Image credits: Jorge Carmon
Following the great success of its inaugural edition, the 2nd edition of Cascais Opera will be launched in Paris, celebrating World Opera Day on October 24 and 25.
The Portuguese Embassy in Paris, on the 24th October, will host this special launch, which aims to promote the International Opera Competition to the world. The reception will be made up of regional products, such as: wine from Carcavelos and Areias de Cascais, a typical biscuit from this village. The event will feature a concert given by five contestants from the first edition, including multiple prizewinners: Anna Erokhina, Haesu Kim, Oleh Lebedyev, Sílvia Sequeira and Teresa Sales Rebordão, who also can share their experience in Cascais Opera. The line-up includes the work “O céu, a terra, o vento sossegado” (The sky, the earth, the calm wind) from the cycle Três Sonetos de Camões (Three Camões Sonnets) for mezzo-soprano and piano by Joly Braga Santos, thus marking both the centenary of the birth of this important Portuguese composer of the 20th century and the 500th anniversary of the death of the poet Luis Vaz de Camões.
On the 25th, World Opera Day, the Centre Européen de Musique in Bougival will open its doors for a further performance of Cascais Opera, which will include three visits to the Villa Viardot, the Datcha Yvan Tourgueniev and the Maison Georges Bizet in Bougival, thus celebrating the rich heritage of opera.
“Cascais Ópera will offer the European Music Center a facsimile of the score that João Guilherme Ripper dedicated to the pianist Adriano Jordão, thus reinforcing the cultural bridges between Portugal and France,” says the competition’s executive director, Alexandra Maurício.
Cascais Opera stands out as an international platform that promotes the talent of young singers in the world of opera. Applications for the competition are now open via the organization’s website until December 15, for singers between the ages of 18 and 32, of all vocal types. The total value of the prizes amounts to 40,000 Euros, spread over 9 categories, providing a significant incentive for the development of the participants’ careers.
In addition to the monetary prizes, the contestants will have the chance to sign contracts with prestigious festivals and opera houses and may also be invited on tours and other artistic opportunities of international importance.
The competition is under the artistic direction of the baritone Sergei Leiferkus, who will also be the Chair of the Jury, in 2025. The jury is made up of leading figures in the world of opera, such as Pål Moe (Glyndebourne), Ivan van Kalmthout (Senior Opera Executive), soprano Anna Samuil (Berliner Staatsoper), soprano Juliane Banse, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore and Eline de Kat (Monte-Carlo Opera).
The 2nd edition of Cascais Ópera will take place from April 23 to May 4 2025. The final will be held in the Grand Auditorium of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, accompanied by the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra.
