Yesterday the winners of the Operalia competition were announced after gala concert finale at the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. 

The First Prize was given to French soprano Julie Roset and South Korean bass Stephano Park. Roset is due to make her Opéra de Paris debut in a new production of Charpentier’s Médée as Amour and Park is currently a member of the Wiener Staatsoper Opernstudio where is currently one of the Two Armed Men in Die Zauberflöte.

Founded in 1993 by Plácido Domingo, Operalia is aimed at singers between the ages of twenty and thirty-two, of all voice types from and all over the world. Each year, the competition receives hundreds of applications. A pre-selection jury listened to every recording submitted and chose the top candidates to participate in this year’s competition. The international jury, presided by Plácido Domingo, then listened to each of the chosen participants during two days of quarterfinals. Twenty participants were then selected to continue on to the semifinals, and ten singers went through to the final round which was presented as a gala concert on Sunday accompanied by full orchestra.

Full winners list:

First Prize

Julie Roset, soprano, France
Stephano Park, bass, South Korea

Second Prize

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA

Third Prize

Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia

Birgit Nilsson Prize

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France

The Pepita Embil Prize of Zarzuela

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France

The Don Plácido Domingo Ferrer Prize of Zarzuela

Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia

Rolex Prize of the Audience

Elena Villalón, soprano, USA

Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea

CulturArte Prize

Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa

You can find out more about Operalia here