Operalia, The World Opera Competition
Operalia, The World Opera Competition is an annual international competition for young opera singers. Founded in 1993 by Plácido Domingo, the competition has helped launch the careers of several important artists, such as Joseph Calleja, Giuseppe Filianoti, Rolando Villazón, José Cura, Joyce DiDonato, Elizabeth Futral, Inva Mula and Ana María Martínez.[1][2]
Overview
Operalia is based in Paris but hosts its competition in a different city each year. Cities which have hosted the competition include Paris at both the Palais Garnier and Théâtre du Châtelet, Mexico City at the Televisa Recording Studios, Madrid at the Teatro de la Zarzuela, Bordeaux at the Grand Théâtre, Tokyo at the Kan-I Hoken Hall, Hamburg at the Laeiszhalle, Puerto Rico at the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center, Los Angeles at both UCLA's Royce Hall and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Washington, D.C. at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium, the Lake Constance region in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, Madrid at the Teatro Real, Valencia at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, and Québec at the Palais Montcalm and Grand Théâtre de Québec.
The competition is open to singers between the ages of 18 and 32 who are already performing at a highly skilled level. All voice types of both sexes are able to compete. Participants in the competition are selected by audition through a submitted recording to Operalia. A panel of three judges listens and evaluates the audition tapes. Only the top 40 submissions are invited to compete in the competition. Typically the organization receives 800 to 1,000 submissions each year, making entry into the competition alone an honor.
The competition is presided over every year by Plácido Domingo, although he himself does not judge the competition. A jury of 10 opera directors from important opera houses all over the world is assembled to judge the competition. Competitors must prepare 4 arias for the competition which consists of four rounds. In the first round each singer gets to choose one aria they want to sing and then the jury selects the other aria from their list of four for them to perform. Singers can also compete in a separate zarzuela competition. If they choose to do so they would perform an additional zarzuela piece in each round. Of the 40 singers, half of them are eliminated in the first round. The second round involves the performance of one more aria, after which only 10 singers move on to the next round. Likewise, the third round eliminates half of the singers, leaving only five participants in the final round. The first three rounds are performed with piano accompaniment and the final round is sung with a symphonic orchestra conducted by Plácido Domingo. Eleven singers make it into the final round of the general opera competition with five singers named as finalists in the zarzuela competition.
The competition has a total of 10 prizes which total up to 175,000 US dollars. In the general competition 1st prize, 2nd prize, and 3rd prize are awarded, one of each to both sexes, making a total of 6 prizes. Within the zarzuela competition two prizes are awarded, one to a male singer and one to a female singer. These prizes are named in honor of Domingo's parents, Plácido Domingo Ferrer and Pepita Embil, both of whom were popular zarzuela singers. There is also a prize awarded by the audience of the final competition to one female singer and one male singer, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize for performance in the German repertoire of Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner. It is possible for a singer to win more than one award. More important than the money received by the prize is the recognition and career boost given by the competition. It is normal for the opera directors judging the competition to engage competition winners for future opera performances with their companies, or for them to connect artists with other opera directors.
