(Aida Garifullina)
Everyone's a winner (actually, only twelve official finalists are winners) at Plácido Domingo's Operalia, which wrapped its 20th anniversary competition last night in Verona, Italy. Here are the names to remember:
- CulturArte Award: $10,000 to 26-year-old Belarus tenor Vladimir Dmitruk
- Don Plácido Domingo Sr. Award for Zarzuela: $10,000 to 27-year-old American tenor Benjamin Bliss
- Pepita Embil Domingo Zarzuela Award: $10,000 to 29-year-old South Korean soprano Hae Ji Chang
- Birgit Nilsson Remembrance Award (for German Wagner/Strauss Rep): $15,000 each to 31-year-old English contralto Claudia Huckle and 27-year-old American soprano Tracy Cox
- Male and Female Third Award: $10,000 each to 30-year-old American soprano Kathryn Lewek and 29-year-old American tenor Zach Borichevsky
- Male and Female Second Award: $20,000 each to 29-year-old French soprano Julie Fuchs and 28-year-old Italian baritone Simone Piazzola.
- Male and Female First Award: $30,000 each to 25-year-old Russian soprano Aida Garifullina and 25-year-old Chinese bass-baritone Ao Li
- Audience Award: Rolex watches to 30-year-old American soprano Kathryn Lewek and 28-year-old Italian baritone Simone Piazzola
Next year's competition is in Los Angeles (so everyone's a winner because a free trip to Los Angeles is not a bad consolation prize.)
(Zach Borichevsky)
(Julie Fuchs)
(Simone Piazzola)
(Kathryn Lewek)
(Ao Li)
(Domingo)