The winners of the Operalia competition have been announced after the finals, which were held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai, India.

The first prize was given to American soprano Kathleen O’Mara and Chinese bass-baritone Le Bu. O’Mara is currently a member of LA Opera’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program and is a 2024 recipient of the Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation. Le Bu is featured in the 2024-25 Metropolitan Opera season and spent two seasons in the company’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

Founded in 1993 by Placido Domingo, Operalia aims to discover and help launch the careers of young opera singers. It is directed at singers between the ages of 20 and 32, of all voice types and from across the world. Each year the competition receives hundred of applicants and a pre-selection jury listens to every recording and chooses the top 30-40 candidates to participate in the competition. The international jury, presided by Placido Domingo, listens to each of the chosen participants during the two days of the quarterfinals. Twenty participants are then selected to continue to the semi-finals, and ten singers go through to the final. The finals are presented in the form of a gala concert accompanied by full orchestra. 

Full winners list:

First Prize

Kathleen O’Mara, soprano, USA

Le Bu, bass-baritone, China

Second Prize

Elmina Hasan, mezzo-soprano, Azerbaijan

Angel Romero, tenor, USA

Third Prize

Sun-Ly Pierce, mezzo-soprano, USA

Meridian Prall, mezzo-soprano, USA

Polina Shabunina, soprano, Russia

Vladislav Chizhov, baritone, Russia

Birgit Nilsson Prize

Kathleen O’Mara, soprano, USA

Le Bu, bass-baritone, China

The Pepita Embil Prize of Zarzuela

Elmina Hasan, mezzo-soprano, Azerbaijan

The Don Plácido Domingo Ferrer Prize of Zarzuela

Angel Romero, tenor, USA

Rolex Prize of the Audience

Elmina Hasan, mezzo-soprano, Azerbaijan

Jack Lee, baritone, UK

CulturArte Prize

Eliza Boom, soprano, New Zealand

You can find out more about Operalia here