkey, on the Siemens Opera Contest: "Creativity isn't restricted to research, technology or IT. Our aim at Siemens is to spark an exchange between all creative areas of life. It's what drives us."
Siemens Opera Contest: Turkish soprano wows audiences at New York's Carnegie Hall
İlkin Alpay came to prominence last year as the winner of the Siemens Opera Contest in Turkey. Now the young soprano has made it to the world's premier concert hall. So her appearance in New York is the high point of her experience to date, and it's down to support from the Siemens Arts Program.
İlkin Alpay came to prominence last year as the winner of the Siemens Opera Contest in Turkey. Now the young soprano has made it to the world's premier concert hall. So her appearance in New York is the high point of her experience to date, and it's down to support from the Siemens Arts Program.
İlkin Alpay came to prominence last year as the winner of the Siemens Opera Contest in Turkey. Now the young soprano has made it to the world's premier concert hall. So her appearance in New York is the high point of her experience to date, and it's down to support from the Siemens Arts Program.
Siemens Opera Contest
Opera is still a young art form in Turkey, and something of a niche interest. The competition held there provided the first platform of this type in the country. Almost two decades on, the Siemens Opera Contest is now an established part of Istanbul's classical music scene. It's a competition that made a major contribution to reinvigorating Turkish opera and provides a major stimulus in the lives of many opera singers in Turkey. It plays a major role in their professional development. Siemens is currently developing a similar format in France, where it has joined forces with the Opéra Garnier in Paris.
Cooperation between Carnegie Hall and Siemens
Through a close collaboration with Siemens, Carnegie Hall's Studio Towers were renovated in 2014. A central focus was the addition of the new 60,000 square foot Resnick Education Wing, as well as the refurbishment of the Hall's backstage areas. It reflects Carnegie's evolution from an old-line temple of music to something of a teacher of music, which now devotes more than a 10th of its operating budget to education programs. Carnegie Hall is one of the world's most famous concert halls and well known for its outstanding acoustic. As its official technology partner, Siemens helped Carnegie Hall achieve LEED Silver certification. In order to modernize the 124-year-old building, Siemens supplies building automation, fire and life safety and security systems as well as parts of the power distribution system.
Siemens Arts Program
The Arts and culture form one of the cornerstones of a free society. They are essential in driving identity, creativity and self-reflection. Siemens' commitment to culture gives the company a human face, besides the benefits derived from our products. It's part of taking our corporate responsibility seriously. The challenge is to support intellectual, social and economic development in society over the long term. We focus on critical themes of the time to help shape change. Therefore, the Siemens Arts Program creates innovative projects, working with outstanding people and facilities from the world of arts and culture. One of the program's main aims is to nurture excellent emerging talent worldwide. It achieves this through its own emerging talent competitions (such as the Siemens Opera Contest) and by connecting these emerging artists with established cultural institutions worldwide (such as the Carnegie Hall New York, Palais Garnier Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper and Salzburg Festival).