Operalia 2023

October 30 – November 5

Cape Town, South Africa

Rolex proudly presents the Thirtieth Anniversary Edition of Operalia, the World Opera Competition, hosted by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cape Town Opera at the Artscape Theatre Centre

cape-town

Operalia 2023 Winners

Photo: Elisabeth Manduell

First Prize

Julie Roset, soprano, France
Stephano Park, bass, South Korea

Second Prize

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA

Third Prize

Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia

Birgit Nilsson Prize

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France

The Pepita Embil Prize of Zarzuela

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France

The Don Plácido Domingo Ferrer Prize of Zarzuela

Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia

Rolex Prize of the Audience

Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea

CulturArte Prize

Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa

Operalia 2023 Finalists

Finalists Opera:

Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Caitlin Gotimer, soprano, USA
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea
Omer Kobiljak, tenor, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Stephano Park, bass, South Korea
Julie Roset, soprano, France
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa

Finalists Zarzuela:

Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Siphokazi Molteno, mezzo-soprano, South Africa
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA

Operalia 2023 Semi-finalists

Semi-finalists Opera:

Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Nicolò Balducci, countertenor, Italy
Gabrielle Beteag, mezzo-soprano, USA
John Findon, tenor, United Kingdom
Caitlin Gotimer, soprano, USA
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Hovhannes Karapetyan, bass-baritone, Armenia
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea
Omer Kobiljak, tenor, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sakhiwe Mkosana, baritone, South Africa
Siphokazi Molteno, mezzo-soprano, South Africa
Anita Monserrat, mezzo-soprano, United Kingdom
Stephano Park, bass, South Korea
Gabriel Rollinson, baritone, Germany
Julie Roset, soprano, France
Sarah Saturnino, mezzo-soprano, USA
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa
Yuliia Zasimova, soprano, Ukraine

Semi-finalists Zarzuela:

Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea
Siphokazi Molteno, mezzo-soprano, South Africa
Gabriel Rollinson, baritone, Germany
Sarah Saturnino, mezzo-soprano, USA
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Alexandra Yangel, mezzo-soprano, Germany
Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa
Yuliia Zasimova, soprano, Ukraine

Operalia 2023 Calendar

Operalia 2023 Semi-Finals, on Wednesday November 1st, will be live streamed via Facebook Live on the Plácido Domingo and Operalia accounts at 15.00 CET / 16.00 Local Time

Audiences from all over the world will be able to watch the Operalia 2023 Finals on Sunday November 5th at 17.00 CET / 18.00 Local Time on Medici.tv and via Facebook live on the Plácido Domingo and Operalia accounts

Operalia 2023 Participants

Post Operalia 2023 Participants Announced

Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Nicolò Balducci, countertenor, Italy
Gabrielle Beteag, mezzo-soprano, USA
Charles Buttigieg, baritone, Malta
Ekaterina Chayka-Rubinstein, mezzo-soprano, Germany
John Findon, tenor, United Kingdom
Caitlin Gotimer, soprano, USA
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Maria Kalinina, soprano, Russia
Hovhannes Karapetyan, bass-baritone, Armenia
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea
Omer Kobiljak, tenor, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Oleh Lebedyev, baritone, Ukraine
Maayan Licht, countertenor, Israel
Luvo Maranti, tenor, South Africa
Thando Mjandana, tenor, South Africa
Sakhiwe Mkosana, baritone, South Africa
Siphokazi Molteno, mezzo-soprano, South Africa
Anita Monserrat, mezzo-soprano, United Kingdom
Stephano Park, bass, South Korea
Gabriel Rollinson, baritone, Germany
Julie Roset, soprano, France
Sarah Saturnino, mezzo-soprano, USA
Daniel Schliewa, tenor, Germany
Alexandria Shiner, soprano, USA
Yosif Slavov, baritone, Bulgaria
Libby Sokolowski, soprano, USA
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Alan Williams, bass, USA
Alexandra Yangel, mezzo-soprano, Germany
Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa
Yuliia Zasimova, soprano, Ukraine

Jury Members Operalia 2023

Marta Domingo

Stage Director

Samuel Gelber

Director of Artistic Planning, Washington National Opera

Jonathan Friend

Artistic Advisor, The Metropolitan Opera, New York

Artistic Advisor, Irish National Opera, Dublin

Peter Katona

Director of Casting, Royal Opera House, London

Robert Körner

Casting Director, Wiener Staatsoper

David Lomelí

Chief Artistic Officer, Santa Fe Opera

Casting Consultant, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich

Artistic Consultant, Dallas Opera

Magdalene Minnaar

Artistic Director, Cape Town Opera

Annette Weber

Director of Opera, Opernhaus Zürich

Carolin Wielpütz

Director of Artistic Planning, Musik Theater an der Wien

Evamaria Wieser

Casting Consultant & Director of the Young Singers Project, Salzburg Festival

European Casting Consultant, Lyric Opera of Chicago

Operalia 2023

October 30 – November 5

Cape Town, South Africa

Rolex proudly presents the Thirtieth Anniversary Edition of Operalia, the World Opera Competition, hosted by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cape Town Opera at the Artscape Theatre Centre

