Part 2 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World

are here in the lighting box at St David's Hall. The audience is taking

a their seats. It is all go here, because the performance is about to

begin. Last night Bebecar difficult Singer

of the World got off to a thrilling search. Now, it is round two in the

search for the next opera star. 20 young opera singers from across

the globe. Hoping to impress the judges with the performance of their

lives. I'm looking forward to some really

amazing singers. I would like to hear a stunner. Victory can propel

the winner to international fame. The Bebecar difficult Singer of the

World launched my career. Last night, a delighted Jamie Barton

from the United States of America won the first round of the

competition. Now five new singers are battling to impress the judges.

Welcome back to St David's Hall and round two of BBC Cardiff Singer of

the World 2013. We are here in the foyer and the

concert is coming to an end and we will have the highlights during the

next half an hour. We hope to bring you the winner before the end of the

programme. Performing tonight are exciting

young singers from Hungary, Russia, Egypt and Italy and South Africa.

have invited our special guests to guide us through the competition and

we are delighted to welcome, Catrin Wyn-Davies who sung for some of the

world's finest opera houses. And joining us is Wynne Evans. He

will be returning to Covent Garden and Welsh audiences can catch him

here in Welsh operas next season. You have devoted your time to

coaching young singers. What are you making of tonight's standard?

it is a good standard. We were very spoiled last night. There was an

obvious winner last night. It was easy. What we have heard this

evening is not quite such a clear cut case.

When you were here last night, incredible, buzz? Absolutely

fantastic and you know, she walked away with the prize really and you

know, really good programming last night and that was what got it for

her. Tonight, we will have to wait and see.

We will see, indeed. There will be lots more from Wynne and Catrin

later: The first singer on stage tonight

was the sew ran owe from Hungary. Hi everybody. I'm Maria Celeng. I'm

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representing Hungary and I'm very, Maria Celeng representing Hungary.

Did she do it for you this evening? I really love the voice. I think

there is something, really, really honest about the way she sings. The

colours, she is extremely musical. She is is, I mean she is beautiful.

He she wears her heart on her sleeve and that really touches me. It was

not her best aria. She sang a fantastic Handel and note perfect

and I think, you know, just at the end nerves, tiredness, stamina, I

think her body just let her down during the last aria. I think she is

25, she really is still very young, but I think she has got a bright

future. So 25. Would you imagine that she

could sing the Handel? Yes, I mean, if I can be slightly controversial,

I didn't like the performance as much as Catrin did. The hands were

there all the time. It was almost like there was two conductors on the

stage at times! They were ever where and I felt the voice was too open

right at the top and it just made me feel a little bit uncomfortable.

I agree with Wynne and in terms of somebody who gets right into your

heart. She made me nervous.

A really massive mouth. Russia has a strong record here. The

winner four years ago was Ekaterina Scherbachenko. This year, Russian

singer, it is a bar tone. -- baritone.

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I'm Alexey Bogdanchikov. Here in Alexey Bogdanchikov the first of two

baritones singing tonight when it is hard to hear a Russian baritone

without thinking of another. How did he come up to the mark for you

tonight? Actually are, it is a great voice and a great technique. The

problem is what you the don't get at home watching on the television or

listening on the radio, is the voice is quite small in the hall, he

started off and one day he will be a Verdi baritone, but not yet. And

then he sang that, and you need to be a show man to get away with that

and he didn't quite pull it out of the hat.

He opened with a death aria and closed with an opening aria. What

was that about? LAUGHTER

Well, you know, that's the way he wants to do it.

It is a really, arele classy voice and he has a fantastic technique. A

lovely ring to his voice and he is extremely clever, polished, singer,

but he doesn't have, I think, he has got a little bit to learn about

being a performer. He is 27, so... He is a keen football player and he

says he keeps physically fit. How important is that to being an opera

singer? LAUGHTER

Extremely important from the point of view of breathing and his

technique, you know, he never pushes his voice. He pulls his voice in and

he spins it on the breath and you have to have really, really good and

he did one massively long phrase, it was fantastic. This afternoon in the

rehearse rehearsal, I thought he will never do it on the night and he

did. He showed us a lot of clever things.

Fantastic, well, next a singer from Egypt, a country that's been

represented here for the first time. She is a mezzo-soprano and let's see

Hello. I'm Gala El Hadidi and I'm representing Egypt and I'm thrilled

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to be here. I can't believe my dream Gala El Hadidi from Egypt. Is she a

contender? She is a showgirl. You pay your money and you get 100%. I'm

not, she didn't touch me. She doesn't move me. She gave us all the

big show-stoppers and you know, for me, I want a little bit more

finesse. All we got was a lot of one dynamic and I would like her to have

played a little bit more with her voice and really sort of coloured a

little bit more and been a little bit more intelligent with her

singing. Interesting stuff. Well, this is a

very big year for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. This is the 30th an is

versery. Previous winners come on top billing at the world's major

opera houses. No wonder what happens here is

followed keenly by opera fans. It is a treat they cannot do without and I

caught up with some of them between recitals.

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

John and Margaret Jones are devoted fans from the Isle of Wight. I hear

you have been coming to Cardiff Singer over the past 30 years. How

did you get involved? We were here in Cardiff on business. We saw the

singing competition in St David's Hall. We walked in off the street

and we heard the wonderful singers and we were hooked.

What he keeps you coming back? standard of the singing and the

warmth of the Welsh audience is fantastic. So it is fair to say you

must be Cardiff singer's biggest fans, right? We have been to every p

one since we started and as we go, we book the hotel for the same time

two years hence. I think that really says it all.

And there is an international fanbase too.

Barbara, it is not your first time at Cardiff Singer, is it? Not at

all, since 1993, this is my ninth time.

Aur not from around these parts? Originally from Texas, but New York

is my home. You fly every year? Once here, I was

hooked, what can I say? So you have made many friends in Cardiff Singer?

People in the audience and I have had eight Welshmen at my tiny

apartment for thanksgiving dinner. A lucky lady! The competition is

inspiring a new generation of fans like Jess.

You can feel the buzz and all the high quality artists are coming to

compete. Who is your money on this year?

have got to go with Gary, the Welshman. I have got to support him.

Who else! Xablegt Exactly. High five.

Well, that's what I call a loyal following. We heard highlights from

three singers in round two. If you want to see a longer version of

tonight's concert, tune in on BBC Four tomorrow.

Next, tonight's fourth singer, another mezzo-soprano and this time,

My name is Loriana Castellano and I'm from Italy. I'm really happy to

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be here in Cardiff and singing in Loriana Castellano from Italy. Did

she impress you? The runny bits to you and me, they were excellent. The

only thing I felt, she was a bit out of control and now again her

pitching was dodgy, but she is a real stage animal.

An Italian girl, singing three pieces in Italian, compare that to

our young lady from Egypt. Is that going to count against her that she

only showed off one language? don't think so. She sang the things

she sings well and I think it goes back to what Wind Wynne said about

programming. Sometimes it is good to show French or German, but if that's

what she really feels she is, a Handel singer and a Mozart singer,

it is going to be Italy repertoire. Loriana Castellano is a football

player. She plays on the attack, do you think she was on the attack

tonight? She was a tiger tonight. She really showed her stage animal

presence. Brilliant. On to the last singer on

stage tonight at 25 years of age, he is one of the youngest in this

competition. He is a baritone and he is from South Africa.

Hello. My name is Luthando Qave. I'm representing South Africa. It is an

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honour and privilege to be part of Luthando Qave there from South

Africa. He is o only 25 years old. Did he do it for you this evening,

or is he too young? He didn't do it for me. Some people are 25 already.

He is not. He looked lost on the stage. His programme choice wasn't

brilliant. You have got to be sure you are going to nail that one.

Unfortunately, for me, it was nearly all out of tune and I hear a slight

bleat on the voice and for me that shows that the breathing isn't quite

right. Also, he began in the second set of

the evening and then had to sing the Mozart. That was in the wrong order

really. I mean, I disagree with Wynne. I think he has got a lovely

voice. I think he is just too young. He is not there yet. I think it is a

beautiful voice and when he sang, you can really hear the lyric line

and it will become more secure. I just think he has been overwhelmed

by this situation. I think he is a really honest singer and he will

have touched a lot of people this evening.

You just want to give him a clutch. This competition inspired him for

everything. He saw a DVD of Britain and it got him singing -- Bryn in

South Africa and that got him singing.

Now, we have heard from all five singers and it is time to pick our

winner. The winner on the night isn't guaranteed a place in the

final. The jury will choose the five best performers across the week so

on a strong night there might be more than one. Catrin, a name for

you? It has got to be Maria Celeng. Yeah. And Wynne?It was not so clear

cut tonight. Last night, we knew straightaway. But, I will go with

the Hungarian soprano as well. Well, that's wh who our experts --

well, that's who our experts think should win. We have a winner. Let's

hear from the chair of the jury, Nicholas Payne.

The winner we have chosen from tonight's second concert is Maria

APPLAUSE The winner is looking emotional and

excited winning round two of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2013.

And holding the trophy aloft. Well, that was a few minutes ago and

we are delighted now to welcome Maria Celeng from Hungary, the

winner of the second round of BBC Did you have a great time out there

tonight? Yes. Yes. Yes. Thanks so much for the audience because I

always say and it is like this, it is a communication between us. I am

telling something and I feel that they are telling something and it

worked. So thank you so much. Well, we felt that you communicated

with all of us. We all felt moved by your performance and I know the

audience were also. Huge congratulations. A big week for you

now and good news today because you have heard you are through to the

Song Final as well. So I'm happy. I will not sleep!

Well, you need to sleep. You must sleep.

Everybody, that's it for tonight. Congratulations to our winner, Maria

Celeng and many thanks to our special guests, Catrin Wyn-Davies

and Wind -- Wynne Evans. If you want to see a longer version of tonight's

concert, tune in to BBC Four at 7. 30pm tomorrow night.