Andrei Kymach was crowned BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2019 at the competition final on Saturday at St David’s Hall, Cardiff. He beat over 400 singers from across the globe to win the Main Prize, which includes £20,000 as well as the Cardiff trophy.
BBC Music Magazine spoke to Kymach just minutes after he left the stage following his win. ‘I’m very excited about it,’ he said. ‘It was a very good atmosphere and I felt the audience supported me a lot’.
The Ukrainian baritone, 31, sang arias by Bizet, Rachmaninov and Donizetti to win the title, alongside the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Ariane Matiakh and Ewa Strusińska. ‘I chose music to describe the different colours in my voice,’ said Kymach. ‘I wanted to sing an aria from Rachmaninov’s Aleko, which is all about love and pain.’
In a first for the competition, Kymach will also be offered a recital at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Centre as part of his prize.
