Anastasia Taratorkina herself says she does not understand that she is not welcome in the competition. The singer has studied and lived many years in Germany. Since 2015, she has been a German citizen. Taratorkina tells Deutsche Welle that today she feels like a German, and that she should have been able to participate in the competition with her German citizenship. According to the German newspaper, she has retained her Russian citizenship, among other things, because her parents still live in her hometown of Novosibirsk in Russia. According to Deutsche Welle, she has received broad support from her colleagues in the music community in Germany. – The solidarity with Ukraine weighs heavily NOT ACCEPTABLE: – As long as she maintains her Russian citizenship, she also represents Russia, says general manager of the Queen Sonja Singing Competition Lars Hallvard Flæten. Photo: Privat Dronning Sonja A singing competition is held in Oslo every two years. The competition can be a door opener for talents who want to become professional singers. It is open to singers from all parts of the world, but in February this year the organizer made it clear that participants with Russian or Belarusian citizenship are not allowed to participate. The reason was Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, with the support of Belarus. Anastasia Taratorkina nevertheless submitted her application, because she has a German passport and both lives and works in Germany. – But as long as she maintains her Russian citizenship, she also represents Russia, and that is not acceptable. This is what general manager of the Queen Sonja Singing Competition Lars Hallvard Flæten says to news. – Right from the start, we have had as a rule that the participants represent their home country, he emphasizes. According to Flæten, singers from Ukraine are registered for this year’s competition. He believes it would have become a difficult situation for them if there had also been participants with Russian citizenship. – For us, it is solidarity with Ukraine that weighs the most. Broken collaboration with leading opera scene In addition to Taratorkina, there is another singer from Russia who has been rejected on the same grounds. For many years, Dronning Sonja Sangkonkurranse had a close collaboration with the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, one of the world’s leading opera scenes. This cooperation has now been put on hold due to the Russian attack on Ukraine. The competition has also had many participants from Russia over the years. In 2021 at the latest, the Russian soprano Marija Motolygina won the competition, which has gained great international prestige. Director Lars Halvard Flæten in the middle together with, among others, the winner of the Queen Sonja Singing Competition 2021, Russian Marija Motolygina. Photo: Queen Sonja’s singing competition 518 participants from 58 countries have applied for participation in this year’s competition. According to the organiser, this is a record. The competition is organized from 15 to 26 August, with a final concert in Den Norske Opera.
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Has a German passport – is still refused to participate in the Queen Sonja Singing Competition – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
