Cascais Opera – International Vocal Competition and the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious international singing competitions, have established a collaboration agreement aimed at strengthening the international mobility of young singers and creating new artistic development opportunities between Portugal and Finland.
The partnership introduces an exchange programme connecting the two competitions and their educational initiatives, fostering the circulation of young artists, the sharing of expertise, and closer collaboration between two organisations committed to discovering and promoting the next generation of opera singers.
As part of this agreement, Cascais Opera welcomed a student from the Mirjam Helin Academy during its 2026 edition. Throughout the Competition, the student observed all competition rounds, took part in activities organised for contestants, attended masterclasses, and had the opportunity to engage with jury members, mentors, and artists from around the world.
Beginning with the 2027 edition, the partnership will expand further. Each year, one Mirjam Helin Academy student will be invited to participate directly in the live rounds of Cascais Opera. Likewise, one singer selected at Cascais Opera will receive direct admission to the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition 2027, without the need to submit an application or pay the application fee.
The selection process will take place in person, with artistic representatives from each competition attending the other’s event. A member of the Cascais Opera jury will travel to Finland to attend a Mirjam Helin Academy event and select the participant for the 2027 edition of Cascais Opera. Conversely, a representative of the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition travelled to Portugal during Cascais Opera 2026 to choose the first singer to benefit from this new collaboration.
The first artist selected under this partnership is Croatian baritone Tomislav Jukić, winner of the Grand Prix Égide at Cascais Opera 2026, who will be granted direct entry to the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition 2027.
This agreement represents another important milestone in Cascais Opera’s internationalisation strategy, strengthening its integration within a network of leading international institutions while creating concrete opportunities for its participants to develop international careers.
Over its first three editions, Cascais Opera has established itself as a platform for discovering, nurturing and promoting young opera singers, transforming competitive success into meaningful professional opportunities. This partnership with the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition further reinforces that mission, bringing emerging artists closer to some of the world’s leading opera competitions and international artistic networks.
