Bass Stephano Park and soprano Julie Roset won first prize for the best male and the best female voice in the gala finale of Plácido Domingo’s Operalia at Artscape on Sunday evening.
Also read: What’s on show at the Artscape Theatre this November
The world’s foremost opera competition has now placed opera firmly in the hearts of South Africans of all ages since Cape Town played host to the 30th edition of this extraordinary talent search contest this past week.
Thirty-four contestants from 15 countries started the week with a series of preliminary rounds, singing a broad range of arias and accompanied by piano for a share of the total prize money of US$200 000.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city at half the price? Get exclusive offers here.
The final 12, including South Africans, soprano Nombulelo Yende and mezzo-soprano Siphokazi Molteno, sang with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) to a packed Artscape Opera House, conducted by Maestro Domingo himself and assisted by guest conductor Kamal Khan.
Domingo also presided over the 10-person jury.
‘Everyone in this competition are winners,’ said the CEO of the CPO, Louis Heyneman. ‘Hearing such talent at the beginning of their careers and being part of these young singers’ journey is always exciting and Operalia was no exception.’
‘We are particularly proud that we had two South African finalists. This shows that some of the best voices in the new generation of opera singers come from this southern tip of Africa, which is seen as a nursery for rising voices and musicians.’
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under 100k. Find car listings here.
Heyneman thanked the executive mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis for his and the City’s support of Operalia, along with the sponsors of the event.
‘Thank you for making this past week the success it was, which reinforces just why Cape Town has become known the world over as the city of great events!’
The complete Operalia prize winners list:
First Prize
Female Voice $30,000 – Julie Roset, soprano, France
Male Voice $30,000 – Stephano Park, bass, South Korea
Second Prize
Female Voice $20,000 – Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Male Voice $20,000 – Luke Sutliff, baritone, USA
Third Prize
Female Voice $10,000 – Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Male Voice $10,000 – Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Birgit Nilsson Prize
Awarded to the singers interpreting arias of Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner:
Female Voice $15,000 – Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Zarzuela Prize
Pepita Embil de Domingo – Female Voice, $10,000 – Eugénie Joneau, mezzo-soprano, France
Don Plácido Domingo – Male Voice, $10,000 – Navasard Hakobyan, baritone, Armenia
Rolex Audience Prizes
Female Voice Rolex Wristwatch – Elena Villalón, soprano, USA
Male Voice Rolex Wristwatch – Taehan Kim, baritone, South Korea
CulturArte Prize
Special Prize $10 000 offered by Guillermo and Bertita Martínez – Nombulelo Yende, soprano, South Africa
The remaining finalists received an Encouragement Award of $5,000.
Also read:
Picture: Supplied
