Rolex proudly presents Operalia, The World Opera Competition, hosted by the Bulgaria Concert Hall in Sofia from October 20 to 26
Operalia 2025 Winners
Photo: SY11 / Lilia Yotova
First Prize
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Second Prize
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Third Prize
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Birgit Nilsson Prize
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Alexander Grassauer, bass-baritone, Austria
The Pepita Embil Prize of Zarzuela
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
The Don Plácido Domingo Ferrer Prize of Zarzuela
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Rolex Prize of the Audience
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
CulturArte Prize
William Thomas, bass, UK
Special Prizes by the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Operalia 2025 Finalists
Finalists Opera:
Nathan Bowles, tenor, USA
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Alexander Grassauer, bass-baritone, Austria
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
William Thomas, bass, UK
Bo Wang, bass-baritone, China
Jasmin White, contralto, USA
Finalists Zarzuela:
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Operalia 2025 Semi-Finalists
Semi-finalists Opera:
Amin Ahangaran, bass, Iran
Davide Battiniello, tenor, Italy
Nathan Bowles, tenor, USA
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Aleksandra Domashchuk, soprano, Ukraine
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Alexander Grassauer, bass-baritone, Austria
Geon Kim, baritone, South Korea
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Luna Seongeun Park, soprano, South Korea
Ian Rucker, baritone, USA
Caterina Maria Sala, soprano, Italy
William Thomas, bass, UK
BaoPeng Wang, bass, China
Bo Wang, bass-baritone, China
Jasmin White, contralto, USA
Elen Yeghiazaryan, soprano, Armenia
Semi-finalists Zarzuela:
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Aleksandra Domashchuk, soprano, Ukraine
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Caterina Maria Sala, soprano, Italy
Elen Yeghiazaryan, soprano, Armenia
Operalia 2025 Calendar
The Operalia 2025 Semi-Final Round, on Wednesday October 22, will be streamed live from Bulgarian Concert Hall on the Operalia YouTube Channel at 15.00 CET / 16.00 Local Time
Audiences from all over the world will be able to watch the Operalia 2025 Final Round on Sunday October 26 at 14.30 CET / 18.00 Local Time live on Medici.tv
Operalia 2025 Participants
Amin Ahangaran, bass, Iran
Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Davide Battiniello, tenor, Italy
Nathan Bowles, tenor, USA
Bozhidar Bozhkilov, bass, Bulgaria
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Gabriela Celińska, mezzo-soprano, Poland
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Inna Demenkova, soprano, Russia
Oleksandra Diachenko, mezzo-soprano, Ukraine
Aleksandra Domashchuk, soprano, Ukraine
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
David Goldberg, tenor, Israel
Alexander Grassauer, bass-baritone, Austria
Hae Kang, baritone, South Korea
Geon Kim, baritone, South Korea
Miriam Kutrowatz, soprano, Austria
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Granit Musliu, tenor, Kosovo
Yejy Nam, soprano, South Korea
Luna Seongeun Park, soprano, South Korea
Valentina Puskás, soprano, Romania/Hungary
Ian Rucker, baritone, USA
Caterina Maria Sala, soprano, Italy
William Thomas, bass, UK
BaoPeng Wang, bass, China
Bo Wang, bass-baritone, China
Jasmin White, contralto, USA
Elen Yeghiazaryan, soprano, Armenia
Egor Zhuravskii, tenor, Russia
Jury Members Operalia 2025
Isamay Benavente
Artistic Director, Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid
Sophie de Lint
Director, Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam
Marta Domingo
Stage Director
Jonathan Friend
Artistic Advisor, Irish National Opera, Dublin
Casting Consultant, Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm
Paolo Gavazzeni
Artistic Coordinator, Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Tobias Hasan
Opera Director, Staatsoper Berlin
Peter Katona
Director of Casting, Royal Opera House, London
Robert Körner
Casting Director, Wiener Staatsoper
Joan Matabosch
Artistic Director, Teatro Real, Madrid
Erik Malmquist
Head of Casting, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich
Evamaria Wieser
Casting Consultant & Director of the Young Singers Project, Salzburg Festival
European Casting Consultant, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Sonya Yoncheva
Soprano, Founder of SY11 Events
Operalia 2025
