Rolex proudly presents Operalia, The World Opera Competition, hosted by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Shangyin Opera House from 26 October to the 1st of November.
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 2026 Participants
Iana Aivazian, soprano, Armenia
Alikhan Beisekov, baritone, Kazakhstan
Vladyslav Buialskyi, bass-baritone, Ukraine
Roman Chabaranok, bass, Ukraine
Tiffany Choe, soprano, USA
Eleomar Cuello, baritone, Cuba
Aksel Daveyan, baritone, Armenia
Sofía Esparza, soprano, Spain
Valeria Gorbunova, mezzo-soprano, Russia
Marianna Hovanisyan, soprano, Armenia
Junho Hwang, tenor, South Korea
Zheng Jiang, countertenor, China
Hannah Jones, mezzo-soprano, USA
Maria Kosovitsa, soprano, Greece
Song Hee Lee, soprano, South Korea
Gabriela Legun, soprano, Poland
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Zihao Li, baritone, China
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Léontine Maridat-Zimmerlin, mezzo-soprano, France
Tessa McQueen, soprano, USA
Lauren Mimouni, soprano, France/USA
Janusz Nosek, baritone, Poland
Junhyeok Felix Park, baritone, South Korea
Sungmin Park, bass, South Korea
Ben Reisinger, tenor, USA
David Sanikidze, tenor, Russia
Aitana Sanz, soprano, Spain
Kirill Sikora, tenor, Russia
Serafina Starke, soprano, Germany
Andrew Turner, tenor, USA
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Gonghao Zhang, baritone, China
Haolun Zhang, countertenor, China
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 2026
Rolex proudly presents Operalia, The World Opera Competition, hosted by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Shangyin Opera House from 26 October to the 1st of November.
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 2026 Participants
Iana Aivazian, soprano, Armenia
Alikhan Beisekov, baritone, Kazakhstan
Vladyslav Buialskyi, bass-baritone, Ukraine
Roman Chabaranok, bass, Ukraine
Tiffany Choe, soprano, USA
Eleomar Cuello, baritone, Cuba
Aksel Daveyan, baritone, Armenia
Sofía Esparza, soprano, Spain
Valeria Gorbunova, mezzo-soprano, Russia
Marianna Hovanisyan, soprano, Armenia
Junho Hwang, tenor, South Korea
Zheng Jiang, countertenor, China
Hannah Jones, mezzo-soprano, USA
Maria Kosovitsa, soprano, Greece
Song Hee Lee, soprano, South Korea
Gabriela Legun, soprano, Poland
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Zihao Li, baritone, China
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Léontine Maridat-Zimmerlin, mezzo-soprano, France
Tessa McQueen, soprano, USA
Lauren Mimouni, soprano, France/USA
Janusz Nosek, baritone, Poland
Junhyeok Felix Park, baritone, South Korea
Sungmin Park, bass, South Korea
Ben Reisinger, tenor, USA
David Sanikidze, tenor, Russia
Aitana Sanz, soprano, Spain
Kirill Sikora, tenor, Russia
Serafina Starke, soprano, Germany
Andrew Turner, tenor, USA
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Gonghao Zhang, baritone, China
Haolun Zhang, countertenor, China
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