List of winners
Name | Voice type | Country | Prize | Year, place |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dinara Aliyeva | soprano | Azerbaijan | 3rd Prize | 2010, Milan |
Enkhbatyn Amartüvshin | baritone | Mongolia | 1st Prize | 2012, Beijing |
Simone Alberghini | bass | Italy | Winner | 1994, Mexico City |
Maria Teresa Alberola Banuls | soprano | Spain | 3rd Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2006, Valencia |
Kate Aldrich | mezzo-soprano | United States | CulturArte Prize | 2002, Paris |
Orlin Anastassov | bass | Bulgaria | 1st Prize | 1999, Puerto Rico |
Sébastien Guèze | tenor | France | 2nd Prize & Audience Prize | 2006, Valencia |
Konstyantyn Andreyev | tenor | Ukraine | 3rd Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2000, Los Angeles |
Thiago Arancam | tenor | Brazil | 2nd Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2008, Québec |
Oxana Arkaeva | soprano | Ukraine | Winner | 1994, Mexico City |
Javier Arrey | baritone | Chile | CulturArte Prize | 2011, Moscow |
Ainhoa Arteta | soprano | Spain | Winner & Audience Prize | 1993, Paris |
Brian Asawa | countertenor | United States | Winner | 1994, Mexico City |
Jae Chul Bae | tenor | South Korea | CulturArte Prize | 1998, Hamburg |
René Barbera | tenor | United States | 1st Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2011, Moscow |
Isabel Bayrakdarian | soprano | Canada | 1st Prize | 2000, Los Angeles |
Vitaly Bilyy | baritone | Ukraine | 4th Prize | 2004, Los Angeles |
Jordan Bisch | bass | United States | 2nd Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
David Bižić | bass-baritone | Serbia | 2nd Prize | 2007, Paris |
Benjamin Bliss | tenor | United States | Zarzuela Prize | 2013, Verona |
Angel Blue | soprano | United States | 2nd Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
Zach Borichevsky | tenor | United States | 3rd Prize | 2013, Verona |
Janai Brugger | soprano | United States | 1st Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2012, Beijing |
Roman Burdenko | baritone | Russia | 3rd Prize | 2012, Beijing |
Olga Busuioc | soprano | Moldova | 2nd Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2011, Moscow |
Joseph Calleja | tenor | Malta | CulturArte Prize | 1999, Puerto Rico |
Mariola Cantarero | soprano | Spain | Zarzuela Prize | 1999, Puerto Rico |
Marco Caria | baritone | Italy | 2nd Prize & Audience Prize | 2007, Paris |
Mario Cassi | baritone | Italy | Zarzuela Prize | 2003, Bodensee |
Arturo Chacón Cruz | tenor | Mexico | Zarzuela Prize & CulturArte Prize | 2005, Madrid |
Hae Ji Chang | soprano | South Korea | Zarzuela Prize | 2013, Verona |
Mario Chang | tenor | Guatemala | 1st Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2014, Los Angeles |
Jennifer Check | soprano | United States | Zarzuela Prize | 2003, Bodensee |
Carlos Cosías | tenor | Spain | Zarzuela Prize | 1998, Hamburg |
Anaïs Constans | soprano | France | 3rd Prize | 2014, Los Angeles |
Anthony Roth Costanzo | countertenor | United States | 1st Prize | 2012, Beijing |
Tracy Cox | soprano | United States | Birgit Nilsson Prize | 2013, Verona |
José Cura | tenor | Argentina | Winner & Audience Prize | 1994, Mexico City |
Adriana Damato | soprano | Italy | 1st Prize | 2003, Bodensee |
Maya Daskuk | soprano | Russia | 3rd Prize | 2001, Washington, D.C. |
Lise Davidsen | soprano | Norway | 1st Prize & Birgit Nilsson Prize & Audience Prize | 2015, London |
Stéphane Degout | baritone | France | 2nd Prize | 2002, Paris |
Maria Cecilia Diaz | mezzo-soprano | Argentina | Winner | 1994, Mexico |
Joyce DiDonato | mezzo-soprano | United States | 2nd Prize | 1998, Hamburg |
