Following a fiercely contested final yesterday, which was a true celebration of the art and dedication required for the mastery of lyrical singing, we can say that the first edition of the Cascais Ópera – International Singing Competition has concluded in a spectacular fashion.
Between April 6 and 14, numerous events took place in Cascais, leading to a highly competitive grand final at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, where competitors were accompanied by the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Australian maestro Tom Woods. The Grand Prix winner was South Korean Hae Kang, who received a prize sponsored by the Égide Foundation and a contract with the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. The Cascais Ópera exceeded the expectations set by the organizers. Initially, 213 applications were submitted from 40 countries, from which 47 were selected. Truly international, Cascais Ópera featured singers from around 20 countries.
A total of 12 prizes and honorable mentions were awarded, expressed both in monetary values and contracts with national and international opera houses and festivals, where the winners will perform and delight audiences, aiming to give visibility and open doors to new talents. The main prizes and their winners are: the Grand Prix Égide, worth €10,000, including a contract with TNSC – Hae Kang; the First Prize “Teresa Berganza” for female voice or countertenor, sponsored by the La Caixa Foundation in partnership with BPI, worth €7,500, went to the Portuguese Sílvia Sequeira; the first prize “Maurício Bensaúde” for male voice, also worth €7,500, was awarded to South Korean ByeongMin Gill; the second prize, worth €5,000, went to Belgian Jan Wouters; the third prize, worth €3,500, went to Ukrainian Anna Erokhina; the prize for the best competitor under 25, worth €2,500, went to Armenia’s Iana Aivazian (semifinalist); the audience award, sponsored by RTP, worth €1,500, went to Portuguese Sílvia Sequeira. Among the contract prizes: Hovhannes Karapetyan from Armenia won a contract with the National Opera of Serbia Novisad; Sílvia Sequeira won a contract with TNSC; Teresa Sales Rebordão won a contract for the FIMM Music Festival in Marvão 2025; Thai singer Duangamorn Fu won a contract with the Cascais and Oeiras Chamber Orchestra; and Portuguese Constança Melo won a contract with the Mafra Music Festival.
After this very positive first experience, dedicated to the memory of Spanish soprano Teresa Berganza and the opera “Carmen” by Georges Bizet, the organization of Cascais Ópera confirms the return of the event next year. The second edition aims to cultivate the seeds planted this year. It will continue to promote classical music and establish a reference international opera and lyrical singing event in Portugal, where various generations and cultural and artistic sensibilities come together to create unique experiences for themselves and the audience. The 2025 edition will be a larger, more ambitious, and more comprehensive event. The final of Cascais Ópera 2025 is already scheduled for May 4 and will take place in the Grand Auditorium of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
