OPERALIA, PLÁCIDO DOMINGO´S WORLD OPERA COMPETITION, COMES TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME
The National Theatre and the Domingo-Mozart-Prague organization will host the 27th edition of the prestigious international opera competition Operalia.
The competition will take place from July 21 to 26 July.
The National Theatre Orchestra, the oldest orchestra in the Czech Republic, will accompany the competition’s finals concert conducted by Maestro Plácido Domingo.
The worldwide competition has already served as a launch pad for many world-renowned artists. The long list of artists who have won OPERALIA awards naturally, attest to its success in discovering, nurturing and launching the careers of great and talented artists. Some of the winners who have firmly established themselves in the world of opera include the great Swedish soprano Nina Stemme, the enchanting mezzo-soprano from the United States, Joyce DiDonato, the Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, Puerto-Rican soprano Ana María Martínez, the Mexican tenors Rolando Villazón and Arturo Chacón-Cruz and of course, one of today’s most sought-after soprano from Bulgaria, Sonya Yoncheva.
Operalia draws singers from around the world, ranging in ages from 18 to 32, in all the voice categories, so they may be heard by a panel of judges formed by distinguished international opera artistic administrators and casting directors. Hundreds of eager applicants submit their applications every year, out of which only 40 are chosen to compete before a jury of 10 industry professionals, such as Jonathan Friend, Peter Katona and Joan Matabosch, Artistic Administrator of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Casting Director of the Royal Opera House in London, and the Artistic Director of the Teatro Real in Madrid, respectively.
The 40 contestants this year come from 20 different countries, including Argentina, Canada, Guatemala, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Sweden, South Africa and the United States. The group is prominently formed by sopranos and tenors, with a good representation of mezzo-sopranos and baritones. Three basses, a bass-baritone, a contralto and countertenor complete the roster. The accommodation for the contestants and Operalia guests will be provided by the InterContinental hotel in Prague.
The Jury, presided over by Plácido Domingo as a non-voting mediator, will gather in Prague to listen to the 40 singers during the two days of quarterfinals, followed by a semi-final of 20 contestants. The number will then be reduced to 10 finalists who will compete at the Final Round held on 26 July at the National Theatre in Prague, accompanied by the National Theatre Orchestra. Maestro Plácido Domingo will conduct this concert.
Rolex is once again proud to present OPERALIA, the World Opera Competition, for the 18th consecutive year, perpetuating its commitment to the arts. Plácido Domingo has been a Rolex Testimonee since 1982, and Rolex is delighted to extend its support to the exceptionally gifted young performers who share its quest for excellence and perfection.
The OPERALIA competition organized by the National Theatre and the Domingo-Mozart-Prague organization will be supported by the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Culture, Prague City Hall, ČEPS, CzechTourism and the State Fund for Culture of the Czech Republic.
Germán Alcántara, baritone, Argentina, 31
Xabier Anduaga, tenor, Spain, 24
Mario Bahg, tenor, South Korea, 29
Dominic Barberi, bass, United Kingdom, 30
Claire Barnett-Jones, mezzo-soprano, United Kingdom, 29
Guadalupe Barrientos, mezzo-soprano, Argentina, 32
Zdislava Bočková, soprano, Czech Republic, 27
Amanda Lynn Bottoms, mezzo-soprano, USA, 27
Piotr Buszewski, tenor, Poland, 26
Neven Crnić, baritone, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 25
Lauren Decker, contralto, USA, 29
Otgonbat Erdene, baritone, Mongolia, 29
Adriana Gonzalez, soprano, Guatemala, 27
Alyona Guz, soprano, Ukraine, 30
Samuel Hasselhorn, baritone, Germany, 29
Maria Kataeva, mezzo-soprano, Russia, 32
Gihoon Kim, baritone, South Korea, 27
Sungho Kim, tenor, South Korea, 29
Bongani Justice Kubheka, baritone, South Africa, 28
Mykhailo Malafii, tenor, Ukraine, 28
Héloïse Mas, mezzo-soprano, France, 31
Luvuyo Mbundu, baritone, South Africa, 26
Felicia Moore, soprano, USA, 31
Julia Muzychenko, soprano, Russia, 25
Maria Nazarova, soprano, Russia, 30
Christina Nilsson, soprano, Sweden, 29
Daniel Noyola, bass, Mexico, 27
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, countertenor, USA/Germany, 25
Igor Onishchenko, baritone, Ukraine, 26
Christian Pursell, bass-baritone, USA, 28
Damir Rakhmonov, tenor, Uzbekistan, 30
Liv Redpath, soprano, USA, 27
Mario Rojas, tenor, Mexico/Spain, 25
Carlos Enrique Santelli, tenor, USA, 27
Anna Shapovalova, soprano, Russia, 31
Grigorii Shkarupa, bass, Russia, 29
Carolyn Sproule, mezzo-soprano, Canada, 31
Robert Watson, tenor, USA, 31
Matthew White, tenor, USA, 27Jury Members Operalia 2019
Marta Domingo
Stage Director
F. Paul Driscoll
Editor-in-Chief, Opera News
Jonathan Friend
Artistic Administrator, The Metropolitan Opera, New York, USA
Anthony Freud
General Director, Lyric Opera of Chicago, USA
Jean-Louis Grinda
General Director, Opéra de Monte Carlo, Monaco
General Director, Chorégies d’Orange, France
Peter Katona
Director of Casting, Royal Opera House, London, United Kingdom
Joan Matabosch
Artistic Director, Teatro Real, Madrid, Spain
Pål Moe
Artistic Advisor, National Theatre Opera, Prague, Czech Republic; Casting Consultant, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, Germany; Glyndebourne Festival Opera, UK
Andrés Rodriguez
Artistic Consultant
Ilias Tzempetonidis
Casting Director, Opéra National de Paris, France
Carolin Wielpütz
Director of the Artistic Adminsitration, Theater Bonn, Germany