Rolex proudly presents Operalia, The World Opera Competition, hosted by the Bulgaria Concert Hall in Sofia from October 20 to 26
Operalia 2025 Winners
Photo: NCPA
First Prize
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Second Prize
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Third Prize
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Birgit Nilsson Prize
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Alexander Grassauer, bass-baritone, Austria
The Pepita Embil Prize of Zarzuela
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
The Don Plácido Domingo Ferrer Prize of Zarzuela
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Rolex Prize of the Audience
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
CulturArte Prize
William Thomas, bass, UK
Special Prizes by the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Operalia 2025 Finalists
Finalists Opera:
Nathan Bowles, tenor, USA
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Alexander Grassauer, bass-baritone, Austria
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
William Thomas, bass, UK
Bo Wang, bass-baritone, China
Jasmin White, contralto, USA
Finalists Zarzuela:
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Operalia 2025 Semi-Finalists
Semi-finalists Opera:
Amin Ahangaran, bass, Iran
Davide Battiniello, tenor, Italy
Nathan Bowles, tenor, USA
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Aleksandra Domashchuk, soprano, Ukraine
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Alexander Grassauer, bass-baritone, Austria
Geon Kim, baritone, South Korea
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Luna Seongeun Park, soprano, South Korea
Ian Rucker, baritone, USA
Caterina Maria Sala, soprano, Italy
William Thomas, bass, UK
BaoPeng Wang, bass, China
Bo Wang, bass-baritone, China
Jasmin White, contralto, USA
Elen Yeghiazaryan, soprano, Armenia
Semi-finalists Zarzuela:
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Aleksandra Domashchuk, soprano, Ukraine
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Caterina Maria Sala, soprano, Italy
Elen Yeghiazaryan, soprano, Armenia
Operalia 2025 Calendar
The Operalia 2025 Semi-Final Round, on Wednesday October 22, will be streamed live from the Bulgarian Concert Hall on the Operalia YouTube Channel at 15.00 CET / 16.00 Local Time
Audiences from all over the world will be able to watch the Operalia 2025 Final Round on Sunday October 26 at 17.00 CET / 18.00 Local Time live on Medici.tv
Operalia 2025 Participants
Amin Ahangaran, bass, Iran
Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Davide Battiniello, tenor, Italy
Nathan Bowles, tenor, USA
Bozhidar Bozhkilov, bass, Bulgaria
Ekaterine Buachidze, mezzo-soprano, Georgia
Gabriela Celińska, mezzo-soprano, Poland
Mihai Damian, baritone, Romania
Inna Demenkova, soprano, Russia
Oleksandra Diachenko, mezzo-soprano, Ukraine
Aleksandra Domashchuk, soprano, Ukraine
Samira Galimova, soprano, Russia
David Goldberg, tenor, Israel
Alexander Grassauer, bass-baritone, Austria
Hae Kang, baritone, South Korea
Geon Kim, baritone, South Korea
Miriam Kutrowatz, soprano, Austria
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
Dave Monaco, tenor, Italy
Granit Musliu, tenor, Kosovo
Yejy Nam, soprano, South Korea
Luna Seongeun Park, soprano, South Korea
Valentina Puskás, soprano, Romania/Hungary
Ian Rucker, baritone, USA
Caterina Maria Sala, soprano, Italy
William Thomas, bass, UK
BaoPeng Wang, bass, China
Bo Wang, bass-baritone, China
Jasmin White, contralto, USA
Elen Yeghiazaryan, soprano, Armenia
Egor Zhuravskii, tenor, Russia
Jury Members Operalia 2025
Isamay Benavente
Artistic Director, Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid
André Comploi
Artistic Coordinator, Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Sophie de Lint
Director, Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam
Marta Domingo
Stage Director
Jonathan Friend
Artistic Advisor, Irish National Opera, Dublin
Casting Consultant, Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm
Paolo Gavazzeni
Artistic Coordinator, Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Tobias Hasan
Opera Director, Staatsoper Berlin
Peter Katona
Director of Casting, Royal Opera House, London
Robert Körner
Casting Director, Wiener Staatsoper
Joan Matabosch
Artistic Director, Teatro Real, Madrid
Erik Malmquist
Head of Casting, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich
Evamaria Wieser
Casting Consultant & Director of the Young Singers Project, Salzburg Festival
European Casting Consultant, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Sonya Yoncheva
Soprano, Founder of SY11 Events