Vladimir Dmitruk | tenor | Belarus | CulturArte Prize | 2013, Verona |
Kinga Dobay | mezzo-soprano | Germany | Zarzuela Prize | 2005, Madrid |
Elsa Dreisig | soprano | France | 1st Prize | 2016, Guadalajara/Mexico |
Rosa Feola | soprano | Italy | 2nd Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2010, Milan |
Andión Fernández | soprano | Philippines | Zarzuela Prize | 1998, Hamburg |
Giuseppe Filianoti | tenor | Italy | 2nd Prize | 1999, Puerto Rico |
Dimitrios Flemotomos | tenor | Greece | 2nd Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
Maria Fontosh | soprano | Russia | 3rd Prize | 2002, Paris |
Bruce Fowler | tenor | United States | Winner | 1994, Mexico |
Julie Fuchs | soprano | France | 2nd Prize | 2013, Verona |
Elizabeth Futral | soprano | United States | 2nd Prize | 1995, Madrid |
Aurelio Gabaldon | tenor | Spain | Zarzuela Prize | 2007, Paris |
Antonio Gandia | tenor | Spain | Zarzuela Prize | 2001, Washington, D.C. |
Jesus Garcia | tenor | United States | 3rd Prize | 2003, Bodensee |
Aida Garifullina | soprano | Russia | 1st Prize | 2013, Verona |
Eugenia Garza | soprano | Mexico | Zarzuela Prize | 2001, Washington, D.C. |
Oziel Garza-Ornelas | baritone | Mexico | Zarzuela Prize | 1996, Bordeaux |
Carmen Giannattasio | soprano | Italy | 1st Prize | 2002, Paris |
Rachele Gilmore | soprano | United States | Zarzuela Prize | 2007, Paris |
Jozef Gjipali | tenor | Albania | 2nd Prize | 2003, Bodensee |
Joshua Guerrero | tenor | United States/Mexico | 2nd Prize & CulturArte Prize | 2014, Los Angeles |
Nancy Herrera | mezzo-soprano | Spain | Zarzuela Prize | 1996, Bordeaux |
John Holiday | countertenor | United States | 3rd Prize | 2014, Los Angeles |
Ioan Hotea | tenor | Romania | First Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2015, London |
Claudia Huckle | contralto | United Kingdom | Birgit Nilsson Prize | 2013, Verona |
He Hui | soprano | China | 2nd Prize | 2000, Los Angeles |
Carla Maria Izzo | soprano | Italy | 1st Prize & Audience Prize | 1997, Tokyo |
Brian Jagde | tenor | United States | 2nd Prize & Birgit Nilsson Prize | 2012, Beijing |
Maria Jooste | soprano | South Africa | 4th Prize | 2004, Los Angeles |
Joseph Kaiser | tenor | Canada | 2nd Prize | 2005, Madrid |
Hyoung-Kyoo Kang | baritone | South Korea | 2nd Prize | 2001, Washington, D.C. |
Nadezhda Karyazina | mezzo-soprano | Russia | 3rd Prize | 2012, Beijing |
María Alejandres Katzarava | soprano | Mexico | 1st Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2008, Québec |
Ketevan Kemoklidze | mezzo-soprano | Georgia | Zarzuela Prize | 2008, Québec |
Jae Hyoung Kim | tenor | South Korea | Zarzuela Prize | 2002, Paris |
Keon-Woo Kim | tenor | South Korea | 1st Prize | 2016, Guadalajara/Mexico |
Sung Eun Kim | soprano | South Korea | 1st Prize | 1995, Madrid |
Woo Kyung Kim | tenor | South Korea | 1st Prize | 2004, Los Angeles |
Anna Kiknadze | mezzo-soprano | Georgia | Zarzuela Prize | 2002, Paris |
Arnold Kocharyan | baritone | Armenia | Zarzuela Prize | 2000, Los Angeles |
Dmitry Korchak | tenor | Russia | 4th Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2004, Los Angeles |
Maija Kovaļevska | soprano | Latvia | 1st Prize | 2006, Valencia |
Nataliya Kovalova | soprano | Ukraine | 2nd Prize & Audience Prize | 2004, Los Angeles |
Vitalij Kowaljow | bass | Ukraine | CulturArte Prize | 1999, Puerto Rico |
Oksana Kramaryeva | soprano | Ukraine | 2nd Prize & Audience Prize | 2008, Québec |
Alexey Kudrya | tenor | Russia | 1st Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
Vasily Ladyuk | baritone | Russia | 1st Prize | 2005, Madrid |
