Athlone Chamber of Commerce is planning a special millennium John McCormack Golden Voice Competition for next March.
It announced this week that Mr Guy Cherqui, director adjoint of the French Cultural Institute in Milan, will be among the judges - his fourth visit to adjudicate. He has worked all over Europe with young singers.
Mr Cherqui was a founder of the Cantoforum recitals at La Scala in Milan; has been the artistic director at the Paris Opera, Bastille; and is opera consultant to the French Artistic Action Association.
He will be joined on the adjudicating panel by Mr David Byrnes, chief producer for music and arts at BBC Northern Ireland. He studied composition at Queen's University, Belfast, and has composed for the Ulster Orchestra, the Britten String Quartet and Radio 3. Currently a director of the Ulster Orchestra and conductor of St George's Singers, he has adjudicated at many international competitions. This will be his third visit to Athlone.
Ms Penelope Price Jones, a voice teacher with the Downe school in the UK, will be the third adjudicator. She trained with the Royal Academy of Music in London and is an accomplished concert performer and broadcaster.
Semi-finals of the competition take place at the Hodson Bay hotel, near Athlone, on Thursday, March 2nd, and the final takes place on March 3rd. Details can be obtained from Ms Siobhan Bigley at 0902-73173.