A singing contest will be organized for the first time within the International Opera and Ballet Festival “Maria Biesu”. Recently, the winner of the contest for designing the contest trophy has been announced. A special commission of the Minister of Culture examined 11 works and selected sculptor Gheorghe Postovan’s sketch. The artist told Info-Prim Neo he had proposed two works. The winning one symbolizes music and represents a geometrical form like an element of an organ, meaning the sound. At the base of the sculpture there are some piano keys, while on top of the geometrical form there are the initials of great singer Maria Biesu –MB. Gheorghe Postovan said that the work is made of gypsum, but will be cast into bronze. Head of the Ministry of Culture’s division for professional arts, artistic education and cultural industry Aliona Strambeanu told Info-Prim Neo that 20,000 lei were allotted for creating the contest trophy. The Festival “Maria Biesu Invites” is at its 20th edition. Its name was changed to the International Opera Festival “Maria Biesu”, which will include a singing contest. The festival will take place between September 7 and 15. The prima donna of the National Opera passed away on May 16, aged 76. At 32 years, Maria Biesu obtained the title of the “Best Cio-Cio-San” at the Miura Tomaki International Festival in Japan. After her great success in Tokyo, she embarked on a great concerting career.