Valeriano Lanchas | bass | Colombia | Zarzuela Prize | 2001, Washington |
Joshua Langston Hopkins | baritone | Canada | 3rd Prize | 2005, Madrid |
Jaesig Lee | tenor | South Korea | 3rd Prize | 2011, Moscow |
Ekaterina Lekhina | soprano | Russia | 1st Prize | 2007, Paris |
Kathryn Lewek | soprano | United States | 3rd Prize & Audience Prize | 2013, Verona |
Ao Li | bass-baritone | China | 1st Prize | 2013, Verona |
Chang Yong Liao | baritone | China | 1st Prize | 1997, Tokyo |
Chae Jun Lim | bass | South Korea | 3rd Prize | 2010, Milan |
David Lomeli | tenor | Mexico | 1st Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2006, Valencia |
Israel Lozano | tenor | Spain | 3rd Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2003, Bodensee |
Giordano Lucà | tenor | Italy | 2nd Prize | 2010, Milan |
Irina Lungu | soprano | Russia | CulturArte Prize | 2004, Los Angeles |
Aquiles Machado | tenor | Venezuela | 2nd Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 1997, Tokyo |
Elena Manistina | mezzo-soprano | Russia | 1st Prize | 2002, Paris |
Ana María Martínez | soprano | Puerto Rico | Zarzuela Prize | 1995, Madrid |
Elisaveta Martirosyan | soprano | Georgia | Audience Prize | 2001, Washington, D.C. |
John Matz | tenor | United States | 2nd Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2002, Paris |
Ryan McKinny | bass-baritone | United States | Birgit Nilsson Prize | 2010, Milan |
David Menendez Diaz | baritone | Spain | 3rd Prize | 2005, Madrid |
Carlos Moreno | tenor | Spain | 3rd Prize | 1996, Bordeaux |
Maki Mori | soprano | Japan | 3rd Prize | 1998, Hamburg |
Inva Mula | soprano | Albania | Winner | 1993, Paris |
Andrey Nemzer | countertenor | Russia | 3rd Prize | 2014, Los Angeles |
Lasha Nikabadze | tenor | Georgia | CulturArte Prize | 2001, Washington |
Julia Novikova | soprano | Russia | 1st Prize & Audience Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
Carmen Oprisanu | mezzo-soprano | Romania | 3rd Prize | 1995, Madrid |
Ievgen Orlov | bass | Ukraine | 2nd Prize | 2010, Milan |
Lisette Oropesa | soprano | United States | 3rd Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 2007, Paris |
John Osborn | tenor | United States | 1st Prize | 1996, Bordeaux |
Eric Owens | bass | United States | 2nd Prize | 1996, Bordeaux |
Phyllis Pancella | mezzo-soprano | United States | 2nd Prize | 1996, Bordeaux |
Darren Pene Pati | tenor | New Zealand | 2nd Prize & Audience Prize | 2015, London |
Nathaniel Peake | tenor | United States | Zarzuela Prize | 2010, Milan |
Olga Peretyatko | soprano | Russia | 2nd Prize | 2007, Paris |
Ailyn Pérez | soprano | United States | 2nd Prize | 2006, Valencia |
Jossie Perez | mezzo-soprano | United States | Zarzuela Prize | 2001, Washington |
Mikhail Petrenko | bass | Russia | 4th Prize | 2004, Los Angeles |
Susanna Phillips | soprano | United States | 1st Prize & Audience Prize | 2005, Madrid |
Simone Piazzola | baritone | Italy | 2nd Prize & Audience Prize | 2013, Verona |
Antonio Poli | tenor | Italy | CulturArte Prize | 2012, Beijing |
Robert Pomakov | bass | Canada | 3rd Prize | 2000, Los Angeles |
Stefan Pop | tenor | Romania | 1st Prize & Audience Prize | 2010, Milan |
Dmytro Popov | tenor | Ukraine | 2nd Prize | 2007, Paris |
Joel Prieto | tenor | Spain / Puerto Rico | 1st Prize & Zarzuela Prize & CulturArte Prize | 2008, Québec |
Olga Pudova | soprano | Russia | 3rd Prize | 2011, Moscow |
Sabina Puertolas | soprano | Spain | Zarzuela Prize | 2003, Bodensee |
Diogenes Randes | bass | Brazil | 2nd Prize | 2005, Madrid |
Alessandra Rezza | soprano | Italy | 2nd Prize | 2001, Washington |
