Fanny Utiger wins first prize in the Kattenburg 2024 Competition
On October 23, 2024, at the end of a high-level final at the Opéra de Lausanne, Fanny Utiger distinguished herself among the lyrical singing talents in the running by taking 1st Prize in the Kattenburg 2024 Competition, with 30,000 CHF in prize money. With a Bachelor's degree in singing from the HEMU and currently studying for a Master's degree, the soprano from Lausanne won over the jury with her performance.
Sold out at the Opéra de Lausanne, the biennial final of the Kattenburg Competition once again confirmed its success with the public. The final featured five sopranos who rose magnificently to the artistic challenge of this demanding competition. The jury was thus able to award the 1er Prize (CHF 30,000) to Lausanne soprano Fanny Utiger. The 2e and 3e Prizes were awarded to Vibe Rouvet (CHF 15,000) and Naïma Wanshe (CHF 10,000). In the final round, the finalists performed two opera arias from different periods, accompanied by the HEMU Orchestra, conducted by American conductor John Fiore. Once again this year, no fewer than 48 candidates, both students and recent graduates of the HEMU, took part in the competition.
Special awards
Throughout this year's competition, numerous candidates were awarded special prizes, testifying to the diversity and quality of their performances. Ludmila Schwarzwalder received the Prix de l'HEMU, while Faustine Egiziano was awarded the Prix Jeune Public. In the final, Faustine Egiziano also won the Prix du Public, awarded by RTS Espace 2 viewers and listeners, with an endowment of CHF 1,000. Fiona Fauchois shone with her mastery of the contemporary repertoire, winning the prize for best contemporary interpretation in the semi-finals.
In addition to the 1er Prize, Fanny Utiger was honored by the Orchestre Symphonique Universitaire de Lausanne (OSUL), which invited her to perform the solo parts of the Requiem by Verdi in 2025 at the Théâtre de Beaulieu and Victoria Hall. Finally, Romain Favre was rewarded as the best Swiss candidate in the entire competition.
Jury 2024
The jury for this 4e This year's edition included Claude Cortese, General Director of Opéra de Lausanne; Jean Denes, Casting and Artistic Administration Director of Opera Theater Basel; Jocelyne Dienst-Bladin, world-renowned pianist and vocal coach; Adrian Kelly, Artistic Director of the Buxton Festival and Zurich's International Opera Studio; Alain Perroux, current General Director of the Opéra du Rhin in Strasbourg, appointed General Director of the Grand Théâtre de Genève from the 2026-2027 season; Matthieu Dussouillez, General Director of the Opéra national de Lorraine; and Pascal Mayer, Chorus Master of the Opéra de Lausanne; as well as the three opera artists: Hedwig Fassbender, Rachel Harnisch and Marina Viotti.
Competition Director Hervé Klopfenstein, the members of the jury and the organizers congratulate all the candidates who took part, and thank them for the intense moments of emotion they shared. This edition also marks the last under Mr. Klopfenstein's leadership, after many years of dedicated service at the helm of the Kattenburg Competition.
The next Kattenburg Competition will take place in autumn 2026.
