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
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