In just two years of activity, Cascais Opera – International Vocal Competition has established itself as a strategic platform for the professional development and internationalization of young artists, positioning itself as a vital link between emerging talent and the global operatic job market. More than a competition, the initiative stands out for its ability to generate concrete professional opportunities, enabling singers to gain stage experience, access leading institutions, and ensure a solid transition into sustainable professional careers.
The impact of this artistic mediation has become evident through the achievements of its participants. One of the most significant milestones was the admission of Teresa Sales Rebordão to the Opera Studio of the Vienna State Opera, one of the world’s most prestigious operatic academies, following a competitive audition process. In parallel, the competition’s international visibility was strengthened in Paris, during the launch of the second edition of Cascais Ópera, with recitals held at the Embassy of Portugal and the Centre Européen de Musique. These events featured Sílvia Sequeira, Anna Erokhina, Oleh Lebediev, Teresa Sales Rebordão, and Haesu Kim, offering them direct exposure within one of Europe’s key cultural hubs.
The impact of Cascais Opera has also extended significantly to the national musical scene. Hae Kang, winner of the Grand Prix Égide 2024, returned to Portugal to inspire the candidates of the second edition of Cascais Opera and was also invited, together with Susana Vieira, to perform at the opening concert of Cascais Ópera 2025.
At the same time, the realization of the contract prizes awarded in the 2024 edition translated into tangible professional opportunities for several laureates. Hae Kang was invited to perform as a soloist at the Christmas Concert of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, interpreting Ponchielli’s Messa per la Notte di Natale. Within the same institutional context, Sílvia Sequeira joined the cast of Suor Angelica at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, further consolidating her presence on stages of high artistic demand. Constança Melo was featured in the program of the Mafra Music Festival – Filipe de Sousa, while Teresa Sales Rebordão participated in the Marvão International Music Festival, where she presented two recitals. Cláudia Anjos joined the cast of Leoš Janáček’s opera Jenůfa at the invitation of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos.
The diversity of performance contexts fostered by the competition has also enabled artists to explore new experiences and interdisciplinary collaborations, as illustrated by the participation of Sílvia Sequeira and Viktor Aksentijevic in the Lumina Festival, in Cascais.
Still in 2025, Cascais Opera also brought together the two winners of the RTP Audience Award, Sílvia Sequeira and Ana Rita Coelho, for a Summer Solidarity Concert at the Auditório da Senhora da Boa Nova, sharing the stage with the Macau Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Colégio Moderno School of Music. This encounter led to an international cultural exchange, which continued with the presentation of two concerts in Macau in late 2025 and early 2026.
Through this consistent set of achievements, Cascais Opera reaffirms its mission to go beyond the mere awarding of prizes, positioning itself as an active agent in the professional growth, artistic affirmation, and international projection of the young artists it supports.
