Opera Naples has announced the contestants and jury members who have been selected for the 2026 Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition. Applications came from 430 singers from 19 different countries and 20 contestants were selected.
There are three rounds of competition. The first two take place in the U. Tobe Recital Hall at Florida Gulf Coast University on March 13 and14. The finals will be held outdoors in Baker Park in Naples on the final day of Opera Naples Festival Under the Stars March 15.
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The late Luciano Pavarotti ran an international voice competition in Philadelphia in the 1980s and '90s to foster emerging opera talent. At its height, 1,500 applicants from over 25 countries applied for admission into the competition.
Now in its second year, the the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition supports the career growth of young opera singers by offering them the chance to be heard by industry professionals and to compete for artistic contracts. Each winner will receive a minimum of $10,000 in contracts to perform roles and/or concerts with Opera Naples as well as other opera houses and presenters within the next two seasons. The winners will perform in the Opera Naples 2027 Festival Under the Stars.
Last year, winners were selected in four voice categories: soprano Luna Park, mezzo-soprano Simona Genga, tenor Minghao Liu and bass Camhur Gorgun.
The first round of competition is closed, but the semifinal round at 1 p.m. on March 14 is open to the public. Tickets cost $35 and are available at OperaNaples.org.
The final round is also open to the public. It begins at 7 p.m. in Baker Park, 50 Riverside Circle, Naples. Ticket prices range from $39 to $157 and are available at OperaNaples.org.
The Contestants
The contestants chosen for this year's competition are:
- Sopranos: Hannah Cho, Laura Fernandez, Alexandra Hotz, Virginia Mims, Tess Ottinger, Sofia Scattarreggia
- Mezzo-sopranos: Ashlyn Brown, Kara Morgen, Grace Ryan, Julianna Smith
- Tenors: Alexander Adkins, Victor Cardamone, SeongBeom Choi, Luke Norvell, Yulin Wang
- Baritones: Alexander Granito, Byung Jun Ko, Yantian Sun
- Basses: Peter Barber, Yoseph Park
The Jury
The jury is presided over by Nicoletta Pavarotti and Ramón Tebar.
Following her husband's death at age 71 in 2007, Nicoletta Pavarotti established a foundation in his name to keep his memory alive and bring opera to more people. As president of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, she forged a relationship with Artistic and Music Director Ramon Tebar to establish an academy at Opera Naples as well as revival of her late husband's international voice competition.
Spanish Conductor Ramón Tebar is artistic and music director of Opera Naples and a leading proponent of the voice competition. He was previously artistic director of the Florida Grand Opera and principal guest conductor of Valencia's Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia. Tebar is considered one of the leading Spanish conductors of his generation. Acclaimed for his musical versatility, compelling interpretations and orchestra building skills, Tebar's international reputation in both the opera and orchestral arenas continues to expand. Among the orchestras and opera companies he has conducted and will conduct are: Philharmonia Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, St. Petersburg Symphony, Moscow State Symphony, Malasyan Philharmonic, Orchestre de Rouen, Het Gelders Orkest, Bulgarian National Radio Symphony, Munich Radio Symphony, Prague Philharmonia, Spanish National Orchestra (OCNE), Spanish Radio Television Orchestra (ORTVE), Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (OBC), Galicia Symphony Orchestra (OSG), Valencia Orchestra, Teatro Regio di Torino, Teatro Regio di Parma, Cincinnati Opera, Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), Gran Teatre del Liceu, Kremlin Palace, Royal Festival Hall, Kölner Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wiener Staatsoper.
Additional jury members include international singers, opera directors, casting directors, artistic directors and consultants of renowned opera houses:
- Nicoletta Pavarotti, president of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation
- Krzysztof Biernacki, director of Bower School of Music and the Arts, Florida Gulf Coast University
- Bruce Ford, tenor
- John Churchwell, head of music of San Francisco Opera
- Dr. Jeanie Darnell, head of vocal studies, Florida Gulf Coast University School of Music
- Marco Vinco, artistic director of the Macerata Opera Festival
- Warren Mok, tenor and founder/artistic director of Opera Hong Kong
- George Andguladze, bass and artistic advisor of Georgian State Opera
For more, hear/read:
- "Winner of first Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples Voice Competition Announced"; and
- "Opera Naples and Luciano Pavarotti Foundation expand collaboration"
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