TITLE: [PARTICIPATE] Dama Vocal Festival 2008 National Singing Competition
PRIZE:

DEADLINE: 8 October 2008
WEBSITE/URL: http://www.damaorchestra.com/

DESCRIPTION:
NATIONAL SINGING COMPETITION
Western & Chinese Arias/Classical Songs & Songs from Musical/Crossovers

SEMI-FINAL Saturday, 25th October 2008 (5.00 pm & 8.00 pm)
FINAL Sunday, 26th October 2008 (8.30 pm)

Venue
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac)
Pentas 1, Sentul West, Jalan Strachan, Off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur

Eligibility
The COMPETITION is open to citizens and permanent residents of Malaysia
The age of the singers and accompanists-in-competition must be between 17 and 35 years old

Application Closing Date
8th October 2008

Application Form & Terms and Conditions
Please click here

Enquiry
The Administrator - National Singing Competition
Dama Vocal Festival 2008
M-2-10 Plaza Damas
60 Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Sri Hartamas
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-6201 9108 / 9107 Fax: 03-6201 9109
Email:

dama@damaorchestra.com

Patron
Datin Linda Koay

Supported By
HSBC in the Arts

DAMA VOCAL FESTIVAL 2008 - COMPETITION & CONCERTS
NATIONAL SINGING COMPETITION
SEMI-FINAL: Saturday, 25th October 2008 (5.00 pm & 8.00 pm)
FINAL: Sunday, 26th October 2008 (8.30 pm)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NATIONAL SINGING COMPETITION
Listed below are the terms and conditions for the participation in the National Singing Competition
(hereafter, the COMPETITION) of Dama Vocal Festival 2008 (hereafter, the FESTIVAL). The
FESTIVAL shall kick off with the COMPETITION and culminate in the FESTIVAL Concert
(hereafter, the CONCERT). The FESTIVAL is founded and organised by Dama Orchestra/Dama
Music Productions Sdn Bhd (hereafter, DAMA or the ORGANISER). The management and
administration of the COMPETITION comes under the purview of the ADMINISTRATOR. Prospective
candidates interested to participate in the COMPETITION are advised to read the terms and conditions
below carefully and returned a signed copy of acknowledgement of these terms and conditions when
submitting in their application forms.
COMPETITION, PRIZE MONEY, TROPHY, PRIZES AND APPEARANCES
1. The COMPETITION is open to both singers and accompanists.
First Prize: RM6,000
Second Prize: RM3,000
Third Prize: RM1,500
Accompanist’s Prize: RM2,000
2. The prizes that are to be paid out in terms of money will be handed over during the
awards giving ceremony at the conclusion of the final.
3. All non-monetary prizes won by the candidates during the COMPETITION are not
transferable nor exchangeable for cash or otherwise.
4. In addition, the winners may, at the discretion of the ORGANISER, be given an
opportunity to appear in the Festival concerts, held in conjunction with the VOCAL
FESTIVAL 2008 celebration, and share the same performing stage with specially invited
guest singers and DAMA ORCHESTRA.
5. In addition, the prize winners may, at the discretion of DAMA, be invited to participate in
DAMA’s future professional musical or opera productions, such as I HAVE A DATE WITH
SPRING, EMPRESS WU, MADAMA BUTTERFLY and TURANDOT.
ELIGIBILITY
6. The conditions for eligibility are as follows:
• The competition is open to all Malaysian citizens and permanent residents of
Malaysia;
• The candidate must be between 17 and 35 years of age (born on or after 3rd
November 1973) at the time of the final; and
• Pianists intending to compete for the accompanist’s award must also be under 35
years of age.
ENTRY AND APPLICATION
7. Interested candidates must submit to the COMPETITION ADMINISTRATOR their
application form, together with the required recordings, personal particulars and
enrolment fee.
• The application, together with a DVD/VCD recording of two (2) works accompanied
on piano, must by 8th October 2008 reach:
THE ADMINISTRATOR - National Singing Competition
Dama Vocal Festival 2008
M-2-10 Plaza Damas
60 Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Sri Hartamas
50480 Kuala Lumpur
• The works recorded for submission must comprise (a) one work from the repertoire
of Category A and (b) one other work from the repertoire of Category B (please
refer to the repertoire details provided below);
• A non-refundable enrolment fee of RM100 (in favour of Dama Music Productions
Sdn Bhd) for application processing must be made together with the application
form submission;
• A soft copy of candidate’s CV (with particulars of education, scholarships, prizes and
concert appearances) as well as a short biography suitable for the programme book
and a copy of the candidate’s identity card needed for confirming date and place of
birth are to be submitted with the application; and
• Late and incomplete application will not be entertained.
DVD/VCD RECORDING
8. The DVD/VCD recording shall be reviewed for the purpose of short-listing the
candidates for the semi-final round of the competition.
• The candidate in the DVD/VCD recording must be fully visible (full-body portrait) at
all times on the screen;
• The camera angle of the recording must be fixed; and
• The pianist need not be visible on screen.
COMPETTION PROCEDURE AND STAGES
9. The competition shall comprise several stages.
• Application and DVD/VCD recording are to reach THE ADMINISTRATOR by 8th
October 2008;
• Sixteen (16) semi-finalists will be selected based on an evaluation of their recorded
performances in the DVD/VCD;
• Names of the semi-finalists will be made known by 15th October 2008;
• The Semi-Final will be held over two sessions on 25th October 2008 (5.00 pm & 8.00
pm);
• Eight (8) candidates from the semi-final round will move on to take part in the Final;
• Names of the finalists will be made known at the conclusion of the Semi-Final; and
• The Final will be held on 26th October 2008 (8.30 pm).
COMPETITON REPERTOIRE
10. All works presented must be solos and with piano accompaniment.
• Each candidate must prepare a total of four (4) works to be sung from memory and
the selected works shall include the two recorded works submitted with the
application;
• All works may be sung in the original language;
• Works are to be selected from the following categories:
Category A: Western and Chinese Arias and Classical Songs
Category B: Songs from Musicals and Crossovers
• Submission of the candidate’s selected four (4) works from the repertoire is final and
subsequent changes to the selected works are not allowed.
SEMI-FINAL AND FINAL REGISTRATION
11. Candidates must register themselves an hour before the starting of the competition in
both the Semi-Final and Final rounds.
12. Failure to register early will result in the disqualification of the candidate concerned.
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE FOR SEMI-FINALISTS AND FINALISTS
13. The order for the rehearsal shall be similar to the order of appearance of the candidates
in the Semi-Final and Final;
• Rehearsal time at the competition venue for the candidates and pianists on 25th - 26th
October shall be scheduled between 10.30 am and 4.00 pm;
• Individual rehearsals for the Semi-Final on 25th October shall be 20 minutes each
while that for the Final on 26th October shall be 40 minutes each;
• Both semi-finalists and finalists will be obliged to attend all rehearsals as specified;
and
• No additional replacement of rehearsal time will be entertained should the candidate
fail to turn up for his or her assigned rehearsal slot.
SEMI-FINAL AND FINAL PROGRAMME
14. In the Semi-Final and the Final rounds, the candidates are required to present two (2)
works in each of the rounds.
• Works sung in the Semi-Final cannot be repeated in the Final;
• The two works selected for the semi-final or the final must be in accordance with the
selection framework highlighted above - that is, (a) one work from the repertoire of
Category A and (b) one other work from the repertoire of Category B;
• Works from Category B will be presented first and those from Category A will be
presented subsequently; and
• For the overall planning of their presentation sequence, the candidates have the
following options - (a) singing both their recorded works in the Semi-Final and,
should they move on, two new works in the Final, or (b) singing two new works in
the Semi-Final and, should they move on, their two recorded works in the Final, or
(c) singing one new and one recorded works in the Semi-Final as well as in the Final
should they reach that stage.
DRESS CODE
15. Dress code for the competition - Ladies: Evening Dress and Gentlemen: Suit or Tuxedo
or Tailcoat.
JUDGING IN SEMI-FINAL AND FINAL
16. The order of performance of the candidates will be determined by a draw and will apply
to all the rounds of the competition.
• The order of performance for the Semi-Final will be confirmed at the latest the day
before the Semi-Final;
• The order of performance for the Final will be made known after the announcement
of the Semi-Final results, following the confirmation of the names of candidates
moving on to the Final round;
• The judges have the right to interrupt or stop any candidate’s performance at any
period of the performance or at any stage of competition;
• In the Final, the final overall scoring for the individual candidates’ performance shall
be based on the total scores aggregated from both their semi-final and final
performances;
• Prizes are awarded, and may be withheld, at the judges’ sole discretion;
• For the purpose of maintaining the competition’s high standard, the judges reserve
the right to refrain from awarding a prize altogether or to divide a prize; and
• Decisions of the judges will be final and beyond appeal, and no legal recourse is
possible.
JUDGING OF ACCOMPANISTS
17. Piano accompanists are to be provided by the candidates.
• The pianists have the option to elect either (a) to compete, or (b) not to compete in
the competition;
• Pianists electing to compete for the accompanist’s award must submit their names in
main application form; failing which, they will not be judged;
• A soft copy of candidate’s CV (with particulars of education, scholarships, prizes and
