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
Natalie Lewis, mezzo-soprano, USA
Grisha Martirosyan, baritone, Armenia
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 2026 Finalists
Finalists Opera:
Alikhan Beisekov, baritone, Kazakhstan
Vladyslav Buialskyi, bass-baritone, Ukraine
Roman Chabaranok, bass, Ukraine
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Zihao Li, baritone, China
Tessa McQueen, soprano, USA
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Junhyeok Felix Park, baritone, South Korea
Sungmin Park, bass, South Korea
Kirill Sikora, tenor, Russia
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Gonghao Zhang, baritone, China
Finalists Zarzuela:
Vladyslav Buialskyi, bass-baritone, Ukraine
Eleomar Cuello, baritone, Cuba
Sofía Esparza, soprano, Spain
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Operalia 2026 Semi-Finalists
Semi-finalists Opera:
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
Marianna Hovanisyan, soprano, Armenia
Song Hee Lee, soprano, South Korea
Gabriela Legun, soprano, Poland
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Zihao Li, baritone, China
Tessa McQueen, soprano, USA
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Junhyeok Felix Park, baritone, South Korea
Sungmin Park, bass, South Korea
Ben Reisinger, tenor, USA
Kirill Sikora, tenor, Russia
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Gonghao Zhang, baritone, China
Haolun Zhang, countertenor, China
Semi-finalists Zarzuela:
Vladyslav Buialskyi, bass-baritone, Ukraine
Tiffany Choe, soprano, USA
Eleomar Cuello, baritone, Cuba
Aksel Daveyan, baritone, Armenia
Sofía Esparza, soprano, Spain
Zihao Li, baritone, China
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Aitana Sanz, soprano, Spain
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Operalia 2026 Calendar
The Operalia 2026 Semi-Final Round, on Wednesday October 28, will be streamed live from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music on the Operalia YouTube Channel at 16.00 Local Time | 09.00 CET
Audiences from all over the world will be able to watch the Operalia 2026 Final Round on Sunday November 1st at 18.00 Local Time | 11.00 CET 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 2026
Sophie de Lint
Director, Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam
Marta Domingo
Stage Director
Jonathan Friend
Casting Consultant, Houston Grand Opera
Artistic Advisor, Irish National Opera, Dublin
Casting Consultant, Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm
Michael Heaston
Deputy General Manager, The Metropolitan Opera, New York
Peter Katona
Director of Casting, Royal Ballet and Opera, London
Robert Körner
Casting Director, Wiener Staatsoper
Liao Chiangyong
President, Shanghai Conservatory of Music
President, Shangyin Opera House
Erik Malmquist
Head of Casting, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich
Isla Mundell-Perkins
Director of Artistic Administration, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence
Christina Scheppelmann
General and Artistic Director, La Monnaie/De Munt, Brussels
Sebastian F. Schwarz
Casting Manager, Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Evamaria Wieser
Casting Consultant & Director of the Young Singers Project, Salzburg Festival
European Casting Consultant, Lyric Opera of Chicago
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 2026 Finalists
Finalists Opera:
Alikhan Beisekov, baritone, Kazakhstan
Vladyslav Buialskyi, bass-baritone, Ukraine
Roman Chabaranok, bass, Ukraine
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Zihao Li, baritone, China
Tessa McQueen, soprano, USA
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Junhyeok Felix Park, baritone, South Korea
Sungmin Park, bass, South Korea
Kirill Sikora, tenor, Russia
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Gonghao Zhang, baritone, China
Finalists Zarzuela:
Vladyslav Buialskyi, bass-baritone, Ukraine
Eleomar Cuello, baritone, Cuba
Sofía Esparza, soprano, Spain
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Operalia 2026 Semi-Finalists
Semi-finalists Opera:
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
Marianna Hovanisyan, soprano, Armenia
Song Hee Lee, soprano, South Korea
Gabriela Legun, soprano, Poland
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Zihao Li, baritone, China
Tessa McQueen, soprano, USA
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Junhyeok Felix Park, baritone, South Korea
Sungmin Park, bass, South Korea
Ben Reisinger, tenor, USA
Kirill Sikora, tenor, Russia
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Gonghao Zhang, baritone, China
Haolun Zhang, countertenor, China
Semi-finalists Zarzuela:
Vladyslav Buialskyi, bass-baritone, Ukraine
Tiffany Choe, soprano, USA
Eleomar Cuello, baritone, Cuba
Aksel Daveyan, baritone, Armenia
Sofía Esparza, soprano, Spain
Zihao Li, baritone, China
Emma Marhefka, soprano, USA
Robert Lewis, tenor, UK
Aitana Sanz, soprano, Spain
Jiazhou Wang, baritone, China
Operalia 2026 Calendar
The Operalia 2026 Semi-Final Round, on Wednesday October 28, will be streamed live from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music on the Operalia YouTube Channel at 16.00 Local Time | 09.00 CET
Audiences from all over the world will be able to watch the Operalia 2025 Final Round on Sunday November 1st at 18.00 Local Time | 11.00 CET, 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 2026
Sophie de Lint
Director, Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam
Marta Domingo
Stage Director
Jonathan Friend
Casting Consultant, Houston Grand Opera
Artistic Advisor, Irish National Opera, Dublin
Casting Consultant, Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm
Michael Heaston
Deputy General Manager, The Metropolitan Opera, New York
Peter Katona
Director of Casting, Royal Opera House, London
Robert Körner
Casting Director, Wiener Staatsoper
Liao Chiangyong
President, Shanghai Conservatory of Music
President, Shangyin Opera House
Erik Malmquist
Head of Casting, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich
Isla Mundell-Perkins
Director of Artistic Administration, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence
Christina Scheppelmann
General and Artistic Director, La Monnaie/De Munt, Brussels
Sebastian F. Schwarz
Casting Manager, Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Evamaria Wieser
Casting Consultant & Director of the Young Singers Project, Salzburg Festival
European Casting Consultant, Lyric Opera of Chicago