News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 21 December (BelTA) – Sargis Bazhbeuk-Melikyan of Armenia won the Grand Prix of the 4th Minsk International Christmas Singing Competition, BelTA learned from the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus, the organizer of the contest.

When accepting the well-deserved award Sargis Bazhbeuk-Melikyan said that he long wanted to come to Belarus where his grandmother was born. The trip to Minsk became twice as enjoyable: the artist did not only get acquainted with the land of his ancestor but also won the main award of the Christmas contest of vocalists. Sargis started singing only when he was 20. The singer, now 27, is proud of his victory in the competition and sees it as a stimulus for further development. This year, Sargis graduated from the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory and became the winner of the Prize of the President of Armenia.

The first prize winner went to baritone Sergei Kaidalov from Russia. The second prize was shared by two sopranos: Maria Galkina of Belarus and Kseniya Bakhritdinova from Ukraine. The third place prize went to tenor Alexander Ghelakh from Belarus and baritone Konstantin Suchkov of Russia. Belarus’ soprano Margarita Levchuk received the Audience Choice Award and an encouragement award. The jury also presented an encouragement award to French soprano Helene Carpentier.

The winners will take part in a gala concert of opera stars which will wrap up the 8th Minsk international Christmas Opera Forum on 22 December.

The 4th Minsk International Christmas Singing Competition was held in three rounds from 14 to 20 December and featured 111 young vocalists from 16 countries.