Operalia 2023 Winners

Photo: Elisabeth Manduell

First Prize

Julie Roset, soprano, France
Stephano Park, bass, South Korea

Second Prize

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA

Third Prize

Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia

Birgit Nilsson Prize

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France

The Pepita Embil Prize of Zarzuela

Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France

The Don Plácido Domingo Ferrer Prize of Zarzuela

Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia

Rolex Prize of the Audience

Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea

CulturArte Prize

Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa

Operalia 2023 Finalists

Finalists Opera:

Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Caitlin Gotimer, soprano, USA
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea
Omer Kobiljak, tenor, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Stephano Park, bass, South Korea
Julie Roset, soprano, France
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa

Finalists Zarzuela:

Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Siphokazi Molteno, mezzo-soprano, South Africa
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA

Operalia 2023 Semi-Finalists

Semi-finalists Opera:

Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Nicolò Balducci, countertenor, Italy
Gabrielle Beteag, mezzo-soprano, USA
John Findon, tenor, United Kingdom
Caitlin Gotimer, soprano, USA
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Hovhannes Karapetyan, bass-baritone, Armenia
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea
Omer Kobiljak, tenor, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sakhiwe Mkosana, baritone, South Africa
Siphokazi Molteno, mezzo-soprano, South Africa
Anita Monserrat, mezzo-soprano, United Kingdom
Stephano Park, bass, South Korea
Gabriel Rollinson, baritone, Germany
Julie Roset, soprano, France
Sarah Saturnino, mezzo-soprano, USA
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa
Yuliia Zasimova, soprano, Ukraine

Semi-finalists Zarzuela:

Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea
Siphokazi Molteno, mezzo-soprano, South Africa
Gabriel Rollinson, baritone, Germany
Sarah Saturnino, mezzo-soprano, USA
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Alexandra Yangel, mezzo-soprano, Germany
Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa
Yuliia Zasimova, soprano, Ukraine

Operalia 2023 Calendar

Operalia 2023 Semi-Finals, on Wednesday November 1st, will be live streamed via Facebook Live on the Plácido Domingo and Operalia accounts at 15.00 CET / 16.00 Local Time

Audiences from all over the world will be able to watch the Operalia 2023 Finals on Sunday November 5th at 17.00 CET / 18.00 Local Time on medici.tv and via Facebook live on the Plácido Domingo and Operalia accounts

Operalia 2023 Participants

Semyon Antakov, baritone, Russia
Nicolò Balducci, countertenor, Italy
Gabrielle Beteag, mezzo-soprano, USA
Charles Buttigieg, baritone, Malta
Ekaterina Chayka-Rubinstein, mezzo-soprano, Germany
John Findon, tenor, United Kingdom
Caitlin Gotimer, soprano, USA
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Maria Kalinina, soprano, Russia
Hovhannes Karapetyan, bass-baritone, Armenia
Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea
Omer Kobiljak, tenor, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Oleh Lebedyev, baritone, Ukraine
Maayan Licht, countertenor, Israel
Luvo Maranti, tenor, South Africa
Thando Mjandana, tenor, South Africa
Sakhiwe Mkosana, baritone, South Africa
Siphokazi Molteno, mezzo-soprano, South Africa
Anita Monserrat, mezzo-soprano, United Kingdom
Stephano Park, bass, South Korea
Gabriel Rollinson, baritone, Germany
Julie Roset, soprano, France
Sarah Saturnino, mezzo-soprano, USA
Daniel Schliewa, tenor, Germany
Alexandria Shiner, soprano, USA
Yosif Slavov, baritone, Bulgaria
Libby Sokolowski, soprano, USA
Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Alan Williams, bass, USA
Alexandra Yangel, mezzo-soprano, Germany
Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa
Yuliia Zasimova, soprano, Ukraine

Jury Members Operalia 2023

Marta Domingo

Stage Director

Samuel Gelber

Director of Artistic Planning, Washington National Opera

Jonathan Friend

Artistic Advisor, The Metropolitan Opera, New York

Artistic Advisor, Irish National Opera, Dublin

Peter Katona

Director of Casting, Royal Opera House, London

Robert Körner

Casting Director, Wiener Staatsoper

David Lomelí

Chief Artistic Officer, Santa Fe Opera

Casting Consultant, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich

Artistic Consultant, Dallas Opera

Magdalene Minnaar

Artistic Director, Cape Town Opera

Annette Weber

Director of Opera, Opernhaus Zürich

Carolin Wielpütz

Director of Artistic Planning, Musik Theater an der Wien

Evamaria Wieser

Casting Consultant & Director of the Young Singers Project, Salzburg Festival

European Casting Consultant, Lyric Opera of Chicago