Interview with tenor Freddie de Tommaso, who won the First Grand Prix in 2018.

INTRODUCTION
 

How are you? How are you feeling? What are you working on?
Im very well thank you, I have just been singing La Boheme at the Vienna State Opera and now am going to Berlin Staatsoper for the same opera

How did your passion for music begin? When did you know you wanted to become an opera singer? a?
My parents were keen on classical music, they often played it at home and my mum took me and my brothers to Glyndebourne and ROH as children. I knew I wanted to sing professionally after about 2 months of studying at the Royal Academy 

How has it been (is it being) your musical career and trajectory? Do you consider it has been difficult, or like any other profession? 
After winning Viñas competition my career took off. I was incredibly lucky to have this spring board, it helped very much. In terms of difficulties, singing opera is not easy, it requires thousands of hours of practice and hard work.

TENOR VIÑAS CONTEST

How did you decide to participate in the Tenor Viñas Contest?
A friend of mine told me about it so I decided to enter on a whim! It was a complete spur of the moment decision.
 

Where did you work or where did you perform before entering the competition? 
I was a student at The Royal Academy of Music in London 

How was your time at the Contest? 
It was great, my first time ever in Spain, I enjoyed seeing the city of Barcelona very much

What is the most emotional memory that you remember from your time at the contest? 
The feeling of complete disbelief when they read out my name for the 1st Prize, I was totally shocked and thought maybe they had read the wrong name!

What did the Tenor Viñas Contest mean for your career? 
It was a huge spring board for me. My career began on that day.

AFTER THE CONTEST

How has your career developed since the contest? Do you think it has opened new doors for you and have you been presented with unique opportunities to work with important conductors or to participate in important operas, for example? 
I was a student at the time of the contest and my career began thereafter. Luckily many casting directors saw me in the competition and offered me work for the coming years.
 

What advice would you give to the participants of the next edition and what would you have liked to know in your day while participating in the Competition? 
To try to enjoy the process and remember that as singers, we are entertainers, do this, entertain the judges!

FINAL

How do you think the world of music has changed since you started in this world? 
Well I have only been in the industry a very short time but the pandemic certainly proved its difficulties. Streaming and videos of operas seem to be becoming more popular

What do you feel when you sing?
That I am incredibly luckily to be singing such amazing music and that I really enjoy entertaining the public.