On 23 October Vitali Alekseenok won the XI Arturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition in Parma, Italy. He received the first prize, the Audience Award, the prize for the best performance of a Verdi opera, the Milan Conservatory prize, as well as other prizes and engagements.
This competition was a unique event in the world of international competitions because for the first time it focused on the performance of the opera repertoire. The event took place in two large time slots in May and October 2021. The first part consisted of a two-week workshop with more than 15 Italian opera experts (singers, musicologists, vocal coaches, conductors, etc.) and of the first round of the competition. The semi-finals and finals of the competition took place in October. Each round included numerous sub-rounds, where each competitor demonstrated their competence in working with internationally acclaimed singers, choirs, La Toscanini orchestra individually, as well as all together in the finals at the Teatro Regio in Parma. The jury was made up of directors, casting directors and members from leading opera houses around the world, such as La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Semper Opera in Dresden, Teatro Collón in Buenos Aires, the Royal Opera House in London, Palau de les Arts in Valencia. The President of the Jury that presented the awards to Vitali was Fabio Luisi.
You can read several announcements about this here and here.