Prestigious 2025 Operalia Competition Announces Winners: Mezzo-soprano Buachidze and Baritone Damian

Risida Dimitrova

2025 Operalia Competition awards winners, Sofia, October 26, 2025 (BTA Photo/Vladimir Shokov)

Sofia,

27.10.2025 08:26

(BTA)

The prestigious Operalia opera competition, held in Sofia this year, announced its winners on Sunday night. The audience, in the packed Bulgaria Hall, applauded the performances of each of the finalists. Founder Placido Domingo personally announced and presented the awards.

Mezzo-soprano Ekaterine Buachidze from Georgia and baritone Mihai Damian Romania won the first prize award. The second prize was awarded to American mezzo-soprano Natalie Lewis and Armenian baritone Grisha Martirosyan. Russian soprano Samira Galimova and Italian tenor Dave Monaco won third prize.

Members of the jury included representatives of opera theatres from Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, UK, Italy, US, Belgium.

Over the years, the competition has been held in Milan, Paris, London, Moscow, Madrid, Mexico City, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Beijing, and Cape Town, among others. By hosting Operalia, Sofia has secured its place on the A-list of global opera capitals. The competition was founded in 1993 by Domingo to help launch the careers of the world’s most promising young opera singers. Two Bulgarians have won first prizes in the prestigious competition so far: bass Orlin Anastasov (1999) and soprano Sonya Yoncheva (2010).

/RD/