Last updated: 06 July 2007
Legendary soprano Gundula Janowitz is on the main prize jury. 2007 saw her third visit to the competition.
Gundula Janowitz was born in Berlin of Austrian descent. She completed her studies at the Academy of Music in Graz (Austria).
In 1959 Herbert von Karajan engaged her for the Vienna State Opera and she remained a member until 1990. In 1966 she became a permanent member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and peformed as guest artist at all the major opera houses of the world.
In opera, she is best known for her interpretations of Mozart and Richard Strauss.
She is well known as a recording artist of Lieder, oratorio and opera with conductors such as Abbado, Bernstein, Böhm, Haitink, Jochum, von Karajan, Kempe, Kleiber, Knappertsbusch, Kubelik, Mehta, Richter and Szell.
Her greatest love is lieder. She has given more than 300 lieder recitals in the most important music centres of Europe, Japan and the United States. Her recording of all the Schubert songs for female voice has twice received the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis.
The title of Kammersängerin was bestowed upon her in 1969 in Vienna and in 1974 in Berlin. She is honorary member of the Vienna State Opera and of the Academy of Music in Graz. In 2000, she was made an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music in London.
