Operalia, Placido Domingo's world opera competition returns to Mexico after 22 years

The city of Guadalajara and its legendary Teatro Degollado will host the Twenty forth edition of the Operalia Competition this summer from July 19th. to 24th, with the support of the Secretary of Culture of the State of Jalisco Six Mexican singers among the 40 competitors selected from 16 countries The Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra will accompany the Finals Concert conducted by Maestro Plácido Domingo, 

Operalia, the international Opera competition founded by Plácido Domingo in 1993, returns to Mexico after a 22 years absence. The Ministry of Culture of Mexico, the Cultural Secretary of the State of Jalisco, the sovereign State of Jalisco and the legendary Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara, which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary, will host the competition. The event will be held from July 19th. to 24th. featuring 40 competitors from 16 countries around the world, including six Mexican singers. Operalia has traveled the world in search of talent for the past 24 years. The first contest was held in Paris in 1993 and then moved to Mexico City and other cities such as Beijing, Bordeaux, Budapest, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Quebec, Tokyo, Verona, Los Angeles and London, among others. The long list of artists who have won Operalia prizes attest to its success in discovering, launching and nurturing great talent. Some of the winners who have firmly established themselves in the world of opera include the great Swedish soprano Nina Stemme, the worldfamous mezzo-soprano from the United States, Joyce DiDonato; the Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, Puerto-Rican soprano Ana María Martínez, and the soprano from Bulgaria, Sonya Yoncheva. Operalia is also proud to celebrate Mexican tenors Arturo Chacón Cruz, David Lomelí and Rolando Villazón, as well as Mexican soprano María Katzarava, among the talented voices who have made outstanding careers on the most important stages in the world. PLÁCIDODOMINGOʼSOPERALIA THE WORLDOPERA COMPETITION Operalia draws singers from around the world, ranging in ages from 18 to 32, in all the voice categories; to be heard by a panel of judges conformed by distinguished international opera Directors and Casting Directors. Hundreds of eager applicants submit their applications every year, out of which only 40 are chosen to compete in front of a jury of ten industry professionals, such as Jonathan Friend, Peter Katona and Joan Matabosch, Artistic Administrator of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Casting Director of the Royal Opera House in London, and the Artistic Director of the Teatro Real in Madrid, respectively. The 40 contestants facing the challenge this year come from 16 different countries, including Canada, France, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, and the United States. The group is prominently formed by sopranos and tenors, and with a good representation by mezzosopranos, and baritones. One bass, one bass-baritone and one countertenor complete the roster. The jury, presided by Plácido Domingo as a non-voting mediator, will gather in the City of Guadalajara to listen to the 40 singers during two days of quarterfinals, followed by a semifinal of the continuing 20 contestants. The number is then reduced to ten finalists who will compete at the Finals Concert held at the Teatro Degollado on Sunday, July 24th, accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Jalisco conducted by Maestro Plácido Domingo himself. Rolex is proud to present Operalia, the World Opera Competition, for the 15th consecutive year, perpetuating its commitment to the arts. Plácido Domingo has been a Rolex Testimonee since 1982, and Rolex is delighted to extend its support to the exceptionally gifted young performers who share its quest for excellence and perfection.

Angélica Alejandre, soprano, Mexico, 28, Benjamin Bernheim, tenor, France, 31, Marcelina Beucher, soprano, Poland, 29, J’nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano, USA. 29 Nicholas Brownlee, bass-baritone, USA, 27, Raehann Bryce-Davis, mezzo-soprano, USA, 30. Marina Costa-Jackson, soprano, Italy/USA, 28, Anabel De la Mora, soprano, Mexico, 30, Claire de Sévigné, soprano, Canada, 28, Elsa Dreisig, soprano, France, 25, Aviva Fortunata, soprano, Canada, 28, Emmanuel Franco, baritone, Mexico, 32 AJ Glueckert, tenor, USA, 30, Juan Carlos Heredia, baritone, Mexico, 27, Hanna Husáhr, soprano, Sweden, 32, Sol Jin, baritone, South Korea, 30, Keon-Woo Kim, tenor, South Korea, 30, Kangmin Justin Kim, countertenor, USA, 27, Olga Kulchynska, soprano, Ukraine, 26, Rame Lahaj, tenor, Kosovo, 32, Fabián Lara, tenor, Mexico, 27, Jorge Nelson Martínez González, baritone, Cuba, 22, Sarah Mesko, mezzo-soprano, USA, 31, Anzhelika Minasova, soprano, Russia, 26, Sehoon Moon, tenor, South Korea, 31, Bongiwe Nakani, mezzo-soprano, South Africa, 27, Alexey Neklyudov, tenor, Russia, 28, Helena Orcoyen, soprano, Spain, 29, Petro Ostapenko, baritone, Ukraine, 28, Jennifer Panara, mezzo-soprano, USA, 32, Rafal Pawnuk, bass, Poland, 31, Alan Pingarrón, tenor, Mexico, 28, Brenton Ryan, tenor, USA, 29, Levy Sekgapane, tenor, South Africa, 25, Sandile Sikhosana, baritone, South Africa, 28

Petr Sokolov, baritone, Russia, 29, Elena Stikhina, soprano, Russia, 29, Bogdan Volkov, tenor, Ukraine, 26, Kang Wang, tenor, Australia/China, 28, Olga Zharikova, soprano, Russia, 30