concert appearances) as well as a short biography suitable for the programme book
and a copy of the candidate’s identity card needed for confirming date and place of
birth are to be submitted with the application;
• Accompanists shall be judged on the best individual performance basis, irrespective
of whether that high-scoring performance is featured in Semi-Final or Final round;
• The accompanist whose singer fails to reach the Final would still be in contention
for the Accompanist’s Award based solely on his or her semi-final performance;
• Prizes are awarded, and may be withheld, at the judges’ sole discretion; and
• Decisions of the judges will be final and beyond appeal, and no legal recourse is
possible.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
18. Members of the judging panel who have professional or family relations with a candidate
will abstain from judging the candidate concerned.
19. Candidates making any attempt to communicate with members of the judging panel
either personally or through a third party will be disqualified.
PUBLICITY AND PR MANAGEMENT
20. All approaches made by the candidates to the media in relation to the COMPETITION or
during the COMPETITION period must be made through and approved by the
ADMINISTRATOR.
21. Candidates must make themselves available for media calls as and when required by the
ADMINISTRATOR.
PERFORMANCE, RECORDING AND BROADCASTING RIGHTS
22. DAMA reserves the right to videotape, film, record or photograph all candidates, all
performances, all stages of the COMPETITION and all performances in the CONCERTS
for archival, promotional, broadcasting and commercial purposes in any format or
medium without any payment to the candidates concerned;
23. Candidates shall release all performing rights for all the live and recorded television or
radio broadcasts, both in Malaysia and abroad, and for all Web transmissions and
downloads, whichever is applicable;
24. All the above rights shall remain with the COMPETITION and with DAMA; and
25. No fees, royalties residuals or other consideration will be payable to the candidates in
respect of any broadcast, subsequent rebroadcast or any other use by the ORGANISER.
PERFORMANCES IN THE FESTIVAL CONCERTS
26. As an integral programme of the DAMA VOCAL FESTIVAL, the winners of the First Prize
and Second Prize are to take part and showcase their winning talents - unless specified
otherwise by the ORGANISER.
• 30th October: Concert Theme: Western Arias and Classical Songs
• 31st October: Concert Theme: Western Musical and Crossover Songs
• 1st November: Concert Theme: Chinese Classical & Folk Songs
• 2nd November: Concert Theme: Chinese Golden Oldies
27. The prize winners are obliged to perform - subject to DAMA’s discretion - up to a total
of not more than eight (8) songs, in any of the four (4) CONCERTS deemed suitable by
the ORGANISER.
• The four (4) songs sung in the competition must be included in the concert
presentations;
• The selection of the additional (4) songs to be presented shall be discussed with and
advised by the ORGANISER, and the songs thus selected may cover similar or other
music categories or genres as listed in the four FESTIVAL CONCERT themes.
• No concert appearance fee is payable as this is part and parcel of the prize money
consideration;
• A per diem or an allowance of RM100 per day will be provided should the
candidates be required for rehearsals with director, sound check, technical rehearsals,
dress rehearsals and concert performances; and
• Transportation reimbursements (to and fro Kuala Lumpur by coach) and
accommodation (based on twin sharing basis) shall be provided to outstation prize
winners appearing in the concerts.
28. Non-participation or non-appearance of prize-winning candidates at the FESTIVAL
CONCERTS will result in the loss of their prize money.
OTHER GENERAL CONDITIONS
29. The ORGANISER reserves the right to amend or vary any of the terms and conditions of
the DAMA VOCAL FESTIVAL, the FESTIVAL COMPETITION and the FESTIVAL CONCERTS
without prior notice to any candidates.
30. In the event of any dispute concerning the operation of any aspect of the FESTIVAL, the
COMPETITION and the CONCERTS or the related terms and conditions, the decision of
the ORGANISER is final.
31. All materials submitted to the COMPETITION - including recordings and photos - shall
reside with and be the property of DAMA.
32. The ADMINISTRATOR has the right to include and edit the candidate’s biography.
33. DAMA cannot be held liable or responsible for any loss or injury arising in connection
with any candidate’s participation and appearance in the FESTIVAL, the COMPETITION
and the CONCERTS howsoever caused.
34. The details given herein are correct at the time of their release to the public but the
ORGANISER reserves the right to alter the arrangements as occasion demands.
35. The ORGANISER reserves the right to cancel the FESTIVAL, the COMPETITION and the
CONCERTS without giving reasons, and refund the enrolment fee.