Angel Rodriguez Rivero | tenor | Spain | Zarzuela Prize | 1997, Tokyo |
Rafael Rojas | tenor | Mexico | Zarzuela Prize | 1995, Madrid |
Arnold Rutkowski | tenor | Poland | CulturArte Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
Trevor Scheunemann | baritone | United States | 3rd Prize | 2006, Valencia |
Erwin Schrott | bass | Uruguay | 1st Prize & Audience Prize | 1998, Hamburg |
Carine Sechehaye | mezzo-soprano | Switzerland | Zarzuela Prize | 2007, Paris |
Jung-Hack Seo | baritone | South Korea | 2nd Prize | 1997, Tokyo |
Konstantin Shushakov | baritone | Russia | 2nd Prize | 2011, Moscow |
In-Sung Sim | baritone | South Korea | Zarzuela Prize | 2004, Los Angeles |
Daniil Shtoda | tenor | Russia | 2nd Prize | 2000, Los Angeles |
Mariangela Sicilia | soprano | Italy | 3rd Prize | 2014, Los Angeles |
Kostas Smoriginas | bass-baritone | Lithuania | 3rd Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
Carmen Solis Gonzalez | soprano | Spain | CulturArte Prize | 2007, Paris |
Nina Stemme | mezzo-soprano | Sweden | Winner | 1993, Paris |
Xiu Wei Sun | soprano | China | 3rd Prize | 1997, Tokyo |
Karoly Szemeredy | baritone | Hungary | 3rd Prize | 2008, Québec |
Lynette Tapia | soprano | United States | 1st Prize & Audience Prize | 1996, Bordeaux |
Masako Teshima | mezzo-soprano | Japan | Winner | 1994, Mexico City |
Ludovic Tezier | baritone | France | 2nd Prize | 1998, Hamburg |
Dimitra Theodossiou | soprano | Greece | 2nd Prize & Audience Prize | 1995, Madrid |
Virginia Tola | soprano | Argentina | Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2000, Los Angeles |
Auxiliadora Toledano | soprano | Spain | 3rd Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
Rolando Villazón | tenor | Mexico | 2nd Prize & Audience Prize & Zarzuela Prize | 1999, Puerto Rico |
Vittorio Vitelli | baritone | Italy | 3rd Prize | 1996, Bordeaux |
Bogdan Volkov | tenor | Russia | 2nd Prize | 2016, Guadalajara |
Dimitry Voropaev | tenor | Russia | 3rd Prize | 2004, Los Angeles |
Karen Vuong | soprano | United States | CulturArte Prize | 2006, Valencia |
Yunpeng Wang | baritone | China | 2nd Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2012, Beijing |
Anita Watson | soprano | Australia | 3rd Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
Yali-Marie Williams | soprano | Puerto Rico | 3rd Prize | 1999, Puerto Rico |
Rachel Willis-Sørensen | soprano | United States | 1st Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Birgit Nilsson Prize | 2014, Los Angeles |
Amanda Woodbury | soprano | United States | 2nd Prize & Audience Prize | 2014, Los Angeles |
Elena Xanthoudakis | soprano | Greece/Australia | 3rd Prize | 2008, Québec |
Guang Yang | mezzo-soprano | China | 1st Prize | 2001, Washington, D.C. |
Tae Joong Yang | baritone | South Korea | 1st Prize | 2007, Paris |
Pretty Yende | soprano | South Africa | 1st Prize & Zarzuela Prize & Audience Prize | 2011, Moscow |
Sonya Yoncheva | soprano | Bulgaria | 1st Prize & CulturArte Prize | 2010, Milan |
Kwangchul Youn | bass | South Korea | Winner | 1993, Paris |
Guanqun Yu | soprano | United States | 2nd Prize | 2012, Beijing |
Miguel Angel Zapater | bass | Spain | 1st Prize | 1995, Madrid |
Wenwei Zhang | bass | China | 3rd Prize | 2009, Pécs/Budapest |
References
- ↑ Opera News. "Norwegian Soprano Lise Davidsen and Romanian tenor Ioan Hotea Win Top Prizes in Plácido Domingo's Operalia Competition in London". Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ↑ Christansen, Rupert (20 July 2015). "Operalia, Royal Opera House, review: 'an unfair test'". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